There are only 45 days left of 2019. How are your plans shaping up for 2020?

If you want to increase your skills, knowledge and confidence when it comes to all things internal communication related, I can help you. Through this article I’m going to reveal what’s not worked out this year and how you can learn about IC with me in 2020.

I’m also going to share a behind the scenes look at my brand new office space, which I’ve named the All Things IC Hub. This is a new chapter for my business and it’s been designed to be a central place where you can learn, network and invest time in yourself, before going back into your company and being everything you need to be.

Even if you’re not able to come to London to work with me in person, you’ll be able to experience the space as it will be where I speak to you from via my remote support options, wherever you are in the world.

Clear vision
I had a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve in 2019. I revealed via Katie Macaulay’s The Internal Comms Podcast how my focus is helping Internal Comms professionals to thrive.

I talked about the fact I see practitioners striving constantly in your work and how I’ve evolved my business to provide ways to nurture and support you. Aligning the work I do with my personal values has resulted in a range of products and services that help me guide IC pros from around the globe every week.

From consultation calls, desk reviews and monthly Masterclasses, to team days, bespoke client work and keynoting at global Comms conferences, it’s a varied role which I absolutely love.

When I launched Masterclasses back in 2016 I started using Wallacespace venues to host my sessions. Thank you to the team at the old Covent Garden site and current St Pancras site for hosting hundreds of practitioners and looking after us so well. The time is now right to have my own dedicated venue devoted to internal communication.

Seeing IC pros increasing their skills, knowledge and confidence from working together is an incredible privilege and joy. I’ve seen you get promoted, launch your own businesses, have tough conversations and get your plans through your Boards with healthy amounts of encouragement and advice from me.

Has everything this year worked out as I hoped? No.

Have I learnt a heck of a lot? Yes.

As this year draws to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting and I thought I’d share these thoughts with you.

Why? Because not everything works out. I’m sure you’ve experienced your own share of failures, lessons and frustrations this year. It’s important to me that I’m honest in the way I work and communicate. So here goes.

What I hoped – Online Masterclasses

I planned to launch my Online Masterclasses in the Autumn and have been working on them all year. I’ve conducted research, tested the format, asked for feedback and even recorded the intro, outro and social videos back in the Summer (pictured below).

Unfortunately due to other priorities sapping my time (see below), I’m not as far along as I’d like to be at this stage. To everyone who has signed up on the waiting list, thank you. You’ll be the first to know when they’re ready next year.

Instead of rushing them and delivering something I know wouldn’t completely provide the solutions to the problems you have, I’m investing the time that’s needed so you can benefit from a high quality Masterclass designed with you in mind.

What I hoped – Office space

Back in April 2019 I found the ideal office space that I could turn into my very first official home for my All Things IC Masterclasses and client work. I was super excited about it all and invested a lot of time, money and effort in trying to get that location to completion. I even used it as the shoot location for the videos above.

Five months and a lot of stress in, I knew I had to walk away.

Despite my investment, the impending outcome didn’t feel right. So I made the incredibly difficult decision to walk away from that location.

Knowing I would lose thousands of pounds and wouldn’t get that time back (which I had hoped to spend developing my Online Masterclasses) was tough.

But that feeling on the first morning after I’d sent a note to my Solicitor was incomparable. I woke up with a sense of relief. Which reinforced my instinct that I’d made the right decision.

I was then left in limbo with a heart and head full of plans and no location to translate them into.

I asked for help in the form of a lettings agent and was delighted when she found me the ideal location. It was coming to the market that week and ticked all the right boxes – and more – for the vision I had in my head and heart.

The image below is the branding board Nikki Rees created for me following our discussions about the space I want to create.

Where I am now – a new chapter

I am now just weeks away from opening the All Things IC Hub. This is a dedicated and confidential space and I can’t wait to share it with you. It will be the new home for my VIP Days, bespoke Team Masterclasses and Monthly Masterclasses. I’ll also be conducting my Consultation Calls, Desk Reviews and mentoring sessions with global clients from there.

Even if you’re not able to come to London to work with me in person, you’ll be able to experience the space as it will be where I speak to you from via my remote support options, wherever you are in the world.

With the help of the interior design dream team Nikki Rees and Jo Beresford-Peirse, my intention for the space is being realised through the design. It’s all coming together and I’m so excited to see it shaping up.

If you follow me on Instagram @rachelallthingsic or subscribe to my free monthly newsletter, The Water Cooler, you’ll have seen my stories and pictures showing behind the scenes.

A dedicated place for IC pros
I have two rooms, the larger one is where you’ll be if you sign up to one of my Monthly Masterclasses. The smaller one has soft seating and will be for my Comms Director Masterminds, VIP Days and 1-2-1 work. I have lots of elements to these rooms and things planned, I’ll reveal more when things are in place.

Here are the before shots. Thankfully I have a great imagination and could see past the existing state to visualise the potential!

I took one of my four-year-old twin sons there on my birthday in September. He was rather confused by all the mess, but could tell I was excited by it all.

A month ago I was on site to choose the materials, paint and wallpaper, which was great fun. Under Nikki and Jo’s direction, I chose a Designers’ Guild marble effect wallpaper and Little Greene Marine Blue 95 paint, which matches my All Things IC teal branding exactly.

Here are the latest images from this week, two months on from the images above. My PA Louise and designer Jo can be seen in some of the pics…

This week I spent time with my client Alexandra Birladianu, who came over to London from Luxembourg to work together. We spent two days working on her strategy and plans for 2020.

Seeing as we were in West London, we stopped by the All Things IC Hub and she became my first client to see it in person.

We recorded a short video, which I posted to LinkedIn…

Thank you Louise, Nikki and Jo for helping me translate my ideas into reality to benefit my existing and future clients in 2020 and beyond.

Keep an eye on @rachelallthingsic over on Instagram if you’re interested in seeing more photos. There will be big changes over the next 10 days and I can’t wait to see the final results.

Sign up to learn about internal communication in 2020 

The All Things IC Hub will be officially opening its doors in Ealing, West London, in January, which coincides with the company’s seventh birthday. It will be the new home for my Masterclasses. I’ve frozen my prices until the end of January 2020. So do book today to benefit from this year’s prices next year.

Your investment is £599 +VAT for a Masterclass and these are the upcoming sessions to choose from:

• 21 January: How to be a Comms Consultant – Momentum
• 28 January: Comms Director Mastermind
• 29 January: Internal Communication Masterclass
• 11 February: Strategic Internal Communication
• 24 February: Change Communication
• 25 February: How to be a Comms Consultant – Exploration.

How to choose

The Internal Communication Masterclass is for you if you’ve been in role for up to five years. If you’re brand new to the world of IC, this is the one for you.

If you’ve been working in IC for a while or are in charge of a team, the Strategic Internal Communication Masterclass is for you.

Will 2020 be the year you work as a Consultant? If you’re curious about being a Comms Consultant and want to explore the idea, sign up to my Exploration Masterclass. If you’re already working as a Consultant and want to build momentum in your business, my Momentum Masterclass is for you.

Change is the only constant in businesses nowadays and the All Things IC Change Communication Masterclass will set you up for success. Not only will you examine Change Comms theory, but you’ll learn how to translate it into reality too.

If you are the most senior IC practitioner in your company, the Comms Director Mastermind is for you. This is an intimate and confidential session where you can ask your peers and I for help with issues you are grappling with.

Bespoke training courses
Don’t forget I can also run these sessions just for your company or host you individually for a VIP Day, or as a Team.

If you need advice and guidance on a 1-2-1 basis, there are a range of consultation phone call options or remote support to choose from.

Thank you to everyone who chose to work with me in 2019, it has been such a joy to see you increase your understanding of internal communication and make the right decisions for you and your people.

Thank you for stopping by, I look forward to discovering how I can support you in 2020 and beyond.

Rachel

First published on the All Things IC blog 16 November 2019.