Discover why a sharp, critical mind are important to work in comms and the importance of adapting to a changing workforce.
Alex Malouf, Corporate Communications & Reputation Manager for the Arabian Peninsula, Procter & Gamble, is in my #questionofcomms hot seat today.
He’s the 13th communicator to tackle these questions and has revealed some excellent recommendations and advice.
Here’s Alex…
1) When did you know internal communication was what you wanted to do?
After I’d gone client-side, back in 2009, with ABB. I saw how impactful internal communications could be on the entire organisation, on employees, as well as on the organisation’s relationship with its various stakeholders.
2) What do you like most about working in this field?
The ability to work across the entire organisation, dealing face-to-face with my audiences and seeing first-hand the outcomes of the work being done.
Internal comms is where the narrative begins.
3) What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?
Never stop learning. In today’s digital age, I don’t think that this piece of advice has ever been so apt.
4) What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a career in comms?
Keep your options open, try everything. Once you have, you’ll then know what you want to do.
5) What does a typical day or working week look like for you?
It’s usually an early start, at 8am, when the office is quiet. The calm allows me to think clearly and plan for the day. Then, it’s a variety of meetings, both inside and outside the office.
6) Name a book you think every communicator must read, and why you’ve chosen it.
The book by Professor Robert Cialdini, Influence: How and why People Agree to Things, is a fascinating look into people’s psychology. This is a subject communicators need to better understand, if they want to effectively engage, listen and influence others.
I’d also recommend Exploring Internal Communication: Towards Informed Employee Voice by Dr Kevin Ruck and Internal Communications: A Manual for Practitioners, both of which are good general guides on internal communications.
7) What’s the one thing you couldn’t do your job without?
Instead of one, let me name three. A sharp, critical and creative mind, a laptop (I’m sorry, we can’t do without technology), and a good coffee/tea.
(I run on tea – totally agree with this! – Rachel).
8) What is the future of internal communication?
We’re living through remarkable times, and the workforce is changing dramatically. There’s concepts such as the gig economy and remote working, which are becoming commonplace.
Internal communicators need to understand how they can adapt to these changing organisational structures, and get both weigh in and buy in from all types of employees, no matter their position or employment type.
Technology will play a role (particularly measurement), but let’s remember we’re still dealing with people.
Human understanding and psychology will be key if we’re going to achieve our IC objectives of promoting engagement, debate, change, openness and business alignment among employees.
9) Where can people find you online?
They can find me on Twitter @alex_malouf. I’m normally somewhere online, so I’ll always respond.
Post author: Alex Malouf.
Thank you Alex. I’m loving all the book recommendations being shared in my #questionofcomms series.
Your name here?
Would you like to sit in my #questionofcomms hot seat?
Feel free to send your answers to the above questions to me, or get in touch and I’ll send you a link to complete them.
Thank you for stopping by,
Rachel
First published on the All Things IC blog 13 March 2017.
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