Just last week I was asked by a training participant why so many people with backgrounds in communications end up in engagement roles. After all, aren’t those two things diametrically opposed?
That’s an interesting viewpoint but not one that I agree with and not just because I cross both worlds.
I see engagement and communications as two sides of the same coin. Allow me to explain why.
Good communications is about clearly conveying information between an individual or organisation and its publics (employees, customers, industry, government, investors etc).
Engagement is about engaging with your community, staff or customers in problem solving or decision-making. It’s focusing more on listening to what others need and then incorporating that into what you do.
That crossover between communication and engagement is a unique space. It means tackling problems from both perspectives, and knowing when to focus on communicating out and when to engage to take information in.
A detailed understanding of both disciplines is enormously beneficial.
To be successful in engagement, good communications is paramount.
Without an understanding of how to successfully communicate, activate interest or explain a challenge or an opportunity, your great engagement might just be going to waste.
If meeting your engagement objectives is proving challenging, is communication the key to solving your issue?
