Top >> PR_Tips__Hints MANAGING PR: Tips for getting communications and yourself to the boardroom table published September - October 2005 Are you an ambitious PR professional? Are you aiming for a position within an organisation’s executive team or board? Do you wish to have a say in strategic business decisions? What are the chances of this becoming your reality? Not good, if you believe the findings of a recent (June 2005) UK study from Echo Research Group (see here). The study surveyed 371 UK companies and from this group, found that only 26 per cent of FTSE 100 companies have a communications director or equivalent on the main board or executive team. The story is similar for FTSE 250 companies, with just 24 per cent of organisations Tips from Those Who Made It   Here are a few bits of helpful advice from current communication directors and their equivalents:   “They need to get as wide a breadth of experience as possible. The critical thing is you need public experience, private experience and where possible either financial, political or both. Experience is critical.” Alex Pagett, Director of Corporate Affairs, Hilton Group   “Many communication professionals still stick to their professional brief, and maybe do not contribute to the overall development of the business.” Sally Osman, Head of Communications, BBC   “You ideally want to get in and win over not just the CEO but the Chairman and a number of the key players and influencers, both executives and non-executives.” Alex Pagett, Director of Corporate Affairs, Hilton Group   And remember…   “When in full sail, Chief Executives are amongst the most terrifying people in the world. They wouldn’t have got to where they are without the ability to make ruthless decisions completely calmly and sleep at night. The consequence of that is that they are very, very forceful but impressive and quite scary people and our job is to stand up to them.” Ian Wright, Corporate Relations Director, Diageo dedicating a position on either the board or executive team to a communications professional. So How Do I Get There? Find a job in a Telecom company would be the glib answer! Echo Research’s study has shown telecommunication companies to be the most likely to have communications represented within the senior echelons of the organisation. More practically, your ability to hold a communications position at the top table is actually determined by a mixture of personal skills and attributes, and corporate culture. Personal Skills and Attributes As with any job, personal skills and attributes are integral to the success of the individual. However, in the case of allowing the head of a communications function to act at a senior level, only 18 per cent of respondents felt this was the most important factor. As the industry battles for recognition and greater understanding of the communications function, the opportunities for executive level communication directors will increase, so it pays to be prepared. Participants of the study listed the following skills you should be able to include on your resume: Ability to demonstrate the business value of communications Ability to link communication objectives to organisational objectives Ability to communicate Journalistic background Leadership, extensive experience in public and corporate affairs Qualities related to being able to recruit and maintain a strong team If the executive team or board really is your target, you should also consider broadening your career beyond communications. Many interviewees of the study who held top level positions described themselves as “Guardians of Reputation” and “Keepers of the brand”. Corporate Culture Unfortunately, the challenge is to not only present yourself as the best possible candidate for executive management, but to find the right environment in which to do this. An organisation’s culture will greatly determine its willingness to accept communications into the executive level. In fact, 44 per cent of respondents to Echo Research’s study said the most important factor to success in this area was the support of the CEO and senior management. Following this, 25 per cent of people rated a ‘culture well disposed to communication’ as the most important factor. As one respondent stated; “For a company to be good at communications, the strategy has to be led by the CEO and the senior people have to play a part in it. If you look at successful companies like British Airways or BP, a constant factor there is that their CEO’s are heavily engaged in communications”. Justifying Communications Spot at the Top Table If your company is culturally not quite ready to accept communications into the executive team, you will find yourself in the situation of having to justify communication’s necessity to the strategic running of the organisation. In this instance, you can arm yourself with the following list of benefits to be had from including communications at the top table: Protection of the brand Increased awareness of stakeholder positions Ensuring a match between communication and business strategies Communication reflecting business strategy - not just as an add on Early warning of potential media problems and opportunities Consistent messaging The role of communications will be better understood by the executive team As Philip Dewhurst, Director of Public Affairs for BNFL said; “I can actually challenge a lot and say ‘you may see it that way, but the Editor of the Sun or the Chairman of Greenpeace might see it in a different way, try and work through a stakeholder matrix and look at it through their eyes’”. Whilst most respondents to the study felt the executive level of the organisation considers communications when making decisions, only 11 per cent of those surveyed said their current job was entirely/mainly strategic. Many expressed concern that non-representation of communications at this level exposes an organisation to greater risks to its reputation and subsequent damage. Simultaneously, the communications function of the company also suffers due to a weaker link between communication and business strategies. The concept of not including a communications professional on the board or executive team was unfathomable to some, including Steven Day, Director of Corporate Affairs at Virgin Mobile. He told researchers “I think the idea of not having a communications expert on the management team is ridiculous if you’ve got shareholders’ money in your hands”. Measurement To truly justify communication’s position within the executive team, you must be accountable. Whilst measuring the impact of communications can be a cumbersome and often difficult task, it provides key strategic benefits such as: More focused strategy / priorities / target messages Helps understanding of / support for the communications function Measures values of communication’s input Scottish Power’s Group Director of Corporate Communications, Dominic Fry, confirms this is the case in his organisation: "Everything that we do gets measured and my bonus and remuneration are tied to my scorecard, to my performance. It is tremendously important that we bring everything down to the bottom line. I don’t think you can justify your seat at the top table unless you are accountable, unless you can demonstrate that you are contributing to the business.” Echo Research’s study has certainly provided something to think about. Anecdotal evidence from interviewees provides an interesting read, and the figures presented provide us with the opportunity to consider our own position in the scheme of things. Whether you find yourself in an executive position or not, the advice doled out by those surveyed for the study will likely prove useful to any communications professional. You may download the study results here.   For articles similar to this one, see the links below: How to help your CEO value PR How to assess your organisation's PR capabilities US study shows how large organisations handle PR internally

PR Influences Australian Public Relations Newsletter. Article: PR Tips: Getting communications to the boardroom table. Information Content: Managing PR, Tips & Hints