“If only I had the money” — stupid communications decisions

Of all the stupid communications decisions I’ve heard people make, probably the stupidest is

“I’d do it [that ‘communications’ thing] if I had the money.”

As if every time you open your mouth—or one of your staffers sends an email to a client—or you release a newsletter or put up a  job posting—you aren’t already “communicating”?

Seriously, even if no one ever hears your actual voice, even if you hire an ASL interpreter for your board meetings or galas—I’ve got news for you:

You’re communicating.

So let’s revise that sentence, shall we? Because what you’re really saying when you say “I’d do it if I had the money” is:

“I’d do it well if I had the money.”

You’re okay with doing something poorly? Wow. Does your boss know that?

Or maybe what you’re really saying when you say “I’d do it if I had the money” is:

“I’d do it to make an impact if I had the money.”

So you’re okay putting out communications that no one reads or remembers? Again, does your boss know that?

Yes, communications costs money. It also brings in money—whether in the form of clients or, if you’re a nonprofit, donations. Communications can also save you money—wouldn’t you rather communicate clearly and retain your employees than replace them?

Stupid communications decisions make me mad

Sorry if that sounded like a bit of a rant. But stupid communications decisions really fry me. You can tell that because I call them “stupid”—and that’s not a word I use lightly.

Joan Garry does not make stupid communications decisionsNonprofit guru Joan Garry knows exactly what I’m talking about. Because she devotes at least some of her podcast this week to talking about the stupid communications organizations in her field (nonprofits) have made. Her guest, communications consultant Sarah Durham, notes that instead of thinking of communications as a frill, nonprofits should think of it as a utility.

A utility? You mean like electricity? She means exactly like electricity. If you wouldn’t set up shop without a way to power your computer and internet, you shouldn’t try to run your organization without a communications expert. (And if you would set up shop without electricity, well, it doesn’t matter because you’re probably not reading this.)

Durham says it’s not just a matter of money and other resources being in scarce supply. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what communications does and can do for an organization. And, of course, it’s hard to communicate—even if you do have an expert dedicated to the task—if your organization hasn’t developed a strong strategic vision.

For strategic vision, see Joan Garry. She’s one of the best. But if you want help to communicate—well, I bet Sarah Durham can help you there. And so can I.

Do-It-Yourself Communications

You think you can’t afford to have a communications expert on staff. I hope by now you’ve figured out you really can’t afford not to.

But what if you could turn one of your staffers into a crack communications person? What if you invested a little in yourself to learn how to shape your thoughts? To focus on what’s important to your audience?

I’ve got a suite of live, interactive webinars geared specifically to professionals who need to communicate as well as they do whatever they actually got hired to do.

  • working with consultant
  • writing