Here’s what it takes for comms to be a trusted strategic advisor

Communicators often speak about earning a coveted ‘seat at the table’, but seldom talk about what the seat is made out of. Is it built on a working knowledge of your organization’s operations and financial performance? How sturdy or wobbly is this seat? Is it supported by data that connects back to enterprise-wide goals?

Perhaps most importantly, what cross-functional, strategic communications touchpoints can you maintain get you there?

During Ragan’s Employee Communications and Culture Conference this past April, Ragan Director of Event Programming Alyssa Smith learned what it takes for comms to be a trusted, strategic advisor during a conversation with Danisha Hall, director of global enterprise and employee communications at McDonald’s, Kraft Heinz Global Head of DEIB Crystal Andrews Banks, and Strava director of corporate communications Linh Le.

Here’s what stuck out.

Aligning comms goals with business goals

Introducing the importance of financial acumen, Smith asked panelists how they ensure their communications line up not only with departmental goals, but wider business goals as well.

At Strava, Le’s team works to meet  Objectives and Key Results readouts (OKRs) that are set at the highest level.