Why is our communications team so grumpy?

I bet I can guess why. I have experienced it. I have watched it happen to colleagues at other organizations, and I have heard stories about it from people who have witnessed it happen to their colleagues. It starts when an organization recognizes its need for communications and public relations functions, so it hires one or more “communications” or “communications and marketing” staff members to handle things like writing and pitching press releases, responding to media inquiries and managing the weekly internal and external newsletters.

Next, the communications team, who quickly become known as the organization’s “writers” and “creatives,” find themselves being asked to proofread, if not completely write, every public or semi-public-facing document. Sending a professional letter to another organization? Ask communications to proofread it before it goes out. CEO giving a speech at this week’s rotary? Tell communications to write her talking points. Need a PowerPoint deck for a board presentation? Ask communications to edit your work but also to “make it look pretty,” with branded slides and custom graphics. Annual report coming out? Communications should be in charge of writing it, editing it, designing it and getting it printed and/or distributed. Year-end donor/member/sales meeting coming up? Communications should lead the planning and promotion while also being sure to livestream the event and grab and post still photos that capture the energy in the room for those following along on the organization’s social media platforms. Oh, and communications will need to monitor the chat as well. Add to this, expectations that communications will handle webpage design and maintenance, manage all official social media feeds, curate and maintain distribution lists, provide daily clips monitoring, create marketing collateral and develop and maintain style and branding guidelines, and you have a recipe for discontent, resentment and burnout.  

The thing is, the term “communications” is so vague, there is limitless potential for scope creep. While most professionals in the public relations and communications space are used to working WITH a graphic designer, that does not qualify them to actually BE a graphic designer (or a videographer, or photographer, or web developer, or event planner, or marketing expert (because marketing and public relations are NOT the same) or even a speechwriter if their training is in newswriting). If you are intent on hiring a “jack of all trades” who can manage most or all of the skills I just listed, I guarantee you will end up with a very resentful master of none.

If the skills, roles and responsibilities of the communications team are not mutually understood, clearly defined, respected and protected, the situation will become untenable quickly.

This does not mean communications and public relations professionals aren’t willing or able to flex, learn new skills or go above and beyond the call of duty when it’s necessary. In my experience, they are all too willing to do so, but it almost always works to their own detriment. Their willingness to stretch themselves is not recognized as unabated scope creep, but rather, it becomes an expectation since, after all, it’s all part of “communications,” right?

What do you expect your communications team to do (make a list)? What does your communications team ACTUALLY do (ask them for a list)? Compare the two lists.

If your communications team is overextended and regularly operating outside of its scope or skill set, one way to prevent rampant resentment is to hire help. If you occasionally need videography, contract with a videographer. Need graphic design services? Hire or contract with a graphic designer. Web development? Same. Speechwriting help? Plenty of consultants would be happy to research the topic and write comments that reflect your voice and perspective.

If you want to launch a specific campaign or initiative, you should consider whether your in-house communications team has capacity to take on such a big effort over and above the routine work they already do. After all, the regular newsletters, proofreading, slide decks, media inquiries, social media, etc. won’t disappear just because you want to launch a campaign. If your team is already working at or above capacity, hire additional help for big projects. Often, outside help not only means more hands on deck, but it also can mean objective perspectives and new ideas.

Finally, if you do hire outside help, understand that if you put the communications team in charge of managing the contracts, you have now made them project managers as well. That’s not a bad thing necessarily. Just understand that it is a job in and of itself.

At the very least, if you recognize when and where your team is being overextended, and take steps to alleviate the scope creep, you will send the message that you understand and value your team’s skills and limitations and, most importantly, that you respect them for the professionals they are.  

 Mandy Minick is the principal and founder of Minick Public Relations, LLC. She is the immediate past chief communications officer for the Ohio Department of Education and has 20 years of public relations and entrepreneurial experience. Find Minick Public Relations on LinkedIn.