Hub member profile: Sally Hinder
"I've learned more in the last 18 months of going it alone than in my whole career... and loved every minute of it," says Sally Hinder, coach, trainer, facilitator and communications specialist, about branching out from in-house roles as an independent communications consultant.
Please give a brief overview of your career so far
I left university not really knowing what I wanted to do and started my career as a customer services representative for Fidelity Investments.
I stayed within the customer services area, having moved into management roles, for 4 years before moving across into an internal communications role. I was responsible for employee communications along with corporate social responsibility.
Five years later I moved to Brit Insurance as head of internal communications where I stayed until I decided to set up on my own 18 months ago. I now have my own business specializing in employee communications, training and coaching.
What does your role entail on a day-to-day basis?
Each week looks very different for me, which is what I love about it.
I work 2 days a week for a government department as an employee engagement consultant. The remaining days are spent delivering Mind Gym workouts and training for other organizations, such as The Storytellers. I also have 3 clients who I coach, usually in the evenings or at weekends. I sometimes get involved in other, one-off projects.
My job also means I travel a fair bit. This month I'll be in York, Cardiff, Amsterdam and Liverpool. I was lucky enough to recently spend a week in Hong Kong delivering some training. While traveling can be fun, it can also be tiring so I do need to factor that in.
What advice do you have for communications professionals considering shifting from a practitioner role to starting their own consultancy?
I can honestly say I've learned more in the last 18 months of going it alone than in my whole career and loved every minute of it. I've been taken out of my comfort zone more times than ever before and challenged beyond measure. But it’s been wonderful and I can’t see myself ever going back.
- Plan thoroughly and explore what’s out there. Have a really strong business plan, ideally one which offers you variety in what you can offer but be willing to be flexible. I spent a year planning what it could look like for me and had some help from a career coach who helped me to shape it into a more concrete plan.
- Go for it. Many people thought I was mad to be leaving a good job in the City but I didn’t let them affect my decision.
- Be patient and don’t expect things to happen overnight – build up those relationships and keep on the lookout for new ways of working.
- Be prepared to be flexible – there may not be the exact interim job you’re looking for so be prepared to travel or to bide your time. Factor in some flexibility as a fall-back option.
- Be prepared for the fact that you may not be part of a regular team. Think about who you can call to gossip about your weekend instead of your work colleagues. Think about how you might feel working from home more frequently. It sounds wonderful to some, but others may get bored with their own company. Make sure you have people to socialize with in a work context.
What competencies are particularly necessary to be a successful communicator?
- Diplomacy – for all the politics you have to deal with.
- Having an open mind – communication can be very subjective and I think it’s vital to keep our minds open to new ideas and others’ opinions.
- Being able to influence people – what we do can sometimes be seen as, dare I say it, “fluffy”, so it’s vital that we win the hearts and minds through effective influencing.
- The ability to get along with people – the role of an internal communicator is one of the few where you have to deal with everyone in an organization. We can’t do our role properly if we stay tied to our desks. So it’s important to develop good social and networking skills.
Communication can be very subjective and I think it’s vital to keep our minds open to new ideas and others’ opinions.
- Being able to understand business issues – communicators are sometimes criticized for not speaking a business’s language – a mistake I learnt from early in my career. In order to influence people to our way of thinking, we have to demonstrate that we understand their pain and the challenges they face in their business.
- Great listening skills – it’s not all about us talking and persuading but also about ensuring we understand the communications need and listen attentively both to what's being said and what's not being said.
- Not taking things too personally – you need to develop a reasonably thick skin and not take everything personally. They say that you can never please everyone when it comes to communication and everyone out there thinks they could do it better. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
- Above all, have a great sense of humor!
What tasks will you be working on over the next year?
I’m excited about 2009. I’ve not yet seen signs of work tailing off as a result of the economic turmoil, but I never "rest on my laurels" and am always thinking about what’s around the corner.
I’m really excited to be working on Melcrum's Black Belt training courses. We get such a great mix of people with varying backgrounds and from many different industries. So I’m looking forward to the challenge of developing the Black Belt with Sue Dewhurst and making it my own.
In addition to this I'll continue with my current roles. There are some opportunities on the horizon where I may team up with another small company to offer coaching workshops in various topics. I'll also be looking for ways to develop myself. I plan to become Myers Briggs qualified and am exploring psychology courses.
What suggestions do you have for communicating effectively with employees during company crises or change?
It’s so important to keep the lines of communication open during crises and change. Employees get so frustrated finding things out via the rumor mill or the press. Even if you don’t yet have more news, tell staff this.
Times may be tough but we do need to give employees a sense of hope and optimism for the future.
Times may be tough, but we do need to give employees a sense of hope and optimism for the future. Why should they be staying with the company? What values remain true to us, what exciting initiatives are around the corner? Don’t just give the negative messages but get people to focus on what’s ahead.
Also, remember that one size doesn’t fit all and think about different ways of reaching employees. Think about which groups of people are most affected by the changes and focus on them as a priority – but, at the same time, don’t forget everyone else.
It’s vital during change that the senior team of an organization is united and "singing from the same hymn sheet". If they’re not, then it may be our role as communicators to help to align them as a cohesive team.
As communicators it’s worth finding out more about change psychology and what people go through. Kotter is a great starting point. Bill Quirke’s Communicating Corporate Change is another.
How will you draw on your experience to help train other comms professionals?
I like to think that my combination of having “been in their shoes” and continuing to practice communications in my consultancy role stands me in good stead.
My training background will help me to bring the communications concepts to life for the delegates and my coaching skills will enable me to help groups and individuals with the particular issues they’re facing.
Given the redundancies hitting comms teams (and other parts of the business) at this time of economic turmoil, what skills would you advise communicators to hone or obtain in order to improve their employability elsewhere, or to help transfer to a different industry?
I think communicators need to ensure they keep themselves up to speed with everything happening in their industry – both the business their organization is in and what’s going on in the field of employee communications. I firmly believe that the skills that communicators have are easily transferable. For example, I had mainly a financial services background but am now working for the civil service. I think transferring to a different industry offers a different perspective and insight for the organization.
The old adage of it’s not what you know but who you know is also key. So, building relationships with people in the industry and getting out there to networking events is very important. Networking doesn’t have to be about forcing your business card on to others.
Networking doesn’t have to be about forcing your business card on to others.
Networking doesn’t have to be about forcing your business card on to others. It’s simply about building up a network of people who you can help and who could help you and having some fun in getting to know them along the way.
Throughout your career, make notes of the projects you’re working on and the differences they made. When it comes to writing your CV we can often forget what we’ve achieved so keep your CV up to date.
Look out for events such as seminars to help you consider what employers are currently looking for – these events also provide great networking opportunities.
What advice do you have for communicators who need to hire short-term employees for interim positions? How would you motivate these types of employees (and also the other team members who will be working with them)?
I feel very privileged to be treated as a trusted advisor to the clients I’ve worked with so, in order to get the most out of your interim, it’s important to share with them as much as you're able. Interims need to get up to speed very quickly and don’t usually have the luxury of a bedding-in or induction period. So, the more you can share with them, the better.
I’ve been so lucky with the interim roles I’ve taken on and I think one of the reasons is the flexibility the client has offered me. They've been willing for me to work the days that fit around my schedule so that means that I do work different days for them.
Of course I ensure I'm there for any important meetings. So, flexibility is a great motivator for interims.
It’s important to remember that interims have probably chosen to be so for a reason. They like the variety and have chosen not to be employees of an organization. Therefore it’s good to provide a very clear brief and be very clear about why they're there.
It can be very difficult for an interim if they sense some animosity towards them.
Otherwise it can turn into an extension of a employee/employer relationship.
Clear communication to the team about why the person is being brought on board and what projects they will be involved with is very important. It can be very difficult for an interim if they sense some animosity towards them (something I’ve been lucky enough not to face). This can be easily rectified for all concerned if the objectives are clearly specified up front.
The US is currently adjusting to having a new President. How can communicators help with the introduction of a new leader to ensure it’s as smooth a process as possible?
It’s important to remember that the introduction of a new leader in any organization can be a time of uncertainty for many people. They may be in fear of change, restructures and worry about the impression they make on the new leader.
The role of communicators is key to help ensure this transition is as smooth as it can be and to help quash the inevitable rumor mill.
Here are a few tips and routes I'd take in this situation, drawing on what I've seen and some best practice examples:
- Ensure the new leader is visible early on, both face to face and via other channels, such as the intranet and newsletters. People want to see the new leader early on.
- Find out the new leader's preferred communication style as soon as you can, so you can work with them on it.
- Plan a schedule for them to include face-to-face meetings with staff, interviews in magazines, an online presence etc. Depending on the size of the organization this may include lunch meetings, large-scale roadshows, newsletters, intranet site, television interviews.
- Be their eyes and ears. People can be reluctant to be candid with a new leader and leaders may not feel they’re getting a true sense of what’s really going on. They need someone who can be their trusted advisor.
It’s important to remember that the introduction of a new leader in any organization can be a time of uncertainty for many people.
- Coach the leader to be careful about not criticizing the old way of doing things. People will expect change to happen but may be quite protective about the old way of doing things, so caution the leader to tread carefully in this regard. Think about how gracious the Presidential candidates have been towards each other and try to incorporate that into any communication regarding old ways of doing things.
- Manage people’s expectations in terms of what they can expect to hear and when.
- Provide briefing notes for the new leader – again, something a new President can expect to receive from the existing administration.
- Enable employees to get to know the new leader’s personality – find out what they like to do in their spare time, and information about their background.
- One new CEO held many meetings with staff and asked key questions at each one including – “What should we preserve?”, “What do you most hope I change?”, “What are you most worried I might do?” This encouraged open conversation and helped form the plan for his changes.
Have your say
Do you agree with Hinder that it could be "your role as a communicator to help align your senior managers as a cohesive team"? If you've recently made the move to a consultancy, how have you found the transition? Or maybe you're an interim employee – what tips would you suggest for how communications teams can best engage this type of employee and the group they're working within? Share your thoughts with us, below.
Recommended resources:
How to gauge where comms can best add value
CEOs: "nothing more than hired help"
How to get the most from consultants during change
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