Louise Parfitt reports from The Common Room, where communicating your mission and values in a human way, was a hot topic for guests.
In a turbulent world, when the pace of communications moves at the speed of a single click, how do you keep hold of the wheel? And if you’re struggling to keep up, what does that mean for your members?
These were some of the questions asked by panellists at CPL One Group’s inaugural Common Room event earlier this summer. It brought leaders and experts from across the horseracing, voluntary, membership, arts and heritage sectors together to discuss the hurdles they face and hear how others are approaching similar issues.
The increasing speed of communication is a challenge many are facing. In a world of 24/7 feedback and instant complaints, how can an organisation protect and shape its own story?
Of course, there is no simple answer, but at its very essence it is about maintaining trust. In many cases, meeting your members’ or clients’ expectation of a fast response is paramount. When there is silence, people will fill the space with their own narrative.
One speaker observed that the power of a holding message should not be underestimated. “People don’t want you to say the wrong thing about an issue that affects your membership or your customers, but equally they do want you to say something. You need to get that balance right – you need to be proactive even if you cannot say too much.”
The human element is important – people tend to appreciate you are doing your best.
Upholding values
Living out your values is the key to maintaining trust. Always try to come back to that common purpose – the mission statement, the thing that makes you who you are and the reason you earned your audience in the first place. Make that the cornerstone of your communications. Your audience, be they trade union members, beneficiaries of your charity, or members of your chartered profession, will recognise this and continue to trust you.
“What is the value we’re offering people? We need to always come back to that,” said Martin Bewick, senior content strategist at CPL One Group. “How can our communications support that? Membership organisations are facing tough questions around what they offer their members – and members increasingly want help on quite individual levels.
“You need to concentrate on building relationships. If people feel that those relationships are strong, then the transactional aspects of membership will follow. And where communication is increasingly driven by AI, it will be even more important to ensure we not only reach members, supporters and customers, but that we can inspire, empower and influence them, too.”
In recent years it has often felt like we are living in a ‘polycrisis’. So it’s more important than ever to stay human and true to your community’s core values.
And this is also the heartbeat of The Common Room. It exists to transform our clients into peers, mentors, friends – creating a collaborative space where knowledge is shared, and organisations can navigate the shifting currents together.
