Stuart Brown was asking yesterday “Is Internal Communications an art or a science?”…
I was thinking about this on the way in this morning. And the closest analogy that I could think of was photography.
Now, in this analogy (which I think works on a number of levels), photopgraphy is an art – but in order to produce truely amazing photography which might qualify as art you need to fully understand photographic techniques, your equipment and the science behind it (light, exposure, composition etc. etc.).
To continue, with the advent of new digital camera (or the new proliferation of comms tools) almost anyone can take reasonably high quality snaps – but they are not art because they lack the foundation of technical and scientific understanding. And so it is with internal comms.
Now, in my mind the science part is understanding your tools and channels, your audience, knowing how your proposed communications will advance objectives, and why, and being a superb craft practitioner. This as opposed to broadcasting poorly thought through mass communications and then wondering why they are not achieving the desired effect.
The art comes in the personal skills and qualities which allow you to communicate well – listening skills, tact, being able to see connections and consequences, ability to persuade and cajole, empathy. And also the ability to apply the scientific knowledge in a way that fits the circumstances.
So, in sum, whilst you can be a good technician using a scientific approach, I don’t think you can be really successful without thinking artistically.
Equally, without a sound grounding in the science of management your artistic skills are unlikely to produce results.
There, I’m sure that will clear things up nicely for Stuart! Now I’m off to read my bosses reply which has just come in by email!
Filed under: Art, Internal Communications, PR, Photography
