By: IABC Staff, Featuring IABC Members

After an inspiring four days in New York City attending educational sessions and connecting with colleagues from all over the globe, IABC World Conference 2022 attendees have a plethora of words to fill in the blanks of “Communication can…”
​
With so many sessions and opportunities for relationship-building, communication professionals added a wealth of knowledge to their toolboxes and new connections to their LinkedIn feeds. Here’s a glimpse of key takeaways from conference participants:


We’ll Meet You in the Metaverse

The metaverse was a key topic of interest at #IABC22. How will it impact the future of the communication profession? How do you even define the metaverse?

Megan Thomas also found inspiration in these immersive technology-related sessions. “While the robots aren’t quite coming to get us yet, with the metaverse potentially creating a $13 trillion economy over next three years, we need to prepare for another change in technology,” Thomas says. 

“Business models will evolve as organizations seek to create ‘digital twins’ in the metaverse.”
Still, Thomas sees the use of augmented reality, virtual reality and immersive technologies as a prime opportunity for communication professionals. “In 10 years’ time we’ll still be asking, ‘How can communication be used to achieve an objective?’ And connecting humans will still be at the core of the communication profession,” Thomas says.


Mic-Drop Moments

Get hundreds of communication professionals in one convention center, and you’re sure to witness several mic-drop moments. Joe Bobbey shares his favorite with Catalyst.

“One mic-drop moment was when Zora Artis, chair of the IABC 2022 World Conference, rallied attendees to stop calling ourselves communicators: ‘We are communication professionals,’” Bobbey says. “Many speakers provided inspiration for us to demonstrate our value and our elevated role in advancing our organization's value. Closing keynote speaker Lisa Osborne Ross brought it to a crescendo saying ‘This is our time.’ We have a seat at the table we didn't have before. She urged us to keep solving problems, taking action and making change.”

Jill Vitiello found similar inspiration in opening keynote speaker Frank Shaw’s presentation. “[Shaw] made a point that stuck with me. He noted that communication professionals need to ‘speak out, connect and negotiate,’” Vitiello says. “These leadership skills are our focus for enriching the employee experience in our organizations.”


Accessibility Is Key

Accessibility is a recurring theme at the IABC World Conference. How are you ensuring your communications are accessible to all?

Donna Itzoe found Matisse Hamel-Nelis’s presentation to be immediately applicable. “One significant learning I can put into practice today is ensuring that all our linked documents and social graphics require the same accessibility diligence as our web content,” Itzoe says. “I've already shared this with our content, social and web teams.”  


Communication Can … Influence Culture

Communication professionals create culture, and there was no shortage of organizational culture discussion at the conference.  
​
“Organizational culture and who takes responsibility for it is such a key topic for our current, turbulent times,” Monique Zytnik says. “Shane Hatton’s session ‘Let’s Talk Culture’ was fast paced and filled with insights based on his research. My favorite discussion was with Shane and Megan Thomas on an early morning run in Central Park. I applied his insights in an article I wrote today.”

During culture-focused sessions, Catherine Fisette was reminded that culture and communication drive each other, “especially at times of unprecedented crisis,” which communicators are all too familiar with recently.

Vitiello shares that by making a personal commitment to practice allyship in the workplace, communicators can weave DEI practices into the fabric of their cultures. “One of the best ways to get started is to craft your own story about your journey as an ally,” she says.

How is ESG making its mark on organizations? In a standing room only session, Bobbey found inspiration in how the ESG era is impacting climate, health, safety and ethical standards.


Putting the ‘I’ in IABC

IABC prides itself on connecting communication professionals from all corners of the globe. And with the celebration of the first in-person conference since 2019, IABC members were full of energy.

“The international aspect of IABC was put into exciting and sharp relief with this in-person event,” Kari McLean says. “The variety of accents, the variety of locations that attendees were from … It was so exciting to go from the middle of Ohio where I live, to talking with Takeshi Tsukiji, president of the Japan chapter, at the Dine Around. I attended Maria Jesus Villagran Cabanne’s session ‘When Culture Shapes Communication: Uruguay and the Pandemic, a Story of Success.’ I was entertained and enlightened by ‘The Behaviour Report’ presentation by my Aussie colleagues, and those incredible one-on-one conversations with people I think of as the global rock stars of IABC.”

“I’d heard about how inspiring the IABC World Conference is but never fully realized the energy, inspiration and sheer number of communication experts who gather for the event,” Zytnik says.  

Vitiello says that the conference was a “keen reminder of the global scope of our wonderful network of business communication professionals.” Being part of this community, Vitiello explains, creates the opportunity to connect with thought leaders from all parts of the globe.  
​
McLean likely speaks for many communication professionals in attendance, saying, “Being able to connect and share ideas with people from all over was energizing and kind of like drinking from a firehose. I’m glad to be able to spend time over the next weeks and months letting what I learned and observed become a part of how I approach my work going forward.”

By: Jill Vitiello

Modern leaders understand the business case for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), yet many struggle to bring DEI principles to life in their companies. Allyship is the bridge between intention and action.

What is allyship? Some experts describe it as empathy in action. Allies use their privilege and power to create positive change for co-workers, neighbors and friends. Allies make it their business to become aware of social injustice. They develop allyship acumen by listening and learning from people’s lived experiences. Allies take action to correct inequity with no expectation of reward.

As professional communicators, we’re called upon to raise awareness of our employers’ DEI programs and promote them among our colleagues. Our position gives us enormous influence to drive the success of the DEI agenda. The best place from which to do this important work is from the position of allyship.

As allies, we are better equipped to listen to employees’ voices — even when what they tell us might be hard to hear. Every internal communicator has heard colleagues complain that DEI activities are merely performative; or conversely, that employees feel pressured to adopt DEI principles they disagree with. The goal of DEI activities is to create the lasting change that ensures a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. Communicators can influence that positive culture by becoming an ally to colleagues whose voices and concerns need to be amplified.

The greatest thing about becoming an ally is that it is a personal choice. Anyone, regardless of job title, seniority or company budget constraints, can choose to be an ally. As you consider allyship, here are three things to know right now.


1. Allyship is a journey
Many people are aware of social injustice. Those who decide to do something about it begin a journey of learning and action. The concept of allyship has its roots in the gay rights movement of the 1970s. It gained momentum in 2020 when George Floyd was murdered by a police officer. In 2021, “allyship” was the word of the year, according to Dictionary.com. Allyship may be in vogue one year and out the next. True allies believe they have a duty to stand for justice in their workplace and their community, whether or not it is fashionable.

2. Allyship is a way of life
If you’re like me, your decision to learn how to be an ally will change the way you view the world. When I decided to “seek first to understand” the lived experiences of others, I saw how my careless comments and unintentional slights deeply hurt people and, unfortunately, betrayed my own ignorance. By taking responsibility for educating myself rather than expecting underrepresented groups to do it for me, I learned mindfulness and, I hope to some degree, humility.

3. Allyship is not heroism
I’ve seen intended acts of allyship backfire when the supposed ally makes a show of defending an individual from a marginalized group against a perceived insult. Allies are not heroes, swooping in to save others from the perils of living in an unjust world. Instead, we are imperfect humans learning from others what we can do to uplift them. Perhaps the most sensitive part of allyship is learning what actions are meaningful to the people you want to support. Allies make mistakes and learn from them.

I believe that the more allies we have in the workplace, the more our DEI initiatives will thrive. Data collected by global management consulting firms and other employment authorities clearly show that companies with diverse workforces, inclusive business practices and equitable policies outperform those that do not prioritize DEI and embed its principles into their culture.

Companies that make DEI a business imperative are off to a great start. Companies that encourage their leaders and employees to become allies are ahead of the curve.

Note: I'm the vice president of IABC Los Angeles (IABCLA), and I often provide news of communications issues, trends, and best practices. Below is an informative piece by Lisa Michel, a chapter member. She provides an overview of IABC Seattle’s recent event, “How to Be an Inclusive Leader.” ​

By Lisa Michel

On April 5, IABC Seattle hosted a Pro Talk with Jennifer Brown titled, “How to Be an Inclusive Leader.” Jennifer is the CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. The conversation focused on how to lead inclusively and how leaders can communicate and give voice to employees while navigating uncertain times.  

Jennifer’s path to her current career was not linear. Rather, she found consulting after her livelihood as a singer was threatened by a vocal cord injury. Now, she uses her voice to support other voices. Jennifer spoke to the IABC audience about “covering,” by which people downplay a known and stigmatized identity. Now open about her own identity as a member of the LGBTQ community, Jennifer explained that her own experiences being closeted, thus covering, led her to the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Brown explored how covering blocks the creative process and breaks down trust, as the inability to embrace your full self in the workplace causes people to hold back. Expending so much energy to suppress can result in what Jennifer referred to as “drainage.” In a more tangible and practical sense, the shame and fear that causes covering and therefore, a lack of disclosure, can ultimately lead to attrition. 

To combat these unpleasant feelings and experiences, as well as the negative organizational repercussions, Jennifer emphasized the importance of having diverse voices and representation around the table. Good leadership is inclusive leadership because it allows everyone to thrive. So how do companies go about ensuring that their leadership representation is balanced and diversified? Brown urged people to tell stories that haven’t been told and suggested that leadership pose the questions: “who are we missing?” and “who do we need to learn about?” 

Further efforts include an ongoing process of re-evaluation, detailed across Jennifer’s Inclusive Leader Continuum. Phase One is “Unaware,” during which leaders may think that since they’re comfortable, everyone else must be as well. Avoidance and an inability to contribute signify this lack of awareness. Phase Two is “Aware,” at which time leaders may question how they hadn’t thought about or addressed an issue previously. Phase Three, “Active,” is characterized by a growth mindset. At this point, the leaders are ready to do something, though they may recognize it won’t be easy. In Phase Four, “Advocate,” leaders must hold people accountable and, conversely, must be held accountable by others. 

Through this continuum, it is imperative that leaders are genuine and humble. This means they should go first, using storytelling to disarm, show vulnerability, and create a safe space for employees. Ultimately, leaders should personalize the process. 

Jennifer posed some powerful questions:
- Consider which phase you are currently in regarding various communities and/or identities
- What concrete steps can you take to move through the continuum?
- What phases do you perhaps need to return to in order to learn more?
- What will be your key points of learning?
- Who could support you on your journey?
- What is ONE commitment you can make today?

Unfortunately, progress in the area of inclusive leadership has been slow because real commitment on a widespread scale has been sparse and mastery of these concepts and behaviors hasn’t been critical to each leader’s performance. Collectively, we can shine a light on the systemic transformations needed by naming them.

The parting note of Jennifer’s talk was that “listening” is her comms mantra. The world, and surely the workplace, would be a better place with more listening.  


Image: Jennifer Brown Consulting

Trend to Watch: in 2021, TikTok reached one billion active users worldwide. The word “active” in this context is important. On most social platforms, users consume content, but on TikTok they create it. More than 80% of TikTok users have posted a video, says the marketing agency, Wallaroo. On Twitter, it is the exact opposite, according to Pew Research. Just 10% of users write 80% of the tweets.

Gen Z makes up 60% of TikTok users. Born between 1995-2012 (though the years are debated), the oldest members of this generation are now 26. By 2025, they will be 27% of the global workforce.

Previous generations can rightly be called “lurkers” on social media — they observed but rarely participated. This generation has been creating content since childhood. Many are bold, creative, self-assured media makers.

What This Means for Communication Professionals: communication professionals have known for some time they cannot control the message. The birth of the World Wide Web in 1987 democratized communication enabling anyone with a connected device to find and amplify their voice.

Nevertheless, for the last 38 years, communication professionals could safely think of their internal and external audiences as receivers of a message. While the audience was not passive – they interacted with our content, sharing and shaping it — we remained editors-in-chief.

As Gen Z comes of age, the power paradigm will shift. We will need to build mutually beneficial, peer-to-peer relationships with this cohort. Our role will be to define an overarching narrative and content framework that aligns with our organization’s strategy. Then, we will need to create playbooks and toolkits, so this content creator generation can channel their creativity for the mutual benefit of all. ​

Note: Catalyst is the official publication of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The resource features thought leadership from organization members on various topics, including innovation, business acumen, and career planning. This piece on communication-related trends in 2022 recently appeared in the guide, and I wanted to share it. I serve as the vice president of IABC Los Angeles (IABCLA).

Note: I originally wrote this piece for the IABCLA blog. I serve as the group’s vice president.
​
Thank you to Roxy Tomacder, an IABCLA member and an experienced communications practitioner, for presenting “Think Like a Gift-Giver! A Practical Approach for Impactful Communications” to the chapter in December.  

Roxy discussed how to communicate in meaningful ways so that your audience stays engaged. She led a similar talk at this year’s IABC World Conference. 

She asked that we share the following materials from the event:
- “Think Like a Gift-Giver! A Practical Approach for Impactful Communications”: these are slides Roxy spoke from during the gathering, and the pages offer advice on planning and crafting content. 
- Know Your WHO: these are key planning areas to identify before engaging with your audience, such as demographics, psychographics, and assess reach.
- Content Fuel Framework: this touches on focuses, formats and multipliers, and all are also comms considerations. 

Click here to download the documents.

We trust these pieces will help you achieve your communications goals and objectives in 2022! Happy holidays from everyone at IABCLA! 

Note: I originally wrote this piece for the IABCLA blog. I serve as the group’s vice president.
​
Congratulations to Delaney Evers, a former IABCLA board member, for cooking up a campaign to break the Guinness World Records mark for the most pancakes distributed in a single-serving! 

She accomplished the feat in her current role as tourism director of PACT (Promoting Appanoose & Centerville Together), and it took place during Pancake Day in September in Centerville, Iowa. More than 14,000 flapjacks were served to the town’s hungry residents, setting a new all-time mark. The event garnered national press, as NPR broadcast a story. 

IABCLA was curious how it all came about, so we asked Delaney for the details. 

IABCLA: How was the idea to break the record conceived?  
Delaney: A couple months ago I started getting tagged in an article that featured the previous record holder’s attempt. Pancake Day has been celebrated in our community for more than 70 years, so many people thought we should hold the record. 

IABCLA: How did you organize the festivities?
Delaney: I reached out to Guinness and they gave me a VERY detailed checklist of what would be required for an official record attempt. This required an adjudicator on-site at the event and about 15 different pieces of evidence. In terms of the actual attempt, we’ve always served a ton of pancakes on Pancake Day so that wasn’t a huge issue for us. We just had to round up more volunteers than usual and adjust the way we served a bit to satisfy the Guinness requirements.

IABCLA: What was involved in garnering media coverage?
Delaney: One of the most exciting things about our record attempt was how the press coverage kind of snowballed, especially post-event. I sent out an initial round of press releases to our local Iowa news stations and newspapers, who picked up the story (The Des Moines Register, KCCI, etc), but then once we successfully broke the record the word of mouth and our social media definitely helped. In our partnership with Guinness, we weren’t authorized to have paid social or print ads, so the word of mouth was essential. Even though Centerville is a small Midwest community, we have a very broad reach! A producer from NPR was sent an article from UPI’s “Odd News” section and reached out to me from there. I had to do the interview from the back of my grandparents' car because I had to catch a flight just an hour after the interview ended! 

IABCLA: Might the publicity bring more visitors to the area? 
Delaney: This project was such a positive experience for our community that we’re expecting next year’s Pancake Day festivities to be even bigger, but we’re also going to utilize the press we received for year-round tourism opportunities. 

Once again kudos to Delaney on accomplishing the feat! We look forward to sharing more of her successes in the future. 

On a final note, Delaney wasn’t the only one with an IABCLA connection to take part in the world record. Jenny Matkovich, our chapter president, served griddle cakes to guests. It was a homecoming for Jenny — like Delaney, she grew up in Centerville.