Like Charlie Bucket in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I was one of 160 internal communication (IC) professionals lucky enough to bag a ticket to this year’s #TheBigYak.
Run by comms veterans Rachel Miller, Jenni Field and Dana Leeson, the unconference brings together IC pros from different orgs, sectors and geographies to share best practices, views on the profession and, occasionally, war tales.
Having thoroughly enjoyed my first Big Yak in 2016, I had high hopes for this year’s edition – and I wasn’t disappointed.
Here’s my key takeaways from the breakout sessions I attended:
IC crowd intro
“There’s over 1,000 years of communications experience in the room today. Make the most of it.” – opening speech by Benjamin Ellis, tech expert and Big Yak advocate.
IC measurement
“Be kind to yourself – we can only pull some of the levers for action and change. The rest is up to employees.”
(Tip: some people suggested the AMEC Framework as a good way to help track how well you’re pulling said levers)
Getting ahead in your IC career
“Your career is distinct from your role or the company you work for. Don’t let your frustrations with the latter drain your passion for the former.”
Here’s some of my go-to resources for my IC questions and professional development:
How to cultivate champions
Comms champions: “It’s not just about the evangelists – you can learn from the naysayers, too.”
Employee advocates: “Let employees know they can share corporate news as they see fit, and trust they’ll do good.”
Working smarter in IC
“It’s about being more corporate connector and less corporate news hound.”
Managing an Enterprise Social Network (ESN) community
“Don’t be thirsty (for users) and ignore the haters.”
IC and diversity
“We’re all learning and that’s OK.”
“IC may not own D&I but it is responsible for creating inclusive comms strategies and content.”
“How can orgs balance between the drive to create a ‘one-company’ culture and encouraging employees to ‘bring their whole selves to work’.”
I suggested this session (hence the multiple quotes), as I wanted to stimulate discussion on:
- diversity in the IC profession and how this affects our IC approach and content
- how different organisations are communicating their D&I strategy internally
It was an insightful session with honest debate which I’d love to continue online (and in person). What do you think about diversity in internal communications? I’d love to hear your views.
Big thanks to The IC Crowd (Rachel, Jenni and Dana) for organising such an inspiring and engaging event. The IC community are a great bunch and I had a blast catching up with old friends and making new ones. A special thanks go to the authors of the tweets I’ve borrowed – re-purposing is a truly a comms bods best friend!
Until next time!
For more information about the event and to catch up on all the Big Yak goss:
- Visit http://www.theiccrowd.com/
- Search #TheBigYak on Twitter
Annique Simpson 
Great write up – very glad you were able to make it in the end, and enjoyed the day!
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Thanks Benjamin!
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