Published 8th Nov 2024
Speaker Ariane Rolland
Mentee Nicolle Shana, Founder SHANA Media, Zimbabwe
The GWPR mentor presentations are typically excellent, but this one struck a far different chord with me, one that required me to realign how I would be managing my career. It’s true that I had been working hard, trying my hardest, and occasionally even going with the flow—after all, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of trying to make an impression, earn enough money to satisfy your Pinterest ambitions, and balance your personal and professional life. But, as Ariane Rolland so eloquently put it, I hadn’t been “playing the game.” Ariane brought to my attention the idea that, although work is still a business, it can also be viewed as a game of strategy rather than a game of life and death.
Ariane’s wisdom came into play when she reminded us that all strategy begins with pre-planning. She talked about the significance of pre-meeting meetings, the value of getting buy-in from your coworkers, and the importance of allies in the workplace. The politics of work sometimes does make it feel like you’re in a simulated conflict zone but this is were Ariane’s wisdom came to play as reminded us that all strategy begins with pre-planning, she spoke about the importance of pre-meeting meetings and value of getting by-in from your co-workers and the importance of allies in the work place.
“Feedback is a gift” she said, and I had never seen it as a gift but as soon as she said it I had an ‘aha’ moment and realised that feedback is the building blocks of strong and sustainable strategy and how ego can be the enemy of growth and even sometimes success. In her talk, Ariane discussed how some organisations have institutionalised mentors and coaches and how we can use them as sources of feedback and insight. Since I don’t have that, GWPR has been a true blessing for me because it has given me access to global networks and a mentor in my field—access that would have taken years to obtain on my own.
The following are the five primary ideas that Ariane and I will be putting into practice right away:
- Understand the business  – In order to be taken seriously, we must be able to relate our public relations, marketing, and communication initiatives to a thorough understanding of the business’s bottom line as well as market trends and market trends. When our coworkers realise that we are deeply involved in the business, they will view our work as essential to its success.
- Be self-aware – Ariane spoke about how the first step to being effective is being self-aware, she gave an example about moving to a new organisation and how she knew the first few weeks would create so much internal turmoil, so she knew how to behaviour and process her emotions which would impact her work. For me being self-aware means knowing that at times my procrastination is because of fear and the best way to tackle it is to just start.
- Build allies – Ariane talked on the importance of allies and how departments like communications could potentially forge alliances with departments like human resources. She discussed how allies can serve a crucial role in an organization’s performance and how informal ties frequently influence formal decisions made in an organisation.
- Be the master connector and communicator – Since departments like communications can work with almost any department, they are in a good position to leverage this ability and become master connectors. They can also take the lead by relaying strategic concerns from meetings with departments to other departments in the form of strategic communications documents, among other things. We are also capable of efficiently sharing important external data that might be a valuable resource for several departments.
- Sometimes you need to show your boss/ co-workers how it’s done – I will undoubtedly use this last example because I provide consulting services to a range of organisations, and occasionally the leaders of these organisations need support with verbal and nonverbal communication skills like how to write a thank-you note, schedule a lunch meeting with a key vendor, or even engage the media.
The notes were just the tip of the mentor session and although I have endeavoured to articulate a few things that stood out for me the experience, the other stories and questions from my fellow mentees can not be fully expressed. I’m so glad I get the opportunity to be part of this programme and listen these invaluable lessons from seasoned leaders in public relations and communications.
