For her, human connection is key to good communications, especially in a world where AI is building momentum and changing the way we work. Akin to the brand positioning of Alfred Heath – We’re for Human, Kind – Sarah is certainly one for focusing on storytelling that creates human connection and brings out the best in all of us.

Penny: What prompted you to get into communications?

Sarah: There’s been a journalism and storytelling thread throughout my life from a young age. I used to follow my sister around the house with a tape recorder asking questions and recording stories, which was fun for me and reasonably annoying for her! I’ve always been an avid reader and writer too.

Very early days, I did work experience at The Age, and what can only be described as a revealing couple of weeks at A Current Affair (a news and current affairs program that’s been around since the 70s).

I realised when we were at someone’s home, trying to convince them to share their story, even though they didn’t seem comfortable, that this line of work wasn’t quite right for me. These weren’t the kind of conversations I really wanted to be exploring. That’s when I pivoted and decided on a Bachelor of Arts – mostly literature and French language at Melbourne University – and after that, Public Relations at RMIT. I fell in love with PR pretty quickly and that’s when I knew I was embarking on the right career.

Penny: Where do you find inspiration? 

Sarah: I’m inspired by so many things, including nature, music, podcasts, books and people. One of the people who inspires me most is my late grandfather. He was the managing director of a listed company as well as being on a number of boards including Hanover, now called Launch Housing, a community support organisation that aims to end homelessness.

He did a lot of amazing things in his working life, but mostly what I loved about him was how he made me feel when we were together. Being part of a close family, it has always been about what you give, not just about what you can get out of any situation. In the same way, working in comms today, I love my craft but it’s also about the people and my team and prioritising values over achievement. Getting alongside people, helping others grow and making a difference.

Penny: So, how does that play out in your work today?

Sarah: Working at Alfred Health, I’m part of an organisation focused on health equity and providing the best care available for patients when they really need it. That’s something I can really get behind and I’m thoroughly enjoying learning more about the health service, getting to know the people better and working in the organisation, along with all its complexity. I’m blown away by the research side of our work and feel privileged to be part of how we deliver on our 2024-2030 Strategic Plan.

Penny: What do you enjoy about comms and what makes a good practitioner? 

Sarah: It comes down to three things: relationships, confidence and technical skills.

My first proper job was at Le Page PR while I was still finalising my degree. I had such a great time there. It really was foundational in understanding the two sides of storytelling: the client’s and the stakeholder’s point of view. One of the key things I learnt to appreciate is at the heart of what we do as comms practitioners: making the complex, simple. We’re like translators, drawing out the information, finding the gems, and turning it into a story that people want to read, want to engage with.

I also spent more than 10 years working at Bunnings, the most trusted brand in Australia (Roy Morgan, 2024) and, fundamentally, a relationship-based business. I had the privilege of working with some fantastic people and was exposed to so many different disciplines beyond PR. Over the decade, I worked across media, issues management and internal communications and ended up being the Head of Community and, as a result, had the opportunity to work with many leaders across the business. I loved the variety, and each of my roles enabled me to strengthen my skills and build greater confidence in dealing with stakeholders across the business.

It was also a good fit for me culturally and I was continually learning; that’s probably why I stayed for so long! I would certainly say to anyone in our profession, make sure you find a culture that sits well with you because everything flows from that.

Penny: What would you tell your younger self? How do you become a trusted comms person? 

Sarah: Start by trusting your gut. If you’re in a meeting, or having a conversation, and something feels uncomfortable – say a decision or direction that’s being taken doesn’t feel right – then it probably isn’t right, and you need to respectfully call it out. Speak up.  Even if the person is more senior, or a strong leader, it may be a daunting thing to do, but have the confidence to back yourself – that’s something a senior leader at Bunnings taught me early on, and it has stayed with me. That’s our job as comms people – to sense the risk, the potential issues or ethical boundaries, and then help people to manage the best way through them. It’s a unique privilege that not many other teams have the chance to do.

I’d also say, say YES! Say yes to doing things even if you’re not sure what will come of it, or you’re slightly out of your comfort zone. I took a risk saying yes to working in Canada for a couple of years for performance apparel brand, Sugoi, and so many good things flowed from that. I could never have predicted that soon after that I’d be flying to Las Vegas, California and Italy, surrounded by pro-cyclists in lycra at the Duomo in Milan! It was ironic given I’m not the best cyclist, but it was awesome, and it was a great example of just how transferrable comms skills are and the way life can surprise you.

Penny: What’s most challenging in our profession right now? 

Sarah: AI is obviously still a big topic of conversation and there’s just so much to learn about how to harness it for maximum gains. At Bunnings I worked on a digital transformation project, so was exposed to the latest thinking on the future of work. I was surprised even back then at what AI could do, and honestly part of it really scared me. The thing I’ve realised is we have to embrace it, as it can be so helpful in cutting out repetitive work and doing some of the heavy lifting, freeing us up to focus on strategy and deep work.

There will always be a place for the human element; comms people’s ability to listen, read the room in the moment and know when to pull back or go further with strategies. That human element is difficult to replace; not just knowing what to do, but how we can make people feel when we’re working with them. AI is definitely there to give us more time to think creatively in our profession. Our environments are so noisy, there’s so much information and diverse opinions, and it’s our role to help people connect with the organisation in meaningful ways. That means leaving your desk and walking the ward in my case and seeing how we partner with patients. And then distilling what people need and want and how that connects to our strategic plan.

Getting the messaging, language and channels working well is another key challenge, because there’s no point just shouting into the void. This is a big challenge for all comms teams, as more often than not people aren’t just sitting at their desks waiting for the message we’re sending. We have to work out how to reach our teams wherever they are.

Penny: What advice would you give other comms people starting out? 

Sarah: Firstly, you don’t have to have your career all mapped out and secondly, try not to compare yourself with others; you’ve got to run your own race.

One of the things that has been really impactful on my career as I look back, is that I have built a network I can go to when I need a second opinion. It’s important to look after your relationships. I have many fantastic people in my network, including a lot of incredible comms operators who are generous in sharing their insights and ideas and providing support. I’ve certainly relied on them during key moments of transition. I’m grateful for them and hope to repay the favour wherever I can.

A big thank you to Sarah for taking the time to talk with us. She’s clearly the type of person who will always stop and say hello and make you feel good about yourself, as well as doing whatever it takes to get the job done well.

Meetings with Steph usually start, or end, with her handing you some chocolate. After all, she’s passionate about her company’s brands and likes to share the joy. Not that meetings with her need sweetening. You’d be pushed to meet a lovelier person, or one more switched on and passionate about good comms.

One Tribe has been working with Steph regularly over the past few years, after a mutual former colleague and friend (thank you Lainie Kirk) put us in touch.

Steph has some serious comms chops, so it was an absolute pleasure to spend some time chatting with her on the state of comms today. And what shone brightest at the heart of her insights? Her crystal clear belief that when it comes to successful communication, nothing is more critical than connection and authenticity.

Bianca: So, how did you find yourself in comms?

Steph: Comms was not a planned career path for me. Sport has always been my passion, so I actually studied Sports Management and Marketing at university. After graduating, I worked at an AFL club but quickly found that the sports industry wasn’t the right scene, or right cultural fit, for me. After a stint there, I went into community sport, working at a local council on sports planning and policy and community engagement. It was there that I discovered my love of community engagement and government relations.

So, I went back to university and did my Graduate Diploma in Public Relations at RMIT. After that, I worked at the Pharmacy Guild, where I got to do a lot more face-to-face community engagement and government relations. After that, I had a big change of scene – and pace – moving to Metlink working in media relations, internal comms and crisis management. It was great to understand the critical role public transport plays in a community. The pace was gruelling: early starts due to very early print deadlines and a very challenging public interface. After that, I moved onto Kraft Foods (after it purchased Cadbury) which then became Mondelēz, and the rest is history.

Bianca: Thirteen years is a good stint in any business. What’s kept you at Mondelēz?

Steph: The amount of change and diversity of work has kept me interested and challenged. A new strategy can feel like a new business can’t it? And change presents such fabulous communications challenges for us comms professionals. It’s been a career highlight for me to experience so much of that on a large scale here. From acquisitions, restructures, factory closures and transformation projects, I’ve worked on so many varied and challenging things here. Plus, the culture is a really good fit for me.

Bianca: How much do you think has changed in the comms industry over the course of your career?  

Steph: So much. Back when I started out, fax newsletters were big! Now, with the explosion of new tech, people are sourcing and absorbing their news in completely different ways. We need to constantly evolve to keep up – no two days are ever the same.

In terms of internal communications, the biggest shift I’ve observed is that it used to be so formal; something to be taken very seriously because it came from the top down. The CEO newsletter was gospel. Now – thankfully – formality is looked down on. People don’t necessarily value a newsletter as much as they do a regular, informal walk by from their CEO. They prefer to get important news from trusted stakeholders just in time rather than in a formal newsletter. This is why we don’t go into our factories anymore with formal presentations. We go in and have open, unstructured dialogue, so we can follow where people’s passions lie.

People crave authenticity. They’re more empowered now. They have a voice and play a part in internal communication more so than ever before. COVID has only amplified this shift in terms of what people expect from internal communication and how they want to connect.  

Bianca: What’s the biggest change you’ve seen since COVID and how do you manage that as a comms professional?

Steph: That people are more ruthless about who they spend their time with and how. People need a compelling reason to come into the office. Since we’re the function that helps people connect again, we’ve needed to be very mindful of this shift.

Pre-COVID, we’d hold regular events and get okay attendance. Post-COVID, regular events just won’t work. People are too choosy about what they’ll come in for. Now, we need to focus on fewer things, reduced frequency and more depth. We’ve moved from getting okay attendance at multiple events to outstanding attendance at fewer events; and the impact is so much better.

Recently, we held an MND event and we had a huge turnout and excellent engagement. I think this speaks volumes about how people expect so much more from work now. It’s not just about giving people information anymore; it’s about creating a feeling, helping them to feel connected to something more.

In general, I think employees are more empowered now and they have a different drive for why and how they work. Years ago, family was okay to put second to work; not anymore. Now, life is number one, and work can sit at two or three. Now work needs to fit around life, rather than life fitting around work. That only accelerated during COVID; I think it helped people to realise what was most important.

People want more than a job. They want an experience. They want to know that the business they work for is authentic about doing good things; about trying to build a better world. We saw this in action recently at our Commercial conference, where we focused mainly on the good we’re doing on the sustainability front. Engagement was high because people could feel connected to something more.

Bianca: You mentioned authenticity earlier and how it’s more important to people than ever. How do you see the role of AI impacting that?

Steph: AI can be an incredible support tool. I’m using tools like Microsoft Copilot and it’s amazing. But it’s more like a comms assistant for me. We’re trying to build trust, authenticity and human connection, so I guess it’s a question of: when is robots talking to one another okay? We’re trying to tap into how people feel and I don’t see AI being helpful with that. There will be many things it will be great at, but we need to stay focused on being authentic and connecting from human to human now more than ever.

Bianca: If you could re-connect with that young girl studying Sports Management and Marketing at university, what would you tell her?

Steph: That your career path may not be linear; and your hobbies don’t have to translate to your career. You won’t end up working in sport, but you’ll end up working in a business that’s passionate about supporting sport and authentic about elevating women’s role in it. One day, you’ll even announce a multi-million dollar partnership with the AFL: for women playing Aussie Rules! Who would’ve thought it?   

A big thank you to Steph for taking the time to talk with us. It’s no surprise that the chat was authentic and insightful. If your path ever crosses Steph’s, take the time to say hello to her. She is warm, kind and clever; oh and did we mention she has chocolate? 

His skills and strategic communications counsel have been instrumental in helping the businesses he’s worked with to build and protect their corporate reputations, as well as engage and inspire their employees.

Dan’s expertise has been valued in the comms space across many industries, including retail (Myer, Coles and Target), FMCG (Treasury Wine Estates, Cadbury and Kraft) government business enterprise (Australia Post) and now, of course, in the technology sector at SEEK.

As much as Dan relishes his career – and this current era at SEEK – if you’d asked him 28 years ago what he’d be doing today, he would have told you something quite different.

Bianca: What drew you to comms in the first place?

Dan: Well, I didn’t start out wanting to work in comms. To give you an insight, we’ve got the SEEK Christmas party soon and the theme is ‘My fantasy job’. I’m going as Ron Burgundy. (Side note: for those who don’t know, Ron is Will Ferrell’s moustachioed and outrageously hilarious news anchor character from the movie Anchorman.)

I always wanted to be a news journo. I studied journalism at university and spent a couple of years in local newspapers and in TV, but I quickly learned it wasn’t for me. I got disillusioned with the fact that an interview only really shows the slice that editing allows you to see. While there were many elements of journalism I enjoyed, I just couldn’t reconcile the part of me that wanted to consider the audience, with the journalistic need to pursue and push an angle.

Bianca: So how has comms felt like the right fit for you?

Dan: It aligns more closely with my values. For me, it’s important to look at things through a different lens. Every person has a different range of needs and I’ve always felt that it was important to identify those needs and empathise with my audience. I often say to my team and my stakeholders “start with the audience”. It’s not about what you want – the story you want to tell. It’s about what they need and where they’re at in terms of receiving your message.

I guess because I started out working in customer service (McDonald’s then Myer), while I was at university, it was really fertile ground for learning about putting the customer – and their needs – first. Fast forward to today, and I can see how that definitely sowed a seed in me for wanting that real two-way communication. Journalism just wasn’t nurturing that for me.

Bianca: In your view, what are the unique challenges for strategic communications today?

Dan: Technology is fundamentally changing the landscape of comms as we’ve known it. There’s AI of course. And then there’s the fragmentation of channels due to new technology platforms. It’s much more complex for us now in terms of how we reach our audiences and how we manage all these channels.

But I don’t see advances like AI as necessarily coming for our jobs. Until AI can think critically for us, understanding all the unique needs of the business and society, and doing that with empathy for the audience – then I think we’re pretty safe in our role as communicators. On the contrary, once it gets better at communication outputs, it will free us up to do more strategically, which is the input to all good comms. Having the time to do that critical thinking is a fundamental skill for all communicators and all people in business really.

The biggest challenge related to such advanced technology though is the issue of trust that comes with the risk of deep fakes, imagery being manipulated, data being compromised. These will only continue. Staying ahead of these risks is one of the biggest challenges for our industry right now.

At SEEK, we spend so much time, energy and money around this, but also on a culture that fosters trust. It’s about empowering people, celebrating uniqueness, asking for different perspectives. That’s how you earn people as your brand ambassadors.

Bianca: How important is empowering people?

Dan: It’s vital. Being able to scale critical communication thinking by empowering our people doesn’t threaten our profession – it only leads to a higher quality output, which elevates our function enormously. Investing in communication capability – scaling it so that our people can be better communicators and better writers – that helps them in their job and it gives them better life skills. That’s how we can add long-term value.

Bianca: You’ve been in the game for a long time … what’s the biggest change you’ve seen in comms over the years? 

Dan: When I started out, it was very much about reputation protection, reaction, preparing for the worst case scenario. There was less focus on the flipside: the opportunity that can come with good management of such risks. The trust that you can build when you manage a less than ideal situation well. I’ve seen a transition to comms people having more radar for opportunity; and that only increases the value we can add in a business. It’s a good transition.

I’ve been so privileged working here at SEEK with an entrepreneur like Andrew Bassat, the founder of the business. He’s always seeing the opportunity. He’s helped me balance my standards around risk and opportunity. This industry is so fast paced, we’re trialling products and segments before we’ve had time to identify if it will work. But people need to feel like they can fail because from failure comes the opportunity to learn.

Here, it’s less about short-term financial gains and more about building long-term value, with a view to what people need. And that aligns so well with my personal values. It’s made me a better businessperson working here. And that’s made me a stronger communicator.

Bianca: On a lighter note … if you could give your younger self some career advice, what would it be?

Dan: I’d say “You’ll get to view the world through a different lens. It might not seem like it now, but the world is so much bigger and more diverse – and accepting. In this job, you’ll get the opportunity to understand diverse perspectives and walk in the shoes of others – that’s if you’re doing it well. Empathy is the most important trait you can have. In your job and in life. When you do this job well, you’ll get to see the positive impact of helping people feel genuinely valued, heard, respected and understood. When you see the work you do land in this way, that’s when you’ll know you’ve done a great job. That’s when you’ll get the warm fuzzies.”

Dan, we’re so pleased that the younger you chose the comms sphere: it’s a better profession for having you, and we get the privilege of working with you in it.

But don’t think you’re going to get away with not sharing a photo of you dressed as Ron Burgundy at your Christmas party. Now that; that we NEED to see (enough to even use shouty capitals).

In this, the first in the series, we chat with Sarah McCarthy, General Manager Brand & Engagement, Ventia.

Sarah recently had a new role (General Manager Brand & Engagement) created for her at Ventia, reporting directly to the CEO. Previously, she’d headed the Brand, Marketing & Communications team; and while she misses her team, she is relishing the new opportunity – and open space – to grow employee engagement and the Ventia brand.

Growing brands and brand engagement is something she’s a master at; we’ve had the privilege of seeing this first hand as we’ve worked with her over the years. Perhaps this skill has sprung from what shaped Sarah during her childhood.

Born in a small town in regional NSW, she then spent her early childhood in North West Tasmania, before landing in Sydney, which she has called home since. Her parents were both full-time schoolteachers, and much of her youth was spent caring for her high needs disabled brother. This has given her bucket loads of empathy, the ability to connect with people and to think laterally.

Fast forward to today, and Sarah is like the human equivalent of a bower bird: she’s a collector of people’s stories, an avid listener, known for her quick intellect and her ability to create a strategy and structure that empowers everyone in the business to be strong brand advocates.

Here are some of her thoughts on the communications sector today.

Penny: How would you describe the state of communications right now?

Sarah: “What I’m observing is that the role of communication is seen as more important than ever. We’re ‘doing the doing’ and we’re being called on by the executive to support them too on a variety of issues in the business and externally.

Organisations have a greater role to play now on a range of issues, like the Voice for example. As an organisation, we don’t vote, but our employees are looking to us for guidance. Our role is to help them understand both sides, rather than influencing them on a yes, or no vote. Our role is education, to help people make informed decisions.

I would also say that comms is no longer a single discipline. It covers brand, PR, strategic communications, change, internal communications, leader communications; we’re also running integrated campaigns, using digital and social media and using data to support everything we do.”

Penny: What are some of the challenges and opportunities we’re facing as practitioners?

Sarah: “We have to do more with less, but we also can’t compromise on quality. That means we’re constantly reassessing our priorities, making adjustments and using data and insights to do that with greater clarity.

Budgets are tight, so how we engage our employees is important; ideally, we’re running campaigns that really engage people and then hopefully go viral.

Our employees are our biggest brand ambassadors. When they understand who we are and what we stand for as an organisation, that has a massive flow-on effect right through to recruitment and client activation.

At Ventia, we’re focused on enhancing the skills of our employees; for example, we’ve trained more than 1,000 of our people to use LinkedIn more fully, showing them how to post, comment, connect with customers, suppliers and community. That helps us bring our brand to life.”

Penny: What do you find useful in helping you and your team to create impact?

Sarah: “We’re valued by the executive and business; we have a seat at the table. The Brand, Marketing and Communications team (at Ventia) is providing both strategic advice and tactical assistance.

We’ve come a long way in terms of being able to respectfully say ‘no’ to doing some things; but it’s not just a ‘no’, we’re also giving our people the tools and resources for them to be able to help themselves. It’s taken a while to build that.

As a comms leader, it’s also about having the ability to let go of some things; for example, to rely on your suppliers and enabling your people to have the direct relationships with them across our business. We’ve also rolled out Canva and more than 250 people have signed up.

At Ventia, we’re empowering our people by putting communication knowledge and tools into their hands. Whether that’s templates, frameworks, imagery or standard blurbs on our intranet. Then, of course, we put trust in them to use them well. There are more than 15,000 visual assets, for example, that our people can access. And we’re constantly re-engaging with them to understand how it’s working.

I also think storytelling never goes out of fashion – long-form, human interest stories about our people capture interest and inspire others.”

Penny: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

Sarah: “I’m mostly inspired by making connections with people, hearing their stories. That really lights me up. As part of the CareerSeekers program, I spent time with some refugees and asylum seekers who were mid-career professionals when they arrived in Australia but aren’t recognised necessarily for what they’ve achieved previously. I’m inspired by their tenacity.”

Penny: What would you say to your younger self?

Sarah: “I guess I’d say: ‘Don’t be afraid to always make a start; make your own way even if you don’t feel like you have the traditional connections. Value the relationships you have with people along the way and remember they are often the stepping stones to the next, interesting job or opportunity. I’m happy I tapped into a career that has played to my strengths and I enjoy doing it.’”

We’re happy Sarah’s doing this too. If you ever get the opportunity to meet Sarah, hit her up for a chat. I guarantee you’ll gain something from the conversation too. We can’t wait to see where she takes Ventia brand engagement in her new role.

Thanks for the chat, Sarah!

Since we start our educational journey at around four to five years of age, we learn the sounds that letters make so that we can learn to read. Then we learn to write. We’re encouraged to use bigger words, “wow” words, to expand our vocabulary. We learn to write to express our opinions and explore ideas. When we get to secondary school, we learn to write essays. We learn to write to hit word counts, which means verbose, flowery language is encouraged. We write introductions and body paragraphs and conclusions. Then at university – depending on what we study – we learn to write in a way that suits our chosen vocation; but does it really set us up for how we need to write to be influential in the workplace? The answer is: no, not really.

By the time we get to the workplace, we’ve been writing for most of our lives. That’s good in some ways, and not so great in others. Why? Because it means that when we sit down to write, we often do so without regard for how we approach it. But the truth is, for many people, their old writing habits are holding them back from being effective business writers; and to be successful in any workplace, that’s a skill you need to have.

So, what are the top five bad habits we repeatedly see that hold people back from having more influence at work and becoming more effective business writers?

1. They write without considering their audience

Firstly, many people are not aware of how their personality affects their writing style. If they’re abrupt and direct, that’s how they write. They write in a way that they would like to be communicated with. But they need to stop and consider their audience first; that it may consist of people who may not appreciate the same style and tone.

2. They focus on what they want to say, not WHY

Secondly, too many people ask themselves: “What do I want to say” rather than “Why do I need to say it?”. That means they’re in the habit of writing without purpose – and without a clear plan – and if your purpose is not clear to you, it definitely won’t be to your audience. That means that you won’t get the outcome you need. Also, if you don’t have a plan for your writing, you – and your audience – could end up somewhere you really didn’t intend to go!

3. They think that more is more

Next up, we have the bad habit of applying the “more is more” philosophy. Many subscribe to the belief that a lot of words are required to establish their credibility. They can also fall into the trap of using elaborate words, technical terms and jargon to position themselves as well qualified, subject matter experts. The truth is, in most cases, less is more. People are busy in the world of work. They don’t have time to decipher meaning. They already know you are the expert; they just want you to tell them in simple terms what is you want and why.

4. They write like an academic

Then we have people who have learned habits in university that have stuck with them. They write providing all the background and context without getting to the point upfront. That’s not to suggest that context doesn’t have its place, but not at the expense of the purpose of your communication. If you bore people upfront with unnecessary context, they’ll switch off and you won’t have them on the hook.

5. They don’t check their grammar and their spelling

This sounds like a basic one, but when people don’t get basic grammar, spelling and punctuation right, it can change the meaning of their work (misplaced apostrophes and commas are the main culprits here) or just make them look a little sloppy. By contrast, good grammar and spelling shows attention to detail which is highly valued in pretty much every job.

So, if these are the top five bad habits and you recognise that you fall back on one, some, or even all of them, what can you do to change it? There’s no shame in it, only the potential for positive change and growth.

Common wisdom says that it takes around 66 days to form a new habit. So, like anything, it takes time and persistence. You need to focus on applying the new habits diligently – and daily – to your writing. It can be a little uncomfortable at first. At One Tribe, we call it building your writing muscle. Like any muscle, it gets stronger and stronger over time. We ask our online business writing course participants to sit with the discomfort of approaching things differently for a little while. In the end, it’s worth it; you will reap the rewards.

Your writing will be purposeful, clearer, more concise and more influential. You’ll get more of the outcomes you need at work – and we all want more of that.

What do you think? Is it time for you to set some new writing habits?

Check out our Business Writing for Influence course to find out more.

But out of this mess, one unexpected communication gem shines brilliantly for all of us: AUTHENTICITY. 

You cannot be a great communicator without being authentic. This is one of our key messages when we run communication training workshops with leaders. Authentic behaviour – and showing vulnerability – builds trust and employee engagement, because people know you are being honest with them. Leaders in high-trust workplaces ask for help from colleagues instead of just telling them to do things. *Research has shown that this stimulates oxytocin production in others, increasing their trust and cooperation. Asking for help is a sign of a secure leader; one who engages everyone to reach goals. 

There is no better time than now for authenticity when so many of us are feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed; and we’re feeling it at a time when videoconferencing is literally giving us a window into one another’s lives. Putting all that vulnerability – and sometimes just household madness – on show.

I’m not talking about the myriad videoconferencing faux pas we’ve seen (although they have certainly kept us all amused and oh how we need to keep laughing at times like this). I’m talking about the veneer, the polished edges coming off people. There’s a kind of beauty, a raw honesty in that. ‘Perfection’ is no longer important. This helps us connect with one another because it makes us all appear more human. 

Video – a medium that has traditionally been used as quite scripted and polished – is now being used to keep us all connected. We are unscripted, unpolished and not particularly well lit, (or even well or sometimes even fully dressed); but we are real. We are sharing our worries and frustrations, admitting that we don’t have all the answers, listening to one another and feeling empathy and compassion for everyone’s unique situations. 

My hope, as a professional communicator, is that we can take this authenticity with us into the brave new, pandemic-free world. That we keep on keeping it real, because it builds trust, which is the bedrock of true employee engagement, and it’s where true, human connection lies. 

Full disclosure: I wrote this in my hot pink dressing gown before getting myself semi-presentable for a work videoconference call, feeling a little anxious about balancing work with remote learning starting again tomorrow. 

* Paul J. Zac, The Neuroscience of Trust, Harvard Business Review 2017