Contents
Introduction
Wisdom grows from knowledge.
Knowledge grows from information.
Communication is the flow of information.
The who, what, how, where, when, and why of this flow are the craft of the communicator.
Community-building
"Community" vs. "organization"
- Distinguishing factors – In general, communities are fluid groups (large and small) that form around shared values, with blurry lines around who belongs. On the other hand, organizations are structured groups that form around a common goal, with clear lines around who belongs.
- Interplay between the two – Communities exist within organizations. Organizations arise within communities. It’s helpful to understand this interplay to develop an effective communication strategy with (or within) any group of people.
- Members & leaders – While organization’s tend to rigidly define titles and roles, communities often have fluid dynamics between “members” and “leaders”. Anyone might lead on one issue and follow on another. This dynamic flow of voices helps form the fabric of a community. If a “leader” attempts to control others, they are, almost by definition, no longer a community member—though in the sense of an organization, they may retain their position.
Community voices
- Grassroots voices – Grassroots communications emerge organically, representing shared values, needs, and ideas—often yielding unique solutions. There are benefits to being part of the organic conversation in a community. To do so requires authenticity.
- Inter-connectivity among communities – Most individuals belong to multiple communities (around work, school, home, religion, hobbies, etc.), so there’s overlap and connection between many communities. Connections among smaller communities, in turn, create the fabric of larger communities and ultimately (especially in the digital age) our world community.
Community capacity building & enrichment
Community resources – Investments in a community like education, technology, or physical infrastructure do not necessarily support a defined goal (as they would in an organization) but enrich the “soil” where people can cultivate greater knowledge, values, wellbeing, and progress.
Education – Education can be slower-moving than other flows of information, but over time it’s perhaps the most powerful. By giving children and adults the foundation of strong educational resources (with no agenda beyond the quest for knowledge and understanding), we give people the tools to actualize themselves and their contributions.
Arts & culture in communities – The arts enrich community life by creating shared experiences that foster connection, celebrate diversity, and reflect collective values. Culture strengthens a community’s identity and resilience. (Also see: Content creation > The arts)
Cultural diversity & richness
Diverse heritage vs. shared heritage — Some communities unite people across many walks of life. Others are built on a single cultural or ethnic heritage. Both are valid and, as long as a community’s members have respect, for each other and for those outside the community, then its cultural diversity and/or richness are simply another unique, defining quality of that community.
Cultural understanding & listening — Open, judgment-free listening to cultural expressions fosters enrichment for all members, enabling the exchange of ideas and values. In organizations, this inclusive mindset leads to more effective communication, solutions, and innovative thinking.
Physical & digital communities
Hybrid community-building – Physical and digital spaces offer unique opportunities for communities to connect. Leveraging both can create inclusive environments where individuals collaborate and share ideas, regardless of location.
Digital inclusivity – Ensuring access to digital tools and platforms empowers groups to participate in broader conversations and build connections across boundaries.
Communications in communities (the spread of ideas)
Such dynamics—like a given community’s culture, the nature of community membership and leadership, the interplay between communities and organizations, and interconnectivity among communities—are key to understanding how values take hold and move through populations of people. New ideas and values almost always begin in small communities before they spread to other or larger communities. In the digital age, this can happen quickly.
An idea’s success depends on the quality of the idea itself, of how it’s recorded (in media: like words, images, music, etc.), and of how it’s shared (via channels: like phones, the internet, in-person, etc).
Movement building
A movement is a distinct type of social phenomenon driven by collective purpose and shared urgency, uniting individuals to enact meaningful change on a broader scale.
- Activism – Activism drives change by mobilizing individuals and communities around shared values and goals. Effective activism communicates urgency, inspires action, and fosters collaboration to address societal challenges.
Leadership communications
While it overlaps with other areas of communication, leadership communication is an art in itself, requiring vision, trust-building, and the ability to inspire collective action.
- Feedback loops – Communication loops between leaders and their communities reinforce trust, accountability, and progress toward goals.
- Democratic feedback loops – Leaders may reflect the values of their communities, thereby enacting, reinforcing, and influencing them. Communities, in turn, can use their voices to shape their values, creating or dissolving support for leaders based on those values. This relationship is the essence of democracy. Historically, many leaders have feigned adherence to their community’s values to gain support. It remains imperative to bring leaders with true intentions of love and connectedness to guide influential organizations and communities, to realize the full power of this feedback loop.
Partnership communications
Partnerships allow organizations to combine strengths, achieve shared goals, and create greater progress than any one party could alone. The success of a partnership depends almost entirely, through the full lifecycle of a partnership, on the quality of communications.
Seeking & forming partnerships
- Identifying alignment – The best partnerships involve collaborators whose collective values, goals, and expertise create synergies, equaling more than the sum of their parts.
- Building relationships – Partnership communication starts before formal agreements. Have conversations to understand the other party’s strengths and challenges. Openly listen and communicate ideas to discover the most powerful and exciting possibilities of a potential collaboration.
- Framing the value proposition – Once you’ve established possibilities, establish what each partner brings to the table. Articulate unique strengths, resources, knowledge, or networks, and discuss how they contribute to shared success.
- Maintaining openness – Create an open, judgement-free environment for the exchange of contributions and feedback, to allow for the best possible shared evolution of the partnership.
Managing partnerships
- Setting expectations – Define the partnership’s scope, roles, and responsibilities early on, in writing. This framework can change in the future if all parties agree to make changes. Clear expectations help prevent misunderstandings and establish a strong framework for communication.
- Clear & consistent communication – Strong partnerships rely on regular communication. Create a smart schedule of check-ins to align on progress, concerns, and accountability. Include guidelines for what’s expected of each partner in these communications.
- Fostering trust – Transparency builds trust. Share updates openly, acknowledging both successes and challenges to maintain integrity and strengthen the partnership.
- Investing in relationships – Partnerships thrive on mutual respect and rapport. Build the human connection through informal conversations, joint events, or shared experiences.
- Setting goals – Define clear metrics for success. These serve as a basis for evaluating progress and celebrating milestones together.
- Conflict resolution – Disagreements are natural. Approach conflicts with empathy and a focus on solutions. Ensure that both sides feel heard and work toward a resolution collaboratively.
Joint external communications
- Unified messaging – Develop messaging collaboratively to reflect shared goals and values, ensure consistency, and create greater progress. If multiple partners have to co-create or review materials, set up efficient channels for this collaboration.
- Audience-centric approach – Tailor communications to resonate with your shared audience. The same way you do audience research for your own audience, develop research on the shared audience of the partnership.
- Sharing platforms – Leverage each partner’s communication platforms (such as social media profiles) to broaden reach, and consider creating co-branded shared platforms. Coordinate timing and tone to maximize effectiveness.
- Mutual credit and visibility – Recognize and highlight each partner’s contributions. This reinforces the collaborative nature and ultimate benefit of the partnership.
- Adaptability – Joint communications must be flexible. Adjust strategies based on feedback, evolving needs, or unexpected circumstances.
Content creation
Content creation today can be done by almost anyone as part of, or independently from, any social group. Creators use storytelling, art, education, and entertainment—in mediums like images, videos, writing, and audio—to share information or messages with audiences.
The arts
- The arts in society – Art is one of the beauties and wonders of the human experience. A society rich with the arts (in live events, on city streets, in homes, etc) is one where people live more fulfilling, meaningful lives. Art can help shape and advance shared values, stories, social calls-to-action, or important philosophical observations about ourselves and our world.
- The arts in communications – Art can engage audiences that might otherwise look away. Art can carry, accompany, or be incorporated into the sharing of factual information—working on a deeper level. It can evoke participation, emotion, and new perspectives. Arts like storytelling can give shape to abstract ideas, making them more understandable and memorable. Art can bridge divides and help us feel the humanity behind data and facts. For organizations committed to meaningful change, using the arts in communications isn’t always an afterthought—it can be a strategic decision. When art is authentic, aligned with a core mission, and successful, it can stir action, build movements, and inspire enduring change.
Storytelling
- Stories — Stories are a powerful tool for conveying values. They inherently and almost automatically engage audiences. Stories, at their core, are about [1] self-actualization and [2] the struggle between the collective good vs. self-interested power.
Educational content
- Clear dissemination of knowledge – Educational content builds knowledge and empowers audiences to make informed decisions. Effective educational communication does not tell people what to think. Rather it is clear, accessible, and aligned with the audience’s needs. (See also: “Capacity building & cultural enrichment” > Education)
Organizational communications
Marketing & branding
- Cause marketing – Also called “cause-related marketing”, cause marketing uses a cause to enhance marketing, or vice versa. When done correctly, both the cause and the marketed product get a boost in support. Cause marketing offers immense potential for partnership, awareness, and momentum-building.
- Storytelling in cause marketing – Crafting compelling, human-centered narratives to advance a purpose-driven campaign. (See also: Content creation > Storytelling)
Purpose-driven branding – Going beyond a single marketing effort to build a full brand identity on mission and values.
Digital & social media strategies – Leveraging online platforms to advance purpose-driven campaigns.
Social media advocacy – Using social media to raise awareness and mobilize audiences.
- Employee (stakeholder) advocacy – Empowering employees to become advocates for the organization can strengthen internal culture and build external trust.
Social media participation – Supporting employees in responsibly sharing organizational initiatives online can amplify reach and foster authentic engagement.
Greenwashing vs. transparency – Greenwashing (or “causewashing”) occurs when an organization [1] misleadingly embraces a cause in messaging without reflecting it in their actions or [2] downplays its own bad behaviors. Transparency, whether cultivated from inside or outside a company, helps dispel greenwashing and causewashing.
- Authenticity – Building trust through transparent and genuine communications. Perceived authenticity is essential to being accepted by communities you communicate with.
Internal communications
- Diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) communications – Ensuring organizational messaging, at a minimum, reflects an understanding of its own diversity and, going further, actively helps build a culture of greater diversity, belonging, and understanding.
- Love over fear – Given how divisive an issue DEI has become, a good rule of thumb is to keep the intentions of DEI messaging based in acceptance, love, and connectedness—not a fear of being “canceled” from either side of the political aisle. As such, any organization can stand strong in its DEI communications.
- Creating space for voices – An important aspect of DEI communications is to make space for diverse members of a community to express themselves if, when, and how they choose—so long as their expression is positive and constructive. (See also: Community-building > Cultural diversity & richness)
- Empowering employees – Providing tools, training, and education to enrich the organization’s culture and empower its stakeholders to more effectively achieve their, and the company’s, goals.
- Internal storytelling – Sharing success stories within the organization to inspire work and/or advocacy.
- Employee communication channels – Creating the infrastructure for dialogue to shape [1] effective and inspired work and [2] inclusive workplace culture & policies.
- Transparency in leadership – There are times when a leader should safeguard information about the organization’s direction and decision-making. However, a leader might consider, with each decision to share or withhold a piece of information, the broader good of the organization, its broader community, and the world. Shared information should be honest and clear.
Innovation & funding (support) communications
- Funding narrative – A framework of communications designed to build support from grantmakers, investors, donors, sponsors, and other financial supporters.
- Innovation communication – Highlighting unique approaches to solving complex challenges, to attract financial supporters, solution adopters, customers, clients, etc.
- Results-oriented messaging – Emphasizing tangible outcomes of funded initiatives, often using metrics and data, to show the effectiveness of a solution, increase the number of supporters, and increase enthusiasm among existing supporters.
Risk management
- Reputation management – Protecting the organization’s public image, ideally proactively. When an organization operates with integrity and transparency (not only in its ethics but also in the quality of its operations), its reputation may, in a sense, take care of itself. If so, reputation management becomes a question of leveraging and building upon the organization’s positive image, while managing antagonistic voices.
- Crisis communication – Handling crises and challenges while maintaining trust and credibility.
Metrics & reporting
- Impact metrics – Defining and measuring success in clear, meaningful ways. Choosing the metrics to indicate progress is an art in itself. Reporting them is an important aspect of communication and often essential to the continuation of successful work.
- Goal alignment – Ensuring an organization’s work is aligned with its own defined missions and objectives, as well as other broader community, regional, national, or global goals.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) alignment – The SDGs are the United Nation’s framework of 17 social and environmental goals our global community must work toward to build a better, more equitable, and more sustainable world. Identifying gaps and needs within the SDGs, and then connecting organizational efforts to solving them, is an effective and well-recognized way to communicate accomplishments.