It’s been an incredibly busy time for the world of communications, public affairs and public policy. We’ve seen challenges to Government leadership, Ministerial resignations, changes to agency worker regulations to ease staff strikes, and continued long-term concerns around the economy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For professionals working in the sector, the constant uncertainty and ever-developing news presents a wealth of challenges and puts their communication and management skills to the test. Even for those well-established experts, these last few weeks have presented numerous hurdles. Here are our top tips for communications, public policy and public affairs professionals on keeping on top of uncertainty in today’s economy.

Collaboration is key

The role of public policy and public affairs teams is pretty siloed from the rest of the business due to the specialised nature of the function. The c-suite will see the end result of policy reviews for the firm, but little is often openly known of what goes on behind the scenes. The same is arguably true of communications teams. The final result is very visible to the business, but the work that goes in to internal and external comms isn’t always recognised across the company.

However, during periods where there’s public upheaval that impacts your business and the sector it operates in, greater collaboration with other business stakeholders is crucial. There will be a level of nervousness from corporate leaders that you can help alleviate, but in a similar vein, getting input from your peers across the business will be valuable in navigating uncertainty. Afterall, having more ‘eyes’ on a fast-moving problem can help ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

Think crisis response

Plans for a crisis are arguably just as relevant in times of uncertainty, difficulty and where constant change is afoot. While a crisis might not be happening in the business, in the external market the impact of the likes of Government uncertainty and economic instability are akin to a wider crisis and should be handled in this manner.

Prepping your policy, public affairs or comms teams to respond, react and adapt as they would for a corporate crisis will help keep on top of uncertainty and mitigate the impact of developments across the macro economy, at least to some degree. With developments happening so quickly, having clear lines of communication and delegation agreed can streamline processes and ensure the business and the public affairs team are responding quickly and appropriately.

Don’t forget about yourself

Dealing with uncertainty is incredibly draining on everyone, even seasoned public affairs, public policy and comms experts. Those in leadership positions face navigating nuanced scenarios while also supporting their teams through the complexities of the market. It’s all too easy in this environment to forget about yourself and your own well-being. If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s the importance of bolstering our mental well-being.

This is particularly true when handling potentially contentious situations. The changes to the agency worker regulations is perhaps the most relevant example in this instance. Those professionals attempting to navigate through the policy change, what it means for their business and communicate this with stakeholders have already faced a wealth of challenges. There’s already been uproar around this issue with business leaders and unions questioning the ethics of this decision. Public policy teams across sectors that are set to be hit by further strike action will continue to face mixed feelings from corporate and employee groups around both the feasibility of using agency workers to replace those on the picket line and how ethical or fair this is for worker rights. Communications teams across these sectors will also be facing queries from potentially disgruntled employees as well as external stakeholders and press looking for a ‘juicy story’.

This can have an adverse effect on mental wellbeing, so it’s important to both know and recognise your own limitations, while also pulling on the support from those in your network. Struggling in silence or pushing yourself towards burnout will only exacerbate the challenges you’re facing, so keep your own well-being a top priority.

Keeping on top of uncertainty: don’t let it hinder your job search

When there’s a lot of uncertainty and pressure on yourself and your team, everything else – including searching for a new job – is often put on hold. But that doesn’t have to be the case. While you’re busy staying on top of the constantly evolving market, a good recruitment firm will be working away behind the scenes to secure your next interview and get you in front of your ideal employer.

Contact the Murray McIntosh team today to find out how we can help you find your next public affairs, public policy or communications role.