The Blind Spot – How Do We Organize Our Communication Work?

One of the most overlooked aspects of communication work is its organization – the fixed structures, processes, and clear roles of who does what and when. The reason is simple: in the daily hustle, we rarely stop to think about these structures. Yet, it's crucial to view communication from an organizational and managerial perspective for one key reason: as communicators (whether in marketing, PR, or advertising), our work must seamlessly integrate into the company's production processes and value chains. We must be able to describe and label our communication expertise to ensure consistent quality and value. We need to clarify our management and organizational principles so that communication work can involve and draw on individuals and units from across the company in a meaningful way – without assuming that anyone can have an opinion on communication whenever they want.

We need to describe communication work using structures, processes, and specific cultural elements – the classic terms from management literature. Structure defines who does what. Processes define when things happen. Culture defines the skills we prioritize – is communication work in this company creative, precise, or something else?

Unfortunately, the strategic communication field lacks substantial research and literature on the organization of communication work – its specific structures and processes. This situation likely stems from the field's roots in 'crafts' like journalism and sales, where management and leadership were often seen as irrelevant or even counterproductive.

In recent years, however, new and interesting approaches to organizing communication work have emerged, particularly in the USA. These approaches acknowledge that communication can draw on experiences from other sectors but also has unique characteristics, such as a 'fluid' production process involving dialogue and renegotiation among many parties. This means communication departments can't be organized like other sectors. Specifically, communication work (including marketing, PR, etc.) differs from other disciplines like production, sales, and HR in that it is:

• More 'fluid' among different people
• More changeable
• More situation-specific

So, what does this mean for the structures and processes of communication work? From my experience, we can better understand this by focusing on roles and value chains. First, roles. Traditional management thinking outlines roles like management and leadership, as seen in Mintzberg's definitions. In communication, we must include an additional dimension – communication and dialogue. A communication manager must act as a constant translator, both from the outside world into the organization and vice versa, and among the organization's units.

Typical roles in communication include the expert, the advisor, and the producer. The challenge is to not just consider the organization chart but the roles it consists of: Who advises, who decides, who produces? Roles are more fluid in communication, but they must be clear.

Next, value chains – identifying a specific process for all major communication efforts, such as campaigns and media development. Traditional management literature outlines four phases: (1) Analysis, (2) Strategic Choices, (3) Implementation, and (4) Evaluation. These phases are essential for all strategic work, but we must consider communication-specific angles. The analysis must primarily take an 'external perspective' as communication's raison d'être is to be 'the market's ambassadors.' Similarly, it's crucial that the company's communication leaders are positioned to take or participate in strategic business decisions. Additionally, communication work often needs a special phase (0) for identifying and qualifying ongoing ideas. Do ideas for activities and projects arise rationally, or are they 'shot' into the implementation phase without prior analysis and strategic decisions? Often, they are. A director likes an idea and demands a new website, design, or press release immediately. Returning to the beginning: Communication work must be defined by its structures and processes to ensure a consistently high level and signal to the rest of the organization: Communication professionals know what they're doing – and how they do it.