Welcome…
28th January 2007 by Michael Zimet
…to the IABC Advocacy Commons. This blog was created to share some of the work currently under way and, more importantly, to hear feedback and ideas about an initiative that could add an important new dimension to IABC and communications.
So what is this all about?
Advocacy is about promoting the communications profession and raising our profile among such audiences as business leaders and organization staffs. It’s also about the role communicators can play in addressing a broad spectrum of professional, ethical, economic and social issues.
The IABC Executive Board created the Advocacy Work Group to research the concept and recommend what the association can and should do.
The Advocacy group’s work is intended to enhance and add value to IABC and the profession. Think of it as an extension of what IABC is all about. IABC already provides a variety of benefits, features and services to communicators worldwide; Advocacy may well be a springboard to making communications an even more integral and valued part of businesses and organizations worldwide. Think Visibility, Vitality and Value.
The Advocacy initiative should reflect the ideas and concerns of IABC members and professional colleagues, not just the thinking of a small group of people. This is your opportunity to have a say, to influence IABC’s direction. It’s your forum to make yourself heard — to debate issues and ideas in a constructive, forward-thinking manner. So please join in the discussion.
It’s all about sharing and listening.
Be heard!
January 28th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
It’s about time! We are very excited about hearing more about what IABC is going to do. Please tell us more and how we can help.
January 29th, 2007 at 10:06 am
According to the Welcome message, the advocacy effort will focus on advocacy for members and the profession. That is the correct starting point I believe; however, I think some believe that advocacy means choosing some kind of cause, such as literacy, and advocating for that. If the mission of this initiative should be how to most effectively advocate for members and the profession, it needs to be clarified. Ray
January 29th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Actually, Ray, Advocacy could conceivably be “all of the above.” The second post presents several different ways of defining it in the context of IABC, its members and the profession. And they’re not all mutually exclusive.
Choosing some kind of cause is a good example. Consider this possibility: championing a cause could actually constitute two forms of Advocacy…
1. Promoting the cause itself, and
2. By getting involved (and demonstrating the added value of effective communications), promoting members and the profession.
So as you can see, there are myriad possibilities. The challenge is to determine which ones are realistic and would add value, and what it might take to implement them.
That’s why your feedback is so important. Check out the second post and tell us what you think. Which ones are most important — and valuable?
January 30th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
I think this advocacy initiative is welcome, if not somewhat overdue. I think we in Europe would certainly support it. I will encourage my members in Belgium to take part in the debate.
I would also like the working group to factor in the cultural dimensions of advocacy and how it might differ in various parts of the world. One of our greatest strengths and challenges in Europe is our diversity. However, IABC is often perceived over here as monocultural in its views. This would be a great opportunity to prove that perspective wrong….
January 30th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
[...] A discussion has just started over at iabc cafe about a new initiative concerning IABC advocacy. An Advocacy Working Group has been established. It has a separate blog and invites all interested to weigh in with their views. I encourage you all to at least visit the blog. [...]
January 30th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Gerry, thanks for your support. You are spot-on about recognizing the cultural dimensions of an international association. In fact, we discussed this very point in last week’s Leadership Institute focus groups, which included participants from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. We agreed that our approach to Advocacy will vary by geography, which is one reason the regions and chapters will play important roles in anything we ultimately do. Having myself managed and worked with communicators from six continents, I can assure you that addressing our global diversity will be one of our guiding principles.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
I want to hear more about how the approach to Advocacy will vary by geography. We as a group must address global diversity.
February 22nd, 2007 at 3:57 pm
I participated in one of the advocacy sessions at LI, and was energized by the variety and passion that was shared. In response to Linda,