Imagine dreading who is coming to help you

Imagine feeling that you need to hide away the pictures of people dearest to you before some visited you. Imagine being told that you needed to pretend your wife was your sister. Imagine fearing who might come through your own door.

Stonewall have already conducted a lot of research into experiences of older LGBT people, and with a focus of their experiences or expectations of being cared for. And they – and others - found examples of all of the above experiences.

Putting all the research together, there is a clear picture. LGBT people are more likely to be:

• Single
• Childless
• Have less contact with family
• Live alone
• Have alcohol or substance problems
• Have mental health problems

So LGBT people are in a greater need of support. But they are less likely to get that from family or through “formal” channels. They worry that they will experience ignorance, lack of understanding or even intolerance from the people charged with caring for them. And too often they do.

I’ve been commissioned to build a little on this research by looking specifically at how LGBT people feel they would be treated by someone caring, supporting or assisting them in their own home. And I’m sharing a summary of the findings with all that take part. Eventually, it might lead to greater confidence in carers from LGBT people; it might lead to better informed and engaged carers.

So please take the survey, like this post or share the survey with people in your network: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9ZCPH3Y

Thank you.

LGComms - Tips for Communicators

Last week I attended an LGComms Engagement event. They put on a great range of Internal Comms Speakers, from a range of different industries. And some of them had some real challenges – fancy being the internal comms bod at Mid Staffs Hospital or Tata Steel in Port Talbot?

I took a lot away from the event, and there was a lot of very specific and very useful tactical advice – especially for the public sector communicator who has no (literally, no) budget. But here’s some of the other stuff I took away:

Know What You’re Responsible For…

Comms help your people understand your organisation better. That means that you can build trust and they can better represent you to the public/customers. What you say determines what the public see.

…So Build it Around a Strong Narrative…

Things will get a bit messy and confused at times. Accept that, but a defined narrative gives you something to bring it all back to. It keeps you focussed. It can help re-instil commitment.

…Making Sure You Know What Impact You’re Making…

Of course you need to be able to measure your effect, but don’t just set objectives that you can measure. Work out what you’re really trying to achieve – and then get the BEST measure for that.

… And That Means Listening as Much as Talking…

Your employees will tell you what they need to know, what they don’t get, what’s working for them, what’s missing the mark. Listening and discussion targets, improves and builds on comms.

… So You Can Keep Trying Channels…

If you’re confident on measurement and you’ve got input form employees, then you have freedom to try stuff.  If it works, stick with it. If it doesn’t work move on. Try your next idea. 

… And Push Yourself…

That new idea can be scary. Being uncomfortable is good. Be prepared to fail. If you’ve got the trust of the decision makers, use it to try things that’ll really create impact, that’ll really stick.

…Without Worrying About Perfection….

There’s never the perfect time to launch. Someone, somewhere always has one last build or amend. Someone will hate it. But if it gets to most people in the right way, go for it. And get the rest later.

…And Aim For Your Employees to Be Your Communicators

The best examples and effects of engagement, commitment, knowledge sharing and idea generation came when employees were given tools, guidance (and maybe some moderation) and then allowed to get on with having their own conversations.

So, as a communicator you have a big responsibility. But your biggest one is to share that with all your employees.

The event was Informative, Fun, Free and Not In London. I really look forward to the next one.