I'm a very creative person, and some aspects of my role, such as story-boarding, filming and editing provide real opportunities to sell our company's vision in ways that engage and reach out to our people. A varied communications approach is key to selling a compelling story!
I work at Willmott Dixon Interiors, specialists in Interior fit-out and refurbishment. Working in communications in the construction industry – an industry that is evolving at a rapid pace with technology – is exciting. We are constantly striving to improve the ways we communicate and engage our people. The majority of our people work on live sites across the UK, so reaching out to them in a consistent and timely manner has its challenges.
As a Communications Manager, I look after all our internal customers in the business. I work on planning, managing the intranet, creating content and designing layouts for our monthly business magazine, as well an ensuring all other channels, including digital, are fed with the latest news and updates. I'm also responsible for introducing new communications approaches into the business – keeping abreast of the latest developments in technology is critical. I am currently working on a plan to implement a new digital signage platform across all our sites, and I have a meeting to discuss our first proposal this afternoon!
Here is a glimpse of a typical working day:
6:00am Wake up. Alexa wakes me up with an alarm. It's Monday, it's a New Year and it's my first day back at work after a lovely two-week break. For me, no day can start without a hot steamy shower and a cup of coffee! Whilst the radio is on in the background, I get ready for the day and mentally go through all the things I must achieve.
On the train…I have a brief look through emails to check nothing urgent has come in and then indulge in another coffee (homemade – tastes so much better!) and a good book.
8:30 am Arrive at the office. Where I have a quick catch up with colleagues to see how they all are and hear some funny stories from their weekend.
8:45 am Weekly Comms update. An email out to all the Directors to inform them of the weekly comms schedule going out on all our channels and send them links to any insightful industry news they might have missed.
9:00am Meeting. With our Managing Director to discuss the planning ideas for our next company meeting. I always come ready with ideas and a story board for this. Visually showing my ideas can be just as effective as a written proposal!
10:30 pm New starters induction. Every time a new person starts their journey with us, we ensure they have a week of inductions to learn about the different areas around the business, which includes a slot with communications. It's also a chance for me to find out what communication strategies worked well at their previous companies, so we can learn from others and continually try to improve the way we engage and connect the business.
11:30pm - Back at my desk. Time to get stuck into some planning! Later in the week I have several meetings with the various Heads of each business department to run through and coordinate any key campaigns and messages they want to drive into the business. Capturing all this information in an annual events and communications planner helps to coordinate the many activities and communications required throughout the year.
2:00pm Refuel. I usually take a late lunch, where I ensure I take a walk around the block and get a break from being inside all morning. I then head back to our break-out area in the office and tuck into a homemade healthy wrap. I always make a packed lunch as it tastes better, and you know what you're eating!
3:00pm Refreshed and energised to take on the remainder of the day. I head back to my desk and pick up from where I left off with an article I am writing for our magazine. This time it's on Black Box Thinking – our company's approach to learning and improving from mistakes.
4:00pm Comms huddle. With a cup of tea in hand, we catch up in our new collaboration space. This was introduced so I can catch up with the marketing team to discuss all external communications. Although we have separate roles, we need to work together to coordinate our efforts and align are messaging to both our internal and external customers.
5:00pm Getting organised. I go through all emails and check for any that need urgent responses. I also use my time to prepare myself for tomorrow and the remainder of the week – my 'to do' list just keeps on growing! Blocking out time in my diary for periods of the week helps me to keep focussed on the important tasks and meet those deadlines – otherwise you get swept away by everything else going on in the business.
5:30pm Time to head home… New Year's resolution is to leave the office on time – it's a year of working smarter for me! I used to stay back late in the office when it's quieter - it became a bit of a habit in 2019. Thankfully, for now, there are no last-minute business-critical deadlines, so I pack up and make a run for the door. My commute is an hour and fifteen minutes to get home – it's always a relief walking through the front door - no train strikes or delays to deal with today. Winning!
