On Thursday 4th June, I had the opportunity to co-facilitate a power-packed masterclass with Emmanuel Tarfa (Management Consultant and CEO of Kryptr) and Riana Sinden (Director of Professional Development, IABC Africa).
The masterclass was focused on equipping communications professionals with:
- A clear understanding of global geopolitical trends and their economic implications for Africa and African organisations.
- The ability to interpret global events and translate them into organisational risks and opportunities.
- Tools to support CEOs and boards with timely, strategic communication insights.
It was 90 minutes of unpacking geopolitical shifts, economic signals and global trends, while highlighting how communicators can position themselves as strategic advisors within this new context.
I learnt so much from the conversation and these are some of my top takeaways:
1 – Communications professionals need macroeconomic and geopolitical intelligence.
Sometimes communicators say they are not “numbers people”. In today’s world, not only do we need to know the numbers, we also need to learn the language of the global economy. Since economic shocks now arrive as communication events, it is important to have macroeconomic and geopolitical intelligence to explain what these events mean to key decision makers within our organisations.
As Emmanuel put it, “The communicator who reads the macro picture becomes the advisor leaders consult before they decide, not after.”
2 – To master macroeconomics, you need to understand the fundamentals.
Understanding any complex subject starts with understanding the fundamentals. While some communications professionals find numbers and macroeconomic language difficult to grasp, the masterclass equipped us with practical ways to unpack economic events using the core indicators (GDP and inflation) and these two pillars – drivers and derivatives. These are the fundamentals, and learning them will make a whole lot of difference for you.
3 – Communicators have a key role to play in the journey between global shocks and business decisions.
When global shocks happen, communications professionals need to understand how to translate the signals into insights that shape excutive-level decisions and protect stakeholder trust. This is where we will shine in our roles as trusted advisors.
4 – Without effective communication and messaging, managing stakeholders will become difficult.
CEOs and boards have to make difficult decisions to deal with the constant economic and geopolitical shocks and signals. These difficult decisions, although necessary, must be weighed against the impact it would have on stakeholders. This is where effective communication and messaging become critical to ensure confidence is protected, trust is strengthened and decisions are communicated to stakeholders with transparency and empathy.
Communications professionals have what it takes to effectively guide CEOs and boards during economic and geopolitical uncertainty. While we cannot predict what will happen tomorrow, we can prepare our leaders to take action and preserve trust where it matters most.
When you have a minute, do watch the replay of the webinar. You will learn a lot!