Team Talk: changing shapes

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Team talk: the changing structure of charity communications departments

Analysis of over 60 UK charities with insight from key people across the sector

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Who has not been through an organisational restructure in the past 12 months?

Structural change in a strategic vacuum

“If you’re planning a restructure, make sure you’ve got an understandable, embedded strategy first. Don’t just restructure for the sake of it: strategy should lead any structure. If it doesn’t then you’ll either find that the new structure is very siloed or you’ll find yourself restructuring again in a year’s time.”

- Previous event attendee

Triggers for structural change

- New strategy

- New leadership

- Operational constraints

- Disruptive external factors

Image credit: Jason Mogus @ Communicopia

Image credit: Jason Mogus @ Communicopia

“We were told we were moving to a hub and spoke model, only no-one knew what the hub was or where the spokes were meant to be”

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”

Peter Drucker, founder of modern management consultancy, 1909-2005

While an internal reorganisation

will struggle to be successful

without an overarching

structural strategy and

guidance, it will also be

unsuccessful without an

investment in the culture to

support it.

The right people, an investment

in skills and capabilities,

efficient processes and a

learning and development

programme build a culture that

will provide the foundation for a

solid restructure.

Good governance, training and

process can highlight the

benefits in progressive

investment. Often the appetite

for change is apparent but time

is not allocated to explore these

avenues. It's imperative to get

buy-in from senior

management, evidence from

user and market research will

often be the most effective in

delivering this. In conjunction

with this buy-in, an investment

in grassroots training and

empowering those who've been

trained to use their skills can

lead to hugely positive change

for the organisation.

Planning and governance

- Where does commissioning begin?

- Do you know your skills gaps?

- Workflow design & collaboration

- Shared metrics and KPIs

Has your recent reorganisation been predicated on a coherent and clearly defined strategy?

Do you feel your organisational culture and values are understood and actively encourage change?

Audience expectation has changed

The shift in device use and the

way in which people consume

content has changed

dramatically. Planning and

strategy needs to be looking 5

years ahead. Digital is pervasive

and an integrated, cross-

functional approach is needed

to respond to this in the best

way. An adaptive, integrated

team is best placed to respond

to change.

Multi channel engagement

- Adapting to changing media consumption

- Integrated approach to campaigning

- Cross-functional planning (no silos)

- Digital is pervasive across disciplines

Who can provide a good, recent example of a truly integrated campaign plan?

Disruption is a good thing

- Disruption is constant and incremental

- Challenges the status quo

- Highlights inefficiency and blockage

- Digital is often the catalyst

Active Disruptor

Disrupt before you get disrupted

Tends to be newer rather than older orgs

Opportunistic Navigator

Ready to adapt, but watchful and shrewd

Adopts successful strategies of others in the sector

Conservative Survivor

Well established and risk averse

Overly reliant on past success

Who feels they have seen genuine disruption at play in their organisation and what was the outcome?

Multidisciplinary vs T-Shaped

A team of people with a core

expertise, but also with a clear

understanding of the focus of

those around them can create a

more efficient and collaborative

working environment. However,

sharing of knowledge shouldn’t

rely on this collaboration, but

rather be harnessed and used as

a springboard for cross-team

learning. Regular meetings, or

“lunch and learns” can be really

beneficial in disseminating

knowledge and project

information throughout an

organisation.

“Communications roles have been massively influenced by the rise of new technologies and social media, which has had a huge effect on the way charities communicate with their supporters. We no longer see general digital roles – digital skills have become a key requirement for any role.”

Kate Maunder, senior consultant, TPP Not For Profit

Key points to consider

- Cultural change underpins strategy

- Don’t obsess about structure

- Influence and empowerment

- Be alive to the changing market context

- Welcome disruption!

Thanks for reading!

Get in touch if you’d like more information on

anything discussed within this presentation:

lauren@togetherwerebetter.org.uk