Episode 24 of CIPR Engage Podcast makes the case for communicators in the boardroom
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has today released a new episode of its Engage podcast, examining the role of communicators on organisational boards in an era of permacrisis.
Hosted by Katherine Sykes Chart.PR, FCIPR, Co-Chair of the CIPR Crisis Communications Network – Crisis Communications for Boards – features Dr Jon White Chart.PR, Hon FCIPR, a researcher and consultant in public relations and corporate communication management, and Kerry Knight Chart.PR, a senior strategic communicator specialising in crisis preparedness, reputation management and AI governance.
The episode draws on the handbook of the same name, published by the CIPR Crisis Communication Network in partnership with the Institute of Directors.
The panel discuss how interconnected risks have turned crises from isolated events into fast-moving, highly visible shocks that can escalate within hours. They set out the handbook's five-stage crisis cycle of predict, protect, prepare, respond and recover, and make the case for investing in preparedness before a crisis hits through scenario planning and horizon scanning. The discussion also covers how public inquiries and the duty of candour can give a crisis a long tail after organisations believe it is over.
For PR professionals, the episode makes the case for framing advice in terms of consequences, business outcomes and organisational resilience, and for learning the language of the boardroom. It argues that crisis response cannot save bad decision-making, and that communicators add most value when boards bring them in to the spaces decisions are made.
There’s a moment when Kerry asks how you prove you’ve succeeded when the thing you prepared for never happened. Anyone who has worked in communications will recognise that problem.
What I really enjoyed about this conversation was the honesty from Katherine, Jon and Kerry about what boards need from communications, and what communicators can bring to the boardroom. Boards make decisions about strategy, risk, reputation, culture and organisational priorities. So many of those decisions are ultimately about trust, relationships, perceptions and communities. Communications can play a really effective part of good governance.
It’s a really useful episode for anyone working in communications, but also for trustees and anyone who sits on a board, or hopes to. My thanks to Katherine, Jon and Kerry for giving us their time and sharing their expertise so generously.
- Listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify
- Download the handbook, ‘Crisis Communications for Boards’
- Learn more about the CIPR Crisis Communications Network
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the world's only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners with over 11,000 members.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).