CIPR North West end of year reflection
16 December 2024
By
Hayley James, outgoing CIPR NW Secretary
Nicole Kenny, CIPR NW committee member
Natalie Geraghty, CIPR NW Vice-Chair
Adeeba Hussain, CIPR NW committee member
Amanda Coleman, CIPR NW Budget Manager
Looking back: What has been your professional highlight of the year, and why does it stand out for you?
Hayley: I’ve been working with national pregnancy and parenting charity NCT this year, and a highlight has been working on a project to improve the charity’s online parent content. This has been a complex project, working with multiple teams, and has involved a lot of stakeholder engagement and leadership support throughout the entire year. Just a few weeks ago we learned that the production process has passed an external accreditation for information quality which was an aspiration we didn’t think we’d achieve so quickly. It stands out because it’s been a lot of work, with many people involved and I’ve learned a huge amount about process design – something we don’t often do day-to-day in PR. It’s a project that I’ll continue to look back on with huge pride.
Nicole: My highlight this year has been rebuilding my confidence after a challenging couple of years. Moving organisations and roles while on maternity leave significantly impacted my self-confidence, but I’ve made it a priority to step out of my comfort zone. This year, I’ve focused on pushing myself, taking on new challenges and rediscovering my professional footing. It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey, both personally and professionally, and I feel proud of the progress I’ve made so far.
Natalie: Becoming a chartered practitioner is my highlight of the year. It’s something I had wanted to achieve for so long and I finally did it.
Adeeba: One of my professional highlights in 2024 has been working with an international client in their country. A first for me; hoping for more such exposure and clients in 2025.
Amanda: I have been really grateful that, in my fifth year running a business, I have grown and this has included working overseas. There are many similarities as well as differences, and I have learned a huge amount.
Overcoming obstacles: What was the biggest challenge you faced this year, and what lessons did you learn from it?
Hayley: One particularly challenging thing I did related to a difficult conversation with a peer. I had to deliver some difficult news and, in effect, own a decision that I wasn’t involved in making. I learned that sometimes delivering bad or difficult news is about making the experience the best it can be and show empathy, even if the news is going to be hard for someone to hear. I learned that you cannot and should not shy away from nor be apologetic for a decision if it’s the right thing to do, even if it feels uncomfortable delivering the news.
Nicole: In previous roles, I’ve worked across a broad range of topics at a high level, but this shift required me to develop a more detailed understanding and become a subject-matter expert. It’s been a steep learning curve, but it’s also significantly expanded my knowledge and skills. Public speaking hasn’t been a focus in my previous roles. This year, I’ve taken on several speaking opportunities, which have been nerve-wracking but ultimately rewarding. It’s been a valuable way to push myself and develop a new skill set. I think an obstacle I’m still trying to overcome is getting the balance right between work and personal life, but I know I’m not the only one who struggles to prioritise themselves and their health, so hoping to also introduce more healthy habits in the new year.
Natalie: I’ve faced some health issues over the last year, and it’s been tough staying positive, and running a business. But I’ve had great support around me, and I made it through. I’d like a nice rest now though!
Adeeba: My biggest challenge this year had been not setting boundaries when working in an intense environment. Working around the clock to deliver to tight deadlines led to burnout. Setting realistic end goals helps both you and your stakeholders/clients know what to expect.
Amanda: My biggest challenge has been to bring other people into what has been my business since it was created. But in doing it I have given myself more time to do what I am good at and have learned to trust and delegate.
Looking ahead: What’s one goal or priority you’re excited to focus on in the coming year?
Hayley: I’ve been a CIPR volunteer for a long time, and while I’m not stepping away entirely from the institute, I am stepping off the Board and the CIPR North West committee this year. Volunteering for CIPR has given me skills, knowledge, insight and experience and I want to see how I can use all of this in another role as a charity trustee or even a Non-Executive Director at some point. I never expected to feel confident about undertaking these sorts of roles, but volunteering for CIPR has given me that confidence, and I want to see how I can support another organisation with its own reputation and communications opportunities and challenges.
Nicole: In the coming year, I’m excited to continue developing my confidence and skill set. I’m particularly looking forward to building on my work with the CIPR North West committee and further growing in my role within my organisation. On a personal level, I’m aiming to find a better balance between work and home life: an ongoing challenge, but one worth striving for.
Natalie: My priority is to keep building my communications consultancy, but to do this without working every hour! I’m going to be carefully balancing my health and wellbeing and my work.
Adeeba: One of my goals for 2025 is to continue to pay it forward in my roles as a Chartership buddy for CIPR and a mentor for IoIC. It has been rewarding to be able to help fellow PR practitioners become Chartered and to mentor a senior communications director.
Amanda: I am looking forward to building the business further and to seeing where it takes me.
Sharing inspiration: Have you read or come across a book, article, podcast or other resource this year that has inspired you? If so, what would you recommend to others?
Hayley: A podcast I would definitely recommend, especially to women, is Squiggly Careers. It’s hosted by two women - Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis - who themselves admit to being very different types of character, having gone on their own ‘squiggly career’ journey. The podcasts cover different topics, come with ‘podsheets’ for each episode, and contain really practical tips and tools to help you navigate a wide range of work-related dilemmas, and to help you explore different personal development goals. The style and tone of each episode is really digestible, and I’ve found them helpful when I’ve been dealing with my own dilemmas or have questions about personal development. I’ve also recorded some of them as CIPR custom CPD – so even more reason to listen!
Nicole: I’ll admit I don’t often finish books these days, as I tend to fall asleep after just a page or two! Instead, I rely on podcasts and blogs to stay informed and inspired. I listen daily to ‘The Rest is Politics’ and ‘The Rest is Leading’, which cover everything from breaking news to fascinating personal stories, like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s and Angela Merkel’s. These podcasts are an excellent way to stay updated on current events and political affairs, which is essential in our profession.
Natalie: I really love ‘Pod Save the UK’ podcast. Being in communications and PR, we do have to know what’s going on in the world. I find it overwhelming, so sometimes avoid mainstream news, but I feel like this podcast gives me what I need to easily understand what’s happening in politics.
Adeeba: I would highly recommend reading ‘Leading the Listening Organisation - Creating Organisations that Flourish’ by Mike Poundsford, Dr Kevin Ruck and Howard Krais. This book has helped me immensely with incorporating listening into qualitative measurement and evaluation of internal communication. It shows the importance of listening to employees when looking deeper into the why behind quantitative data.
Amanda: A book that I recommend to so many people is Peter App’s book about the Grenfell fire disaster – ‘Show Me the Bodies’. It is a brilliantly-written book, charting a range of failures over many years as well as the personal stories of those who were affected or lost their lives in the disaster. Everyone needs to read it and see how communication and PR needs to be part of the solution, not the problem.
Personal growth: What’s one skill or area of knowledge you’d like to develop further in the year ahead or what are you most excited about?
Hayley: At the very end of 2024 I registered my own business, so I’m excited (and nervous) to start this coming year as Communications Consultant! It’s something I always promised myself I would do at this stage of my career, and I’ve now got an opportunity to try it.
I am fully expecting to learn lots of new skills, and build knowledge on areas like tax, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m excited to learn. I’m also going to make the most of my CIPR membership and explore all the CPD available around being an independent practitioner. Here’s to 2025!
Nicole: Although I do it day in day out, I want to learn more about the background theory of successful stakeholder engagement and measurement; it’s something that every role needs in one way or another.
Natalie: I think I want to learn more about AI and the ethics around it. I’m trying to embrace it, but I have concerns about how education providers reference it as a useful tool without the right caveats.
Adeeba: In 2025 I would like to enhance my public speakeing skills. One thing I am manifesting is the time and budget for a well-being/coaching retreat.
Amanda: I am slightly fixated on audience segmentation and its importance in crisis communication, so definitely more of this in 2025.