Since this is Women’s Month, I have decided to highlight the pivotal role that women in my profession contribute to the corporate world.
During the past weekend, I witnessed the crowning of Miss Namibia. All the finalists got to answer one question, which was: If women were to lead the world, what would it look like?
This question got me thinking about my context. I wondered what the corporate world would look like if the women who occupy public relations (PR) jobs used their innate abilities such as nurturing, intuition, empathy, communication, and multitasking in the corporate world.
I know that many studies conducted during Covid-19, confirmed that companies led by women performed exceptionally well. What was the secret?
When I stayed in Cape Town, and visited friends who stayed in the Cape Flats, I would hear women chuckling and saying “kanala” with great enthusiasm (meaning, listen in slang Capetonian accent). When I heard that, I knew there was a juicy story brewing. Gossiping usually has a negative connotation, and rightfully so. However, women’s inquisitive and storytelling ability, becomes handy in this profession, because women tend to know stories when they break out. As a public relations practitioner (PRP), you should be at the forefront of whatever is happening in the organisation and be able to shape and manage the narrative to the advantage of the organisation’s reputation.
Give a woman a house and she will turn it into a home. The same skill can be used in PR. Women see the big picture. Most of them have the knowledge, wisdom and understanding to build a house and of course an organisation’s brand. Women’s intuitive (sixth sense) enables PRPs to collect, analyse and interpret information of stakeholders, and effectively counsel management on stakeholder issues. Women are also effective at brainstorming and strategising solutions due to their spatial memory and multitasking abilities.
Women are also natural communicators. I mean they have on average 20 000 words to get rid of in a day, right? They also use this skill to bridge the communication divide in organisations, and to rely on information with empathy. This skill also helps them to express their ideas, thoughts and enable them to speak when they need to advocate for something or someone.
Lastly, women are more social than men. This skill helps them with collaboration and seeking new creative ideas and solutions within the organisation. If PRPs use their innate abilities in their roles, I believe organisations would have healthier corporate cultures, culturally and emotionally intelligent people. The organization will at their fingertips know exactly how their stakeholders feel and know their needs.
Morna Ikosa is a Senior Corporate Communications and Brand Reputation Strategist, (CPRP, MA) AKA Fixer. If you want to connect, send me a shout out at micommunicationscc@gmail.com or find me on LinkedIn.
