Why Many Cyclical Corporate Communications Needs are Best Managed
by Contractor Talent
Nearly every corporate communications department has projects that arise annually, quarterly or more frequently. Despite careful planning, these cyclical, time-intensive initiatives can sometimes exceed your team's capacity or require niche skills that don’t exist internally. Relying solely on your in-house team for every facet of every cyclical need can result in overworked staff, delays in critical deliverables, or output that doesn’t meet your quality standards.
This is why hiring a consultant to help with cyclical corporate communication needs is often a savvy and cost-effective way to level up these projects, despite tight turnaround times or staff shortages.
Read on for our perspectives on why cyclical projects—from employee recognition programs to annual campaigns to open enrollment—are often best handled by a skilled corporate communications contractor.
Consultants provide a fresh perspective
The first time you launch a particular corporate communications project, it can present a great professional development opportunity for a team member to tackle the creation and execution. But once the need repeats and becomes cyclical, the work tends to provide the employee with diminishing returns in terms of professional growth and internal cache. Other times, a long-time “owner” of a cyclical campaign can lock into an entrenched, “Well, this is the way we’ve always done it,” mindset, which can limit the project’s potential.
The right communications consultant, however, can do far more than keep the effort going; they can breathe fresh life into it. They can objectively assess the current approach and suggest imaginative solutions. The consultant may also have done similar projects for other organizations multiple times, which enables them to apply their deep-and-wide knowledge and perspective to the work.
The consultant can infuse new energy and ideas into projects before handing them back to an internal team member. Or, as is often the case at Evo, the consultant is asked to reserve their availability for the next cycle because the partnership is working well and is worth a repeat.
Contractors help you guard against employee burnout (and costly turnover issues)
Perennial projects can add significant work to full plates, creating stress for employees. Long hours, intense deadlines and overflowing to-do lists can lead to creative burnout, a drop in overall performance, and reduced job satisfaction. Over time, you might observe morale problems and costly turnover troubles.
Bringing a consultant aboard for a cyclical or one-time un-resourced project can keep your core team fresh and focused. Using a consultant for only the timeframe needed ensures you’re not overspending on communication efforts that will not be required on an ongoing basis.
Consultants can offer the power of precision
Consultants can offer big-picture organizational communications guidance. But specialists can also be utilized for highly targeted needs. For example, let’s say your company is about to embark on its first-ever acquisition of another firm. Your team might not have the knowledge (or capacity) to manage the communications needed when M&A activity is afoot. Or, perhaps, you’re launching a new intranet site and need a consultant with experience overseeing large-scale content migrations. Or maybe a C-suite colleague was asked to give a keynote address, and you need a strong speechwriter with a background in executive communications. In these situations, bringing in a consultant is a smart solution.
Contractors can assist with scope creep
Cyclical initiatives rarely become less complex or involved over time. For example, print projects often evolve to include new digital components. The good news is that consultants can also be tapped for specific projects that are just one part of much larger, multifaceted initiatives. If you know you’ll need to produce additional deliverables next quarter for an already-complicated longstanding cyclical project, your go-to team might need extra assistance tackling that portion of the campaign.
A closing word on the value of consultants
The bottom line is that hiring consultants for cyclical corporate communications projects is often the best way to ensure that all deliverables are completed on time and meet or exceed your quality standards. Beyond ensuring the work gets done, communications consultants think beyond traditional ways of solving complex problems and can share innovative tactics, fresh perspectives and new strategies that can be leveraged for future projects and programs.
With our deep network of experienced consultants, Evo Communications will get you to the finish line with greater efficiency and reliability than relying solely on your internal team. Our polished consultants bring a wealth of knowledge and experience. If you have cyclical projects on the horizon and need supplemental help, reach out to us today.
About Evo Communications
Evo Communications knows that strategic communications has the power to drive business results. That’s why we help you fill your temporary communications roles with highly qualified professionals who can onboard themselves and get to work right away! We are a certified woman-owned virtual agency of independent corporate communicators. We work alone, in pairs or in curated teams to meet the specific needs of our clients. With foundations in Fortune 500 companies, we leverage our collective strengths to meet your needs, acting as a seamless extension of your team.
From supporting your entire corporate communications function, focusing on one specific area of need, and adding temporary bandwidth to your team, the Evo team is motivated to offer innovative solutions that drive results.
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