Back to school

I have a recurring nightmare about being back at schools and being faced with exams again. This was brought back in my mind when I stepped into the academic world this week. I was delighted to have the opportunity to talk to students at Cardiff University about crisis communication in 2024 and my experiences.

This week I also delivered training and a crisis communication exercise to leaders of schools and colleges. Education establishments are at the heart of communities and can easily be faced with a crisis that they need to not just manage but also communicate about. Having read in detail the report into the Uvalde school shooting that was published a couple of weeks ago, I can see the need for school leaders to be crisis ready.

It is true that in this changeable and uncertain world we all need to be crisis ready. This is not in a scared and fearful way but in a resilient and strong way. I hope that other organisations will consider whether they are both crisis ready operationally and to deliver effective communication.

Alongside these brushes with academia I have met a number of PR and communication people who are doing PhDs. I am in awe of people who can put the academic rigour around problems and issues affecting the industry and I am looking forward to seeing the results of their hard work.

It makes my challenges in writing my third book look pretty inconsequential. I have been blessed with some amazing work projects and finding time to sit with the required headspace to write the chapters has been problematic. When I have the space I love the discipline of writing and the creativity that it gives me. Trust me, if you have a book in you it is worth getting it out and onto the page. So my weekend is already sewn up, heading into the next two chapters hoping that I emerge with something that passes muster.

Have a great weekend everyone.