The Ideal Comms Quarterback: Top 14 Attributes

In the iconic outlaw movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Butch at one point turned to his sidekick and said, "Why is it I have vision, and everyone else is wearing bifocals." 

While the characteristic subjective vision is not the end-all for being a seasoned communications professional, it represents an excellent starting point and an element I look for in a senior communications person. 

Vision suggests creativity, bright ideas, know-how, and strategic foresight—the ability to see around the next bend. All are essential elements in a senior-level communications professional at an organization or a company. 

For this reason, I put it at the top of the list of my 14 attributes of a top-notch professional to quarterback the strategy of your organization's communication outreach. These points reflect what I have learned and put into practice over a number of years.

No. 2: See an issue or a problem, and before recommending a communications pathway, s/he will do the research and go through a checklist of "what if" questions to determine soundness and feasibility. 

No. 3: Be of sufficient gravitas to be at the table—or on the Zoom/Google Hangout/Webex conversation—when the organization's hierarchy contemplates significant decisions. 

In some companies, this is not always a given, and the comms specialist is absent for the takeoff but called in later to help avoid a crash-landing, a possibility he or she might have advised on how to prevent. 

No. 4: Have a feel for what makes a good story. This doesn't mean that the person is required to be a news veteran. It does mean knowing how journalists think. 

No. 5: Understand how to recognize and present messages that carry my organization's very positive story as well as the ability to deliver the right messages. 

No. 6: Be fearless in diplomatically giving superiors advice on what works well in storytelling, as well as what doesn't.

No. 7: Possess a creative streak and be ready to pivot on a bitcoin. 'Nuf said.

No. 8: Be a generalist and know a little about nearly every topic under the sun, but a specialist when it comes to our organization.

No. 9: Have common sense, political sense, and horse sense.

No. 10: In today's world, technology and the various platforms to communicate change almost daily. Keep up with trends and be so thoroughly grounded in modern technology that they know standard platforms and have the propensity to explore cutting-edge solutions. 

No. 11: Know the benefits and power of strategic communication and how that knowledge can achieve business goals impacting the bottom line. 

No. 12: Able to deliver communication programs and activities that produce the most significant leadership leverage for any organization and realize the benefits of clear communication in inspiring action and change while positioning the organization for the future. 

No. 13: Understands the importance of an organization's reputation and makes informed decisions about managing problems that could become crises. 

No. 14: Realizes the importance of cost efficiencies. It is often not how much money is invested into a program but how effectively the team works together and effectively spends valuable resources. 

Over the next few weeks, the Partnerships Incubator will be filling two communications positions—Associate Director of Communications (a new position)—and the Director of Content, Communications, and Creativity. I am eager to continue our outstanding communications service provision to USAID and the New Partnerships Initiative as the Agency seeks to expand and diversify its partner base. These new Partnerships Incubator team members will also play a big role in our outreach for the forthcoming WorkwithUSAID.org and our communications innovations in the service of international development. Stay tuned!

Project Director Donna Vincent Roa leads USAID's Partnerships Incubator, a $14M global service hub and project of The Kaizen Company set up to expand the agency's capacity for partnerships, diversify and strengthen its partner base, and build the capacity of partners who have received an award from USAID. The Partnerships Incubator's mission is to help USAID engage new and local partners and catalyze innovations that advance development impact.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of and should not be attributed to USAID or the USG.