New beginnings

I’ve debated in my head how to start this blog. I’ve so much to say and don’t want to bore you. I would like to blog regularly, quite possibly weekly. I would like to share my thoughts, learnings and what I've been up to through the medium of a blog. I don't think I've enough to say for a newsletter just yet.

Let’s begin

Last year I turned 50. Unlike my 40s. I wanted to fully embrace my 50s and the years to come. The goal was to step outside my comfort zone. To take part in activities I feared. Buy items I had my eye on for years but, I didn’t have the confidence to commit. To make decisions about my work future and, just do it.

I know, it took me a while to arrive at my destination. But I made it.

Step outside my comfort zone

This was on my 50th?year 50 firsts. This could be any new activity, learning or buy.

Of course, as you all know it wasn’t a year for plans.

I did buy my first Doc Martins (boots), start to learn to ride a bike, certify as a measurement specialist, volunteer for a regenerative fast fashion project, set up my own consultancy?'Think Impact First Communications'?and today, hopefully go live with my own blog.

I do still want to complete the 50 firsts. No time limit though.

My first blog was on the back burner, all but burned out until I attended?‘Unleash your inner rebel conference’.?I came away ready to unleash my inner rebel and to finish the blog.

So here goes

The comms pro that I am. I like a hook to hang my story on.

Hello I’m Adeeba. In my work life I’m a public relations practitioner and founder of?Think Impact FirstCommunications.

My work passion is meaningful storytelling.

I’m using the launch of my first blog to share a bit more about my consultancy and to try and answer, ‘why choose me’?

Why choose me?

Through measurement and evaluation, I believe I can help organisations create a meaningful employee experience. What's driving me is the passion and need to connect and align?impact?with purpose, strategy, and values.

Simple or at least I think so. Only time will tell.

This belief, that through the art of meaningful storytelling, I can help organisations have a clear line of sight to their purpose, strategy, and values.

That through what I call a?‘golden thread’?I can help organisation’s make a connection between the impact of the content shared, with the experience employees have, as a result.

Being authentic means I want to be bold and ask the question below.

If the content shared is not adding value to the employee experience and the impact has no connection to purpose, strategy, and values, then why are you sharing, communicating or story?telling?

The endgame

My end game is to help make sure we begin story telling with understanding the impact on employees. In turn for organisations to be more outcome aware and less output focussed. We're not helping to give away the ending, in fact, quite the opposite.

We want to answer the question above and make sure we help align with purpose, strategy and values.

I have two offerings. In my role as consultant I can help internal practitioners with strategic advice. The second offering is a bespoke masterclass, using industry frameworks to train and equip internal communications practitioners with the skills to conduct their own measurement and evaluation.

The seed is sown

If I think about it, the seed to venture out completely on my own, was sown about 3 years ago, when I went to see Rachel Miller from All Things IC in her ‘Exploring how to be a consultant’ masterclass. Thank you to Rachel for watering the seed in the back of my mind.

By 2020, I'd found my tribe in?A Leader Like Me. To many to name, but I must mention founders?Advita Patel and?Priya Bates, and my founding crew members?Nafisa Ali Shafiq, and?Shalini Gupta?for being my cheerleaders. Thank you to my ever-faithful confidants?Eleanor Silcock?and?Laura Edwards?for believing in me. Thanks to recent newbie like myself?Sali Midjek Conway?for being my sounding board. Thanks to my fellow?AMEC?member, media analyst?Steph Bridgeman?for keeping me on the measurement path, and integral part of my journey.

In 2021 I completed the AMEC (International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication) Certificate in Measurement and Evaluation. The qualification enhanced my knowledge of measurement and evaluation, which I use in my day job to help organisations create a meaningful employee experience.

A bit about where it all began

My PR/Communication career started when I was recruited to create a weekly school bulletin in an in-house role for my local council. I was smitten. My role was reorganised twice. I eventually ended up in the Corporate Communications Department. Where I had the opportunity to work alongside some complex stakeholders, from heads of portfolio to executive council members.

When I’m asked, I say, I don’t set career or personal goals. It was different back then. I was a new graduate with a longing to move out of the public sector to the private sector.

This longing become reality when I secured myself a communications role with BAE Systems Plc, the business unit which helps manufacture F-35 Lightning II, Eurofighter Typhoon fast jets and Hawk fast jet trainer aircraft. The 9 year tenure gave me the opportunity to work alongside multiple stakeholders from industry heads of business, senior members of the Royal Air Force and Ministry of Defence. Across multiple business units and locations here in the UK. Gaining experience in different PR disciplines from external, public affairs, crisis management and employee communications.

In the last five years I’ve dipped my toe on and off working as a freelance communications consultant for Heathrow Airport and Social Housing organisation in Oldham. I went full circle and went back to where it all started in local government and have finished a contract for a London Borough Council. In the middle years time spent working back in-house for transport provider First Group Plc.

It would make this blog ‘war and peace’ if I went into detail about my achievements. Don’t worry it’s all to come, woven through my future blogs.

Think impact first

Do get in contact. I’m not averse to conducting communication audits of internal content, channels or campaigns.

You can connect via?LinkedIn?or?Twitter

Alternatively email me on?[email protected]

Pick up the phone, email or connect.

Or take up my offer of a free 30-minute chat about how I can help create a meaningful employee experience.

A little about me

What makes up Adeeba?

I’m the sum of parts.

A 51-year-old woman.

Someone who is proud of my South Asian, Pakistani heritage and Muslim faith.

A woman who went through the Menopause over 7 years ago (at a time when no one I knew talked about it. A subject for another blog. I make no apologies I’ve enough content to dedicate a whole blog to talk about my experiences).

Mother to two young women (scary by saying this out loud - my eldest daughter is 29 and the youngest 24).

Dabble in cooking (struggle to share recipes, because it’s a bit of this and a bit of that, not the right answer for my scientist daughters who deal in facts and exact amounts).

A member paid up member of CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations, AMEC (International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication) and IOIC (Institute of Internal Communication).

CIPR Diploma in Public Relations and AMEC certificate in Communications and Measurement. Also volunteer for the Northwest CIPR Committee.

Outside of communication and PR world, I volunteer for a fab project called Home Grown Home Spun which is a regenerative fashion project involving growing flax to turn into a pair of jeans. You'd think it doesn't leave much time in for my role as Chair of a local primary school governing board - but I'm committed as ever.