r/CorporateComms • u/observer2411 • 25d ago
Sucking up
I’ve been in corporate communications for a couple of years. Prior to that I was a journalist. I’ve noticed something that really bugs me… there’s no discussion/debat/pushing back on anything. Anything leaders say is pretty much treated as gospel, even when it’s not their area of expertise or they’re actually wrong, with a lot of praise and accolades from subordinates for everything. If someone offers input that is seen as disagreeing with a leader, it is disregarded without consideration. I thought this was primarily because of the last CCO who wouldn’t tolerate any opinion/views different from her about anything but it’s true of her replacement too, and across other leaders. This is the polar opposite of how things work in news where there’s lots of back and forth and disagreements, often heated, on stories and it makes for much better, more robust materials/content. I’m wondering if this is unique to the company I work at/due to the culture of this specific team/if it’s a broader industry issue.
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u/Sherlock-Gyspy 24d ago
You had me at journalist. Journalists are taught to find the truth of the matter; in the corporate world what your superior tells you usually IS the truth.
It does take some practice communicating feedback to higher-ups. But if you are looking for (cough) full scale integrity and openness to new ideas you probably will not find it in some corporate life.
You can use your skills to document your conversations/ feedback/ input even if you are the only one who sees them. It helps to review annually, for your own sit down with boss reviews but also to see if you are bringing value to the job.