Hey there, I'm Devin!
Most of the time you can catch me deep in the world of internal comms at Workshop (yes, the Happy Mondays folks!), and while I love AI, there are just some comms questions that need a human who really gets it… that’s me!
Hey Devin — love your Ask Devin platform and the podcast! It’s so nice to have internal communicators come together; being a team of one, I really appreciate having this community. Speaking of community, do you have any recommendations for internal comms outlets to connect with others in the industry? I’ve seen things like IoIC, but that’s UK-based. Any suggestions for ways to grow in the industry and connect with others? Thanks!
Aww, thank you so, so much! This is genuinely one of my favorite parts of Ask Devin — hearing that it’s building some real community, not just answering one-off questions (which is helpful too, but you know!). It was the goal when Jamie (Workshop’s CMO) brought this idea to me almost a year ago, so this is super affirming, thank you!
Anyways, I 100% feel you as a team of one! Even though I’ve always sat on a larger team (previously marketing, and now on Workshop’s Office of the CEO team), it can still be a bit lonely being the only one in the function. So I rely heavily on community beyond my coworkers, and I don’t think enough of us realize just how many little pockets of it are actually out there. Fair warning: this list is nowhere close to comprehensive… there’s so much out there once you start looking, but here’s where I’d point you first!
CommsChat is a great place to start — it’s a loose, actively growing (more than 2,400 people in it to date!) community of internal comms folks in similar seats, and it’s been so helpful for me on days I just need to vent or bounce an idea around with people who actually get it. There’s polls, a space for resources and templates, a section for events (virtual and IRL!), and so much more! I usually keep it open on my browser just to see what folks are chatting about throughout the workweek.
Speaking of events… I have to mention BrightSide! This is Workshop’s annual employee comms and culture conference hosted in Omaha, NE (where Workshop’s HQ is!) — it’s built to be exactly the kind of in-person, meet-your-people experience you’re describing. It’s our third year hosting it, and it’s truly the most delightful day. The team behind it is so thoughtful with every little detail, and I am literally counting down the days until September 23. And actually… I pulled a few strings and have a little something for you! Check your inbox!!
To keep the list going… don’t sleep on LinkedIn! It sounds almost too simple, but even just commenting on other communicators’ posts, or sending a quick DM to someone whose work you admire, has led to some of my favorite industry relationships. Also, try searching “internal comms”, it can help you land on some interesting conversations where you can chime in and connect with folks. I’ve done a whole, whole lot of this myself, and most people are way more open to connecting than you’d expect.
A couple other communities worth exploring: Icology and Off the Record — both have their own flavor, so it’s worth poking around to see which one fits how you like to engage. I’ve chatted with both Chuck and Gab in depth, and they’re the loveliest people! So much knowledge from them and the communities they’re hosting.
Again, this is far from exhaustive! There are so many small, wonderful pockets of this community scattered across Slack groups, LinkedIn, and events like BrightSide, so keep exploring until you find your people. I know it won’t take long at all! Hope to see you soon!
