THE CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATOR

A sweeping look at how corporations can use corporate communications to find “the common space between business imperatives and social consciousness.”

In their nonfiction debut collaboration, consultants Stovall and Clark acknowledge that many smaller companies don’t hire contractors, marketers, or human resource consultants who are conversant in the latest practices and expectations regarding matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The authors also effectively point out how these elements of corporate culture have become more central in the last five years, even in smaller companies. In response to this, the authors stress that “transformative communications,” defined as “authentic dialogue that actually moves the needle positively on a given issue,” is required in today’s business environments. To provide good examples of this, they include “Deeper Dive,” authored by such guest writers as TEDx Talks speaker Rev. Deborah L. Johnson (“What Is Your Deepest Intent?”) and Charlene Thomas, the chief DEI officer for United Parcel Service (“The High Stakes of Dealing with DEI Stakeholders”). The key concepts here are broken down with handy mnemonics such as “DEPTH” (“Deliberate, Educated, Purposeful, Tailored, and Habitual”) before explaining each of these aspects at length. The authors note that although a college degree may often be a job requirement, most applicants aren’t required to “take anthropology, sociology, and psychology classes; excel in women’s, Black, Asian, or Hispanic/Latine history, or immerse ourselves in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer + (LGBTQ+) studies to have the historical and social context” to create informed communications. Stovall and Clark’s passion for their subject will convince all but the most conservative readers of the importance of shaping their corporation’s communications to the priorities of the modern moment.

A concise but comprehensive set of recommendations for improving a company’s social strategies.