Is IC a Bad Fit or Is It a Bad Environment?

I won’t sugarcoat it. Working in internal communication can be incredibly hard. You often have to justify your role’s existence in your organization, explaining what you do and why it matters. You almost never have any budget, which means you’re getting scrappy on a shoestring. And you’re very likely trying (sometimes unsuccessfully) to balance strategy and tactics as a team of one.

There have certainly been days when I think to myself, “Maybe I should just pack it in and go into sales because no one questions why the sales team exists.” It seems that I’m not alone here. According to the 2024 Gallagher State of the Sector report, 44% of respondents reporting loving the IC field but also being able to imagine another field where they could be happy. For those of us in the profession over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve seen the value and interest in our field radically increase—and in many organizations—fade back into the woodwork as the crisis abated. Losing momentum takes its toll. These are the moments when it’s time to consider, “Is IC no longer the right fit for me or is it the work environment that I’m in?”

In my experience, it’s often been the work environment. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help determine what may be causing the disconnect.

• Have I been in an IC role and enjoyed the work more?
  Consider your previous, if any, experiences working in IC. What did you like and not like about that environment? If you would consider that role more conducive to your best work, consider the factors that made it that way and what’s missing from your current environment.

• Is my current IC role strategic, advisory, or supporting?
  The State of the Sector report noted that strategic communicators reported a higher well-being than their advisory and supporting peers. The data suggests that being more strategic leads to a stronger sense of purpose, fulfillment, and control—all of which contribute to a higher sense of well-being. If you’re stuck in a solely advisory or supporting capacity, that could be contributing to your disillusionment with IC.

• Does my vision for IC align with my manager’s?
  In 2023, Forbes published an article citing research that revealed a striking statistic: 70% of people say their manager has a bigger impact on their mental health than their therapist or doctor. The significance of this becomes even more apparent when dealing with bad managers, as their perception of internal communication as merely “helpful” might clash with your strategic viewpoint, leading to a potential toll on your mental health.

• What would my ideal IC role look like?
  Reflect on the challenges that energize you and those that drain you. If there isn’t a balance between the two, or ideally a sway toward energizing, that can take a toll. Surviving in a role rather than thriving isn’t ideal—particularly over a prolonged period. Making a list of what you want and don’t want in your next role will help you target it. If your current role is the ideal but you’re still not satisfied in IC, it may be the function not the environment that’s making you question the fit.

• What would I want to be doing if I wasn’t in IC?
  Considering the alternatives to an IC career helps you envision your future. If your answer is, “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” consider why that may be. Is it because you’re feeling stuck or you’re genuinely passionate about the profession? If it’s the former, that’s worth a call to a trusted advisor or a business coach. If it’s the latter, than IC may be for you but your current environment isn’t.

In IC, finding your fit involves introspection and aligning with a strategic vision. Consider the impact of managerial dynamics and envision your ideal role. Thrive, don’t just survive, by shaping a fulfilling career in IC or beyond.