Roles of a Lifetime

With Oprah moving on to her next best life, Katie Couric headed to ABC, Mary Hart and Meredith Vieira leaving their respective anchor posts, career transition is difficult to ignore as we head into summer. Whether or not you are personally in transition, the headlines around these powerhouse women moving on to bigger and better things for them have given all of us as communicators a reason to pause, take a breath and think. For me, it’s not so much about “who am I going to pitch now” (a legitimate question we all ask when major transition among media heavyhitters happens). More, I’m reflecting on legacy.

Oprah certainly devoted a lot of shows to self reflection and among the shows of her last season, many were about taking a look back – at the legacy she and her show are leaving us as audiences and professional communicators. Some might have thought it self promotional, and maybe some of it was – but I also found myself AMAZED at all the subjects she covered and in the behind the scenes looks, how much she and her staff debated and dilemmaed about their guests, how to approach the explosive topics like incest, rape, and a range of other highly sensitive, political and emotional subjects. You know – you’ve been watching for 25 years, just like I have.

I didn’t even really realize how much I admired Oprah and her show until the retrospective final season. We’ve all just been going and growing along with her, the world changing as she commented and influenced, and it just all seemed natural, the renowned and celebrated and expert and sad and odd people who crossed her stage every day, every week. So it really hit me in the past months – this woman, this communicator, this journalist BELIEVES in her role as a change agent, as a storyteller, as a social influencer. And… even more important – she finds the courage to live up to that belief. To me, that’s it – that’s all we are here to do, as communicators. Believe in ourselves and our calling, and find the courage to live up to it.

Oprah is one very important role model for communicators. I’m sure you have others – I’m so interested to hear who has influenced you as a communicator? Please comment and let me know!

Talk to you soon,
Jaya

De-listed

If you’re a listmaker like me, holidays are a bonanza. The minute I turned on my browser every day for the past week at least, I’ve been bombarded with lists of best beaches, best day trips, best swimsuits, local activities, most popular cookout foods… an endless array of things to do and places to go for those of us who pressure even our holidays into being productive.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that – I’m a huge fan of productive. But in my recent more mellow state (I like to think of it as newfound wisdow), I give you an idea – ease up on the definition of “success” this Memorial Day.

Don’t make a checklist. Don’t make official plans. Don’t do. Just be. Make the break a real one by focusing on things you don’t usually – such as, your thoughts, your health, being in the moment, finding things to laugh about.

How? Ah… that’s the tough part. I know. I get fidgety when doing fewer than three things at once. Here are some ideas to get you started (disclaimer: this is NOT a list, although it’s playing one for this blog post:
- Stay in bed all morning. Don’t jump up at dawn’s early light to run or make a gourmet breakfast just this once. Read the newspapers in bed, sip your coffee while it’s steamy hot slowly… lie back and close your eyes every once in a while. Feel warm and cozy and let wellbeing soak in.
- Sit with your child, spouse, parent, friend – whoever is important to you – and just talk- try it for thirty minutes. Find a sunny patch in the yard or your kitchen table or snuggle up on the sofa and settle in with only each other. No book, no video, no tv, no computer.Let the only stimulation be each other. You will be amazed at what comes up. We all walk around with thoughts deprioritized by urgent needs of daily life. Those thoughts are who we are. Give them a chance. Quiet times allow those to come out in just the ways that are unique to them and you. Or maybe you’ll both sit in silence or even fall asleep! Great! The point is to be in each others’ presence. Either way, I guarantee you will create memories.
- Breathe. You’ve heard this from everyone from your yoga instructor to your delivery coach… it really is important. Breath is our life force. Breathing reminds us that we are indeed alive. A slow, deliberate and steady set of breaths (try ten inhalation and exhalations) will calm ad energize you, clear your head and make you happy.
- Remember. Appropriate to this holiday, now is a good time to remember all the reasons you have to feel grateful. For freedom, for joy, for beauty that comes with the changing seasons, for the endless possibilities that only you can define for yourself. For life that you can create. For paths paved for us by people who have come before us – some of them believing so strongly in causes and country that they willingly gave their lives.

In being, you are most fully yourself. Be restful and happy this weekend. Talk to you next week,

Jaya

Transitions

It’s before 9am on a Monday and it’s already warm outside, as I guess it should be for the third week of May. I’m not used to focusing on weather on weekday mornings except to be sure to take a sweater to the office to fend off indoor chill, inevitable no matter the season or the outside temperature. I note sunsets and impending storms from my office windows as they might relate to traffic and so my timing. This has been the case for more years than I can say – for good reason. I’ve been working, as a busy communication professional, in an office setting. Monday mornings have been for gearing up, focusing, organizing. And they will be again. For now, though, this Monday is for reflecting, clearing my head, settling down and calming. I am in transition from a corporate position to another one yet to be determined.

I know I’m not alone. I know a lot of you in the communication field and others are going through major transitions, too. Some of these are voluntary, some not, some probably a shock to the system. I’ve been in all those transition situations, too. Times are volatile and our profession, as it is in an influencer function rather than a controlling one in business, can be buffeted according to the whims and conditions of our companies.

With transition being a fact of life, I've found that it’s worth adopting a few strategies for dealing. Here are a few of mine that I’ve found helpful over the years –

Jaya's Tips for Transition
1. Detach. Become an observer. Staying involved yet outside is a skill worth cultivating for now and later. That’s not to say it’s not personal – if it’s happening to you, it’s impacting you on a personal level – it is personal to you! 2. 2. Maintain perspective. Don’t let the situation have more significance than it should. You are still you. You are bigger and better than any one situation.
3. Retain power. Ultimately you are the single most important decisionmaker in what happens to you. You control what happens next.
4. Take care of yourself. Time off is a gift. Use it wisely. Soak up the sun. Exercise. Eat wisely and well. Focus on your physical health so your emotional and mental health can be supported.
5. Stay in touch with professional friends and contacts but do that according to your own preferences and styles. If you’re an extrovert, you’re likely going to find more comfort and support in being around people. If you’re more an introvert or somewhere in the middle, you’ll want plenty of time on your own to reflect, journal, line up your next moves internally before going public with those thoughts. Just be aware of your preferences and what truly energizes you.
6. Find beauty in your situation, whatever it is. Much easier said than done, I realize. I believe, to quote the Rolling Stones, that even if

“you can’t always get what you want...you get what you need.”

Maybe you didn’t think you wanted this transition, this time, this space – you probably need it though.

Any other lessons learned, tips for transition? I'd love to hear! Thanks and talk to you soon,
Jaya

Welcome to Designing Communication - a blog for corporate communicators

Welcome to my blog. I’m Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann, a corporate communicator and public relations professional. I’ve been in the business world for more than 20 years (despite my youthful looks!), guiding companies to hopefully do the right things by engaging in the right mix of communication practices and interactions with the audiences that matter.

What I know at this point is: there’s a lot still to figure out. Media is changing, companies are not trusted, audiences demand instant responses, anyone in the world can emerge as an influencer of your business at anytime – predictions are useless. Vigilance and sharpness are key. Networks have to be expanded and alliances (even unlikely ones) have to be formed – unity seems to be where we’re strongest as communicators.

My goal for Designing Communication is to share with executives in all industries, consultancies, companies and nonprofits what I’ve learned, and what I continue to learn on my journey as a communication expert. I welcome you as part of my community and hope to become part of yours.