The Power of a Narrative – Why I love Communications
I’ve never really thought about how powerful words are until very recently. Yes, I have been fascinated with words all my life. I grew up being immersed in the words of children’s fiction writers and I believe that is the reason why my imagination is quite dynamic. They painted a magical world with their words and I could literally see that world with my mind’s eye. It was so real that it felt like I had been transported there. That’s how powerful words are! They can create a reality that doesn’t exist and they can shape a particular outcome as created by the person forming the narrative.
I think a lot about this critical point as I steer this journey of transition as a communications professional. For over 8 years, I spent my time working on very exciting creative briefs geared towards promoting a product or a service. The sleepless nights and endless back of forth seemed to be worth it whenever a campaign turned out successful. The metrics were usually the same – awareness, conversions, and the one I heard too many times that I lost count – visibility.
However, one particular brief caused me to stop in my tracks. I had to amplify an initiative that essentially seeks to create African solutions to African problems. I began to think about how I could use my words and skills to showcase the work being done in a rural region in Nigeria so that someone in Zambia may possibly read that story and be inspired to replicate it within their community or better still, reach out to collaborate with their Nigerian counterpart.
That particular brief made me realize that despite the fact we are quite diverse as Africans, our stories are eerily similar. I remember sitting beside a vibrant young Kenyan and as she told me stories about her family and background. I could see myself in those stories. I could relate. I understood and we shared many moments of weighty silence because those stories knitted our hearts together.
This brief and that conversation caused me to think – who is in charge of our narrative as Africans? What responsibility do I have as a communications professional to ensure that the right narrative is formed around my country, Nigeria and by extension, Africa? How can I begin to use my skills to help public sector officials communicate better? What can I do to turn around this negative perception that clouds the nation I so dearly love? I think many more professionals need to ask these questions. We’ve excelled in the private sector; I believe it is time for us to replicate that same success in the public sector which is in dire need of creative and qualified communications professionals.
I love the fact that communication allows me to shape narratives around anything. Beyond that, I love the fact that it is an instrument through which I can spread hope to others. This is something I reflected on in my debut book, From Clueless to Success – a collection of 20 backstories from my journey as a communications professional. Writing the book reminded me of the fact that I wasn’t given my writing and communications gift for myself; I have been given that gift to make an impact, especially on a national level and that’s something I am ready to explore. I do hope more professionals across the continent will be willing to explore this path too. Africa needs us to step up!
About Adedoyin Jaiyesimi
Adedoyin Jaiyesimi is the Chief Communications Consultant at The Comms Avenue, a capacity building and knowledge exchange platform for leading and innovative communications professionals across the world. The Comms Avenue offers high-level knowledge sharing meetings and training programs for communications professionals and corporate organizations. She is the author of the book, From Clueless to Success – a collection of 20 backstories from her journey as a communications professional (download here – bit.ly/FromCluelessToSuccess).
She has vast experience consulting for international organizations and top corporate executives and specializes in providing strategic communications consulting for development, philanthropic and corporate organizations, helping them to develop and implement a robust communications strategy.
Winner of the first IE-ACW Communicating Africa Challenge, Adedoyin has successfully executed projects for the W Community, Women in Business, Management and Public Service (WIMBIZ), Leading Ladies Africa, Heritage Bank, African Philanthropy Forum amongst others. She has been profiled on She Leads Africa, Leadership Newspaper, and Lionesses of Africa. She was also featured as one of The Spark’s Visionary Women in 2019.