Letters to the Editor

Communication World, April, 2000

Practice What We Say

I just finished reading the February/March 2000 issue of Communication World. I like the direction this publication is going! Your editorial message on page 4 was right on--as communicators we need to better manage information and communicate our value to management.

The article by Wilma Mathews, ABC, on the "Heresy of Media Management" is an excellent example of this point. My organization, a Fortune 50 corporation, is focused on metric based management, and the communications department always struggles with how to measure results. Ms. Mathews' article was very insightful. Her message is clear: traditional forms of media results measurement are ineffective. I think she says it best here, "The comparison of quality will have a far greater impact than the comparison of quantity."

Perhaps we should take this message a bit further and apply it to our own membership in IABC. We are focused on growing the organization, but are our members actually active? Do they contribute to the organization or are they members in name only? Do they serve on the board, volunteer on committees, attend educational events or networking sessions? As a member of the Kansas City/IABC board, I plan to share this article with the board at our next meeting.

Again, thanks for an excellent article.

Lisa Sorenson

Honeywell FM&T

Kansas City, Mo.