Should Internal Comms report to the CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer)?

Credit: NASA

Last month at #SustainabilityLive I heard a lot about the importance of storytelling, figuring out how to reach ‘our people’ and the importance of ‘engaging’, ‘educating’, ‘harnessing’ and ‘empowering’ our people.

I had heard similar requirements on the #CISL Business Sustainability Management course. How can we work with employees to push a sustainable agenda?

I was baffled. NO-ONE and I mean not one single CSO, CEO, Professor or Tutor mentioned the #internalcommunication function. Not. One.

WTF. (And yes these were big multinationals who should have a functioning IC team).

It got me thinking… #IC should report to the #CSO.

I have long thought the #internalcomms function should report to the CEO so they don’t become another bullet point on a Marketing, Ops or HR team’s agenda. However I acknowledge not all internal communicators are ready for the CEO reporting structure much as I believe it is the right one.

THIS got me thinking, there may be a very valid case for IC to report to the CSO.

Let’s break it down.

Hell to the yes.

• Sustainability will arguably be THE MOST IMPORTANT THING (TMIT) over the next 10+…