It’s time for the Communication Profession to start talking

by Wayne Aspland:

Announcing the release of a new paper and slide show about the future of the communication profession. The aim of #Comms2030 is to spark a conversation about our future direction in a rapidly changing world.

Over the course of this year, there have been three statistics that really jumped out at me.

First, the PwC Global CEO Survey found that “42% of CEOs believe their company will not be viable beyond the next 10 years without reinvention…”

Wow. Many of today’s CEO’s aren’t just thinking about evolving or keeping up. They’re talking about changing the game entirely.

Second, almost half of the respondents to Gallagher’s 2025 Employee Communications Report say they’re suffering from change fatigue. That’s now. And it’s frightening when you consider that the pace of change is only going to relentlessly increase.

Third, Gartner is predicting that “… by 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024.”

That may not seem much but ponder it. 15% of all day-to-day decisions made autonomously by machines is a massive transformation of the way we work.

This is it

This isn’t just another “accelerating pace of change blah blah” scenario. If you ask me (and to quote Jeremy Irons in the brilliant movie Margin Call)…

“This is it. I’m telling you. This is it”

Over the next few years, our profession and the organisations we support are going to be reinvented by a combination of:

• AI and other technologies
• Economic, social, regulatory and geopolitical uncertainty, and
• Relentless, accelerating change in the way we work and the customer and stakeholder needs and demands we meet.

#Comms2030: A resource for the future

As flagged in last week’s Strategic article, I am releasing a new resource that will hopefully help to spark a conversation about our future. This new resource, supported by the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence and global communication leaders, includes:

• A discussion paper: #Comms2030: Why AI might be communication’s golden opportunity.
• A PDF slide show: #Comms2030: A day in the life of a future communication professional.

Let’s start the conversation

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the future of our profession. Please take five minutes to share your views on the future of comms by filling out this short, anonymous survey.

A snapshot of #Comms2030: Why AI might be communication’s golden opportunity

In a complex world of accelerating change and uncertainty, organisations will need to leverage AI and other technologies to become more:

• Dynamic: Equipped to operate faster and more confidently than ever.
• Collaborative: Hybrid human/AI teams able to collaborate, brainstorm and plan in real time across organisational and geographic boundaries.
• Human-Centric: The organisations that best equip and support their people are most likely to succeed in an AI-enabled future.
• Risk-Ready: Strong frameworks and enhanced planning to minimise risks and respond early when needed.

At the same time, communication teams may be impacted by two significant forces.

• A challenge: the augmentation and democratisation of our tactical work (e.g. increasing DIY content creation across the organisation).
• A golden opportunity: a growing need for communication teams to stand up and take a more prominent leadership position.

This is where communication professionals have an opportunity to really step up as leaders. We potentially have a critical role to play in:

• Building an AI-enabled culture focused on Confidence, Curiosity, Collaboration, and Caring. We will do this by leading initiatives in:
  • AI skills and training.
  • AI prioritisation.
  • Responsible AI.
  • Change management.
  • Culture and support.
  • Communication skills development.
• Providing trusted Executive counsel in six key areas:
  • Culture and alignment.
  • Communication strategy.
  • Risk and crisis management.
  • The stakeholder voice.
  • Change leadership.
  • Trust in AI.

Communication’s three-phase journey

Preparing for this role requires a three-phase journey:

1. Master AI: Understand and use AI effectively.
2. Leverage AI to transform the communication function.
3. Prepare for the C-suite adviser role.

The bottom line

The future of our profession depends on how we respond right now. AI and emerging technologies aren’t just reshaping comms, they’re giving us the chance to lead.

Let’s start the conversation now and create an exciting future for today’s communication professionals and those who follow us.

+++

Wayne Aspland is an Australia-based communication professional and writer.

Written by: Editor