Jennifer Sproul: My Life On Purpose
6 minute read
Jennifer Sproul is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC), the only independent professional body dedicated to internal communication. With over 20 years of experience in professional associations, she is committed to setting standards and driving excellence in the field.
What does purpose mean to you?
To me, purpose means why? Why are we doing something? To what end? To achieve what? If I think about what I do at the IoIC, it is about injecting pride into our profession, into our work, into ourselves. It’s important not only for profits, but for the greater good of our working lives and humanity.
But while purpose means what I say, it is also what I do. When these aren’t aligned, it breaks trust and questions authenticity. We’re in a complex environment; we’re seeing the rise of employee activism, and an increased importance in considering what you say, when you take a stand, and where your money goes. So at IoIC, we try to be purposeful in a meaningful way.
How does purpose manifest at IoIC?
It manifests in our principles, in our mission and in what we advocate for. At IoIC the core of our purpose is about making people feel like they matter at work and how embodied communication enables that to happen.
We help our members to gain the confidence to advocate for effective communication throughout their organisation. We’re also trying to advocate to organisations why they should invest in good internal communications. At the heart of all this is making every human feel that they matter.
How have you seen internal comms evolve over the past few years?
Internal communications became more important than ever during the pandemic. It was a wonderful moment in time when businesses decided that they needed to show that they cared for their people. But I think we face new challenges now, having experienced the changes from the pandemic.
In the time I’ve been leading IoIC, there have been significant improvements in investment. We have more members. I’m seeing bigger teams. I’ve never seen so many people taking qualifications, learning and investing in their skills to help them be effective internal communicators. But the dialogue that we don’t have enough budget feels strong right now.
But while purpose means what I say, it is also what I do. When these aren’t aligned, it breaks trust and questions authenticity. We’re in a complex environment; we’re seeing the rise of employee activism and an increased importance in considering what you say.
When do you feel most purposeful?
I like to feel like I’m going somewhere, like I’m making a step or moving something forward. And feeling stuck and stagnant can go against that. So, for me, what gives me purpose professionally is when I feel like what I’m doing is making a difference, and that can be incremental. It could be a conversation I have with somebody where I give them my time as a mentor, and they go off to do something with newfound confidence and pride. It could be when I edge closer towards commercial targets; every incremental step counts. But more personally, it’s when I give somebody my time or I listen and am mindful and considerate, just being a good human.
Where do you find inspiration?
Trying to find inspiration can feel really large – we often look for something great and intellectual, or somebody who’s revolutionised or innovated. But I try to focus on the small things. People inspire me. Conversations and moments are inspirational. I’m very lucky in my work to speak with a range of individuals, and those conversations give me the chance to learn about others – what they’re struggling with or an idea that inspires them. Even something small can inspire me. It’s the people who have encouraged me to go forward, who have made me feel safe and secure. I think the way we share energy, support one another, and make each other feel is really important. We need to find inspiration from the humans around us.
Specifically, I think it’s values and behaviours that inspire me. I worry sometimes about us focusing on one person or influencer and trying to emulate them. What inspires me is when I see leaders who realise it’s not all about them.
I try to focus on the small things. People inspire me. Conversations and moments are inspirational. I’m very lucky in my work to speak with a range of individuals, and those conversations give me the chance to learn about others.
How does purpose manifest in a membership organisation?
Funnily enough, I started my career on the commercial side of a membership organisation. I was a salesperson. My sole targets were to generate income and profit. When I worked in a more sales environment, my purpose didn’t manifest in the ‘why’. The conversation was always: Where are we selling, how are we going, how are we making more money? When I moved over to the membership side of the business and began thinking about my role in advocating for an industry, it absolutely elevated my purpose. But profit still matters.
Working in a membership organisation, we’re not for profit, which means that profit doesn’t go to shareholders. But if we don’t have profit, we can’t survive. So when I moved to the membership side, I started thinking of it as: we’re generating money for a cause. I’m very attuned to the fact that we need cash. Without that, nothing can survive. But what I enjoy is who I’m generating that cash for and what that means.
What keeps you motivated on tough days?
It’s a difficult one to answer because you try to block out the tough days. I work in an organisation that doesn’t have heaps of budget. We can feel like we’re pushing water up a hill some days, and thinking, am I getting anywhere? Am I making any progress?
And when I have those days, in those moments, I try to take a step back, take my head out of the details and the challenges and have some conversations with people to help me feel inspired again. Just chat and see where that naturally takes me. I say to myself, “This, too, will pass”.
What would you like to be remembered for?
For being who I am in every situation. And in my work, I hope I’ve made every colleague, every person, every interaction I’ve had matter and that the community I advocate for feel like I represented them well.
