My career in communications started when I was in my mid 20s. I was returning to work as an administrative assistant after enjoying a little time off with my first born — a beautiful baby girl. I didn’t know a whole lot about writing, but I appreciated the talented communications specialists and designers I worked with. I was intrigued by the work they did and wanted to give it a try.
Fortunately for me, I had a great leader. When I presented her with a description of a role designed to take some of the load off the rest of the team, she was fully supportive. That was when I became the first editorial design assistant in the company. Every day I embraced a new challenge and learned new tricks of the trade.
One lesson that’s always stuck in my head, is how I remember the difference between a goal, a strategy and a tactic — three important parts of a communications plan. The example goes like this.
What do you want to do? Arrive at a meeting at the convention centre on time — goal.
What will you do to get there? Take the most direct route there — strategy.
How will you get there? Drive a car — one tactic.
Although there may be different ways to remember these parts, it’s a lesson that’s helped me for many years.
Haynes on Communication 