I didn’t major in psychology at university, but I took many classes on different aspects of it and regularly lean on psychology when developing communications strategies for business challenges. Behavioral economics, a combination of psychology and economics, is one of my favorite places to start because it helps unlock how people make choices. BTW, I just read the ‘The Winner’s Curse,’ a new-ish book by Richard Thaler and Alex Imas. Check it out if this is a topic that interests you, too.
Another foundational concept from psychology I like a lot is the idea of a ‘secure base.’ Generally, it applies to the emotional, spiritual and physical anchor that grounds people, makes them feel safe in their understanding and from there, they can explore other aspects with resilience, confidence, a sense of moral order and self-esteem. I find this idea transfers well to comms work, particularly when developing narratives for companies, specific functions or teams like R&D, and brands.
My goal when I set out to develop a distinctive and compelling narrative is to find the words and tone that do more than describe and inform. I aim to deliver foundational language that conveys the meaning, mission and measures of benefit and humanity (including morality if I’m want to complete alliteration!) of that company, function or brand that not only resonates but also inspires internal and external stakeholders to want to engage with, grow, and be part of it.
Narrative preparation always begins with research. The usual stuff. A competitive audit. A media scan. Review of what primary professional and patient advocacy groups (in the case of healthcare) are saying, how they feel, what they identify as frustrating or unmet on the topic, etc. Social listening. Interviews with company, brand and function leaders as well as with a selection of internal and external stakeholders. This effort yields valuable information and the occasional powerful turn of phrase that’s delivers a real spark to the work.
These days, AI tools help with the research. But then the rest – especially in service of delivering a narrative that meets my criteria for a ‘secure base’– is all human. Which makes sense given the goal is to attract, engage and appeal to humans.
For example, in a narrative I did for a biopharmaceutical company started by a pediatric oncologist to develop new medicines for children with hard-to-treat cancers—a significant unmet need—it was clear the words and the tone needed to convey the passion and dedication of the company leaders and team that came through in all the interviews and research. I couldn’t just lean on the usual words like ‘dedication,’ commitment,’ ‘tenacity,’ and ‘innovation.’ These are all true and important, of course, but the narrative for this company needed to communicate the intensity and fervor that drives this team to work every day to help kids, their families and doctors know there are people dedicated to bringing forward new solutions so they can, again, envision a future for themselves, which is very tough after a cancer diagnosis. The company had, at the time of my assignment, introduced a first-of-its-kind advancement, development underway on others, and widened their scope to include adult cancers. The result from the process with the goal of a secure base narrative was one that reached internal and external stakeholders in their heads and hearts and gave a broad swath of company leaders and staff the foundational support — theoretical and practical — to use it with consistency in their own ways and output, like articles, presentations and more.
If you want to consider the basic idea of secure base in your own assignments or do any additional reading, here is some information about its origins: It was developed by John Bowlby in his attachment theory to help children explore the world. I’ve often seen it contain four elements: Safe, Seen, Soothed, and Secure. When applied to leadership, as in the book, Care to Dare: Unleashing Astonishing Potential, author Geroge Kohlrieser, explains how secure base leaders don’t just say they care, they show it through actions and words and encourage the kind of daring (and related management of risk). In this way, he says, both the leader and teams can reach the highest level of performance and have the most positive impact on others.
When I apply the tenets of secure base to communications, it helps me deliver a strong foundation that distinguishes, captures the individual spirit and soul of the company, function or brand and builds resonance and trust, which is urgently needed in today’s world and what comms delivers like no one else. See how it works for you.
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