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VISIBLE NETWORKING

Stakeholder and professional networking, and the currency that results from it, is a priority in my work. Ongoing connection to the wider social and professional environment is vital in several ways. It deepens my knowledge and skills, which, as a leader, researcher and teacher of Communication, in turn enables me to lead curriculum developments and bring opportunities to Unitec students and colleagues. I understand this environment and tailor my working life to it. My networking currency, combined with research leadership, brings opportunities for me as a Unitec leader to bring my skills, knowledge and expertise also to external groups as an invited expert in my field.

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I’ve been actively involved in the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ), the key professional body representing the public relations and communication management profession in New Zealand, since 2008 as an Associate and through extensive professional development. I've blogged for PR Central, been involved in organising the PRINZ conference, and with colleague Deborah Rolland, fostered close involvement of students in PRINZ events and as student members.

Practice support enables me to lead curriculum developments and bring opportunities to Unitec students and colleagues

SERVING THE PROFESSION

The profession also needs to be strongly allied to international networks of research and practice. I've played an important connecting role here. A key academic association for NZ teams of Communication researcher/educators in the Oceania region is the Australian and NZ Communication Association (ANZCA). I’ve been a member for many years but also at a high level, a NZ representative on the Executive Committee, and ANZCA President for a term in 2008 – 2009.

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At a particularly challenging time in my career, being a new HOD during Rick Ede’s first restructure iin 2009 as well as re-writing my PhD, I led ANZCA through a testing period in its evolution. New Zealand had always been merely a ‘region’ of the association with one or two representatives on the Executive, while Australia had multiple representatives - two for each state. Some NZ members believed this imbalance devalued Aotearoa NZ as an academic community and undermined efforts to grow NZ membership. Lobbying from NZ members led to intense, adversarial debate about changing the Constitution so that Aotearoa NZ would become an equal partner in a bilateral association and thus be entitled to have more representation.

 

This was a very contentious issue that required me to manage consultation and consensus processes not only among a divided Executive Committee (online – members were spread across Australasia) but to lead them on a united platform established at Executive Committee meetings into the July 2009 AGM at which a vote would be taken. ANZCA AGMs, crammed into a tight time frame in the conference programme, are notoriously dysfunctional, filled with smart and argumentative people. This is the politics of academia. I survived, through meticulous attention to detail and documentation, patience, focus and a lot of reason and logic for persuasion. I led the process to a very beneficial and long-lasting resolution. ANZCA became bilateral and the Constitution was changed in many details, including reference to Aotearoa NZ throughout. Imagine the arguments about clauses and wording!

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-Lauren Lau, Head of Corporate Communications, Westpac, talks with Unitec postgraduate Communicaiotn students at a networking event at Westpac Britomart, July 2015

WHAT PEOPLE SAy:

CORPORATE SECTOR

"I have known Jocelyn for a number of years and have been highly impressed with her energy and passion to work with young people and get business and students connected in the Public Relations area. She is highly knowledgeable in her field of work but always continues to ensure she is kept updated with latest developments and is well connected."

- Sue Foley, Director Corporate Affairs, Westpac

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