In a world of instant scrutiny, communication is a core leadership tool
Stuart Young, Account Director, Perceptive Communicators
As featured in The Scotsman
Leading a housing association has never been a simple task, but modern demands on chairs, chief executives and senior leaders are heavier than ever. Not only are you balancing the urgent need for affordable, energy-efficient homes against increasingly tight budgets, you’re doing this against rigorous regulatory scrutiny.
Whether managing remote teams across a large geography, spearheading a multi-million-pound development, navigating complex asset management strategies or regulatory compliance, it is easy to view communications as a secondary operational task or something implemented only when a crisis hits.
But in the modern housing landscape, scrutiny is everywhere. Having a positive reputation across all audiences from tenants and employees to funders and policymakers makes everything easier. And not just in a crisis. From positive relationships and engagement with tenants and attracting and retaining the best employees to securing funding easily and at more attractive rates, as well as shaping regulatory and government decisions favourably, a positive reputation and profile is vital.
When a crisis hits, usually at 5pm on a Friday, it can be a bruising experience. However if you have goodwill in the bank in terms of a positive reputation with your target audiences, this is a much easier challenge to overcome. It’s in situations like these where the role of strategic communications is put under the spotlight, promoted from an administrative function, to a fundamental leadership tool.
The Scottish Housing Regulator does not expect perfection but it does expect control and clear pathways to resolution when things go wrong. When housing associations communicate early with the Regulator and with a robust plan of action, this provides important reassurance and is an indicator of a more positive approach to governance.
Housing associations don’t operate in a vacuum. Success relies on solid relationships with local authorities and the Scottish Government. Whether advocating for planning consents, seeking funding or aligning with local housing strategies, policymakers need to see Housing Associations as key delivery partners for community wealth building.
For many of our housing clients, having an external communications partner, working in tandem with internal teams, can provide an important sounding board and offer strategic reputational support both reactively and proactively. We work with many clients to help influence key stakeholders, from funders to policy makers, and boost their profile as an attractive employer and partner. All of this aims to help unlock key decisions favourably and help these organisations achieve their desired goals more smoothly with more certainty.
Housing associations have people at their heart - the individuals, families and communities they support. A proactive long term communications plan to tell these stories moves beyond simple statistics to paint a vivid and real-life picture of the value these organisations deliver and the impact they make every day to tenants’ lives.
Navigating modern housing challenges requires more than reactive damage control. Having the right strategic support alongside your team ensures you can confidently influence key stakeholders, safeguard tenant trust and showcase the true value of your work. Embedded throughout your organisation, strong communications helps you move beyond surviving scrutiny to building a lasting, respected legacy.
