Big Co:Lab news! The challenge is on!

We’ve got exciting news to share: the challenge statements for Co:Lab, our new collaboration with the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC), have now been agreed and we couldn’t be more excited.

Co:Lab is all about doing things differently. Born from an idea I had with Sophie and Grace, and after lots of discussions with Jennifer and the team at the IoIC, Co:Lab takes inspiration from my work alongside an innovation department in the Home Office where pace, agility, fast failure, learning, and curiosity are the norm.

My experiences here have shown me what’s possible when diverse minds come together in a safe space to think big, experiment freely, and challenge the status quo. It’s this spirit of open collaboration, rapid iteration, and creative bravery that sits at the heart of Co:Lab.

We’re now thrilled to be bringing that ethos to the IoIC Festival this June, with the full support of the IoIC and its incredible community of internal comms professionals.

You voted and we’re ready

Recently, the IoIC community had the chance to vote on LinkedIn for the challenges they most wanted Co:Lab to tackle. The results are in and here’s what we’ll be focusing on:

• Disconnection between front line and remote workers

• Proving the value of internal comms

• IC seen as doers, not strategists

• Too much noise, not enough cut-through

These are real, thorny, everyday challenges for many in the profession. But they’re also opportunities. Opportunities to rethink, reframe and reshape how we approach internal communication.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be building out Challenge Packs for those joining Co:Lab at the Festival. And then we will be launching it there, where we hope teams will come together to share unconventional ideas, practical thinking and some brilliant “what if?” moments.

We’re excited to be bringing a bold new way of thinking and collaborating to the Festival and even more excited to see where it goes from there. We are confident that Co:Lab, in collaboration with the IoIC has legs so watch this space!