The problem is where the résumé meets the algorithms. Recruiters have a word for comms people like me. To them, I am a “cross-functional generalist who wears many hats.” Versatility is just a hard-learned requirement of the internal and external strategic communications job.

Norwegians call it friluftsliv — intentional time outdoors. I came home thinking of it as the best strategy offsite I never planned. Somewhere between the kayak, the climb, the cold, and the quiet, I came back with a few reminders about leadership, adaptability, and how real progress gets made.

The bill stalls. The lawmaker's office stops returning calls. The rollout happens anyway, in a vacuum, and someone has to write the press release explaining why this is actually fine. This is not a policy problem. This is a communications problem that was never assigned to anyone who knew how to solve it.

What employees most want to be recognized for is the work itself — the specific, unglamorous, mission-critical work that keeps the organization functioning. When a leader can say "what you did moved this specific needle, and here's why that mattered this quarter" — that's not just recognition. That's alignment.