Skip to main content
Commsy creative stuff straight to your inbox

Blog

Under investigation: learning comms lessons from the Line of Duty leaders 

< Blog home

Under investigation: learning comms lessons from the Line of Duty leaders 

Rug-pull twists you don’t see coming, ever changing plot lines, complex curve balls and constantly changing goal posts…

Sounds familiar?

Yes, Line of Duty has gripped the nation with its ever-unfolding plotlines, but we could also be describing a week in your average organisation.

There’s always a new challenge to manage, unexpected complications to consider and different perspectives to deal with.

With so many opposing agendas, people pushing the story in their preferred direction and conflicting objectives to achieve, communication can become confused.

Simplifying a message and getting absolute clarity is tough as things move fast and there can be all manner of different colleagues and stakeholders coming at things from their own corner.

  • What is the truth? What is factually correct and what isn’t?
  • What is the single most important message we need to share?
  • How can we promote the right behaviours to manage complex communication?

The bold and brilliant characters from Line of Duty can teach us a lot about commendable communication. A lot of this boils down to clear and present comms basics and a foundation in professionalism and integrity.

So in this era of fast moving facts and constantly changing priorities, what can we learn from the experts at AC-12?

A lesson in trust and honesty

Ted Hastings, chief of AC-12 is a man with morals of iron. He’s well known for his direct approach, his black-and-white view of the law and his commitment to truth and justice. The epitome of integrity.

Rachel Miller of All Things IC often refers to the importance of ‘a single source of truth – a place employees know they can go to get reliable and honest answers and information’. When facts are unclear or a crisis is unfolding, a reliable internal source of truth is vital.

How well do you know your lines of communication? Can they always be trusted? When was the last time you audited your internal comms channels and asked employees where they head for to get the cold hard facts? Be confident that this actually exists and that employees have a trusted source of information during chaotic times.

A lesson in ethics and fairness

Just like a comms department, a lot of information flows through Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott.

And he’s well known for doing the right thing with that information. After refusing to collude with his fellow colleagues following the shooting of an innocent man in the early days, Arnott has certainly proven himself as another of AC-12’s moral compasses.

Steve Arnott’s word is his bond, but can we say the same for everyone? Communication is all about people and people can make mistakes, particularly when the way ahead is unclear.

Prioritising fair and ethical behaviour is something worth remembering and being confident that you’re running an ethically sound ship will help to sail your people through choppy waters.

Does your organisation have a code of ethics? Is it clear and transparent? Does it make sense? Is it promoted continually or hidden away in a handbook? Regular training in ethical behaviour ensures that when under pressure, facing time challenges or managing conflicting points of view, people know how to do the right thing.

A lesson in persistence

Along with Steve’s resolute commitment to honesty and integrity, his relentless persistence is a force to be reckoned with.

Like a dog with a bone he keeps on going until he gets to the truth of the matter.

He never stops questioning and this journalistic quality is a useful strength for internal comms pros. Never take things at face value when it comes to reaching the heart of any message.

A lesson in confidence and bravery

DS Kate Fleming prides herself on being the consummate professional. She’s trained to the highest standard in her chosen field and continues to develop herself and her career. She’s confident in the choices she makes and her position within AC-12.

It can sometimes be hard to stand up and be decisive, to be brave enough to give our opinions and share our point of view, even with the most senior colleagues in our organisations.

As comms pros, we should have faith in our own abilities and be confident that we’re trained to make the right decisions, however complex the situation may be. Being present at the right conversations and saying what we think is vital for maintaining and protecting our positions.

Kate Fleming has had to face some tough decisions, often under challenging and pressing circumstances. But taking a bold and confident approach to those situations has paid off.

The Alpha-Bravo-Charlies of communication

Meaningful, honest and effective communication can be hard to achieve when unpredictable plots and turbulent twists are constantly unravelling. While we’re not tackling crime and corruption within our ranks, we can still practice the fundamental behaviours of trusted, ethical and confident communication.

“I feel like they own and care for the project as much as we do! I would not use anyone else for my creative work and think Alive is ahead of the game.”

Jo Hobbs — Communications Manager

“Thanks for all your help. We are delighted with the campaign, both in terms of the creativity and messaging but also the thought taken over the rollout of the materials. All looks absolutely fabulous!”

Sarah Crowdy — Campaign and Media Officer Communications, South East Water

“We went to ‘Alive’ for ideas on how to run a specific employee program in Europe. Alan and his team were brilliant in coming up with fresh, creative and practical approaches. The team took charge and executed brilliantly. We are pleased with the progress made so far and hope to have the same level of partnership and commitment going forward.”

Sobha Varghese — Tata Consultancy Services

“Alive helped us create a video of our response to the floods of winter 2019. Our Chief Officer received messages from all round the country praising us for it and was really pleased with both the video and the response to it.”

Alexander Mills, Communications Manager — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“We had the privilege to work with the Alive team. It was our first time to be involved in creating an animation for our patients within paediatrics. The team were approachable, friendly, creative and very accommodating. Your vision for what you want to create, is at all times acknowledged, appreciated and accommodated by the team. They worked effectively and with great passion towards our project and worked not only alongside health professionals but also our patients who really enjoyed the experience of working with the Alive team. It has given our team the confidence and inspiration to do further projects in the future. We highly recommend Alive and their exceptional team.”

DR ELENI ATHANASAKOS, Lead Paediatric Clinical Scientist — NHS Barts Health

“‘The short animation developed in co-production with clinicians and young people is outstanding! Informative, developmentally appropriate, vitally fun and engaging. We are really grateful for the expertise of the Alive with Ideas team for their innovative approach in building children’s health literacy.'”

Kath Evans — Director of Children’s Nursing at Barts Health

“Our mission was to update our brand visuals to better reflect our innovative and forward-thinking organisation. After receiving numerous pitches from different branding agencies, Alive stood out with their clear passion and understanding of our identity and goals. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the Alive Team to create an engaging new brand that we are immensely proud of.”

Lianne Springer — Communications and Engagement Lead

“Alive wowed us during the pitch process and they didn’t stop wowing us throughout the whole project. Every person we worked with at Alive were so friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what they do. They have worked with us to really understand what we do and have created a new brand and website that really stands out from our competitors. Thank you!”

Louise Burnard, Head of Marketing and Communications UK — Be | Shaping the Future

“I think the team have done such a brilliant job, particularly with responding to our requests. It's one of the best mental health videos I've ever seen. Very proud to be associated with your exemplary work. Thank you so much.”

Dr Anna Batho — Clinical Psychologist – Critical Care, UCLH

“We have worked with Alan, Caroline and the wider Alive With Ideas team for many years. In that time, they have provided a dedicated service that is second to none. We appreciate their attention to detail and creative approach to bringing our brand, communications and stories to life. And would recommend them to anyone looking for creative communications support.”

Georgia Beech — Internal Communications Specialist, Ocado Group

“This is brilliant. I wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the team who worked on this. You all understood exactly what we wanted to communicate and why, and then managed to do it in a way that was far better than anything I could have imagined. I’m a bit choked up to be honest!”

Sarah Wright, Head of Communications and Campaigns — NEA

“Each time I work with the team, I am always stunned at the effort and creativity that goes into each detail and am always eager for the end result. The team is extremely accommodating and always provide a fresh approach to our projects that elevates our communications materials!”

Alana Khaytin, Communications Specialist — Braskem America

“What I really appreciate about Alive is that they work with us as partners, and care as much about getting it right for our patients as we do.”

Sara Langston, Patient Engagement & Marketing Manager — italk

“Alive are unique in how much they deeply listen and invest in you and your ideas. I have not come across a company that listens as much as they do to ensure your needs are understood and met (actually - they always exceed my needs and expectations). Everyone I recommend Alive to has an equally brilliant experience. When you work with Alive, you are not only getting some genius creativity brought into your life, you are also hanging out with some of the best examples of human beings I’ve ever known.”

Steph Tranter, Hybrid Exec Coach & Psychologist — StephTranter.com

“The (Alive) team were able to creatively pull together and document (in just over 2minutes) everything our service has achieved over the last few months, from thousands of prescriptions deliveries to hundreds of phone calls made to the vulnerable. The final product was so powerful and reflective of what our service has and continues to achieve. It couldn’t have been better received within the service – thanks Alive for once again helping us to communicate our vision!’”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire & Rescue

“We worked with the team at Alive to create our staff recognition video.
At a time like this, its never been more important to share the amazing work that our staff have done and continue to do on a daily basis under very difficult circumstances. We wanted to shout about this and recognise that when the time came, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue stepped up to the plate. We didn’t want an ordinary thank you post on social media or a basic email sent out internally, we wanted something special. Enter Alive. ”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“Our company is fun, we have great brands, but most importantly we’re all about our people – and I wanted an agency who would understand that and help us bring it to life through our website and other comms. Straight away I felt that Alive ‘got’ us and provided the creative inspiration exactly where we needed it, as well as the technical expertise to deliver a well-functioning website.”

Keren McCarron, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications — KP Snacks

“Boom!
Thank you so much. Incredible work done at incredible speed by incredible people.
Outstanding work as ever and what a turnaround. As for the concepts – wow. These are that good it would be an insult to describe them as just good. It’s a joke, quite frankly. This is exactly the Alive effect I was after. Right now I feel like I am living in an Alive With Ideas wonderland. Thank you!”

Jack Grasby, Campaigns Manager — SYFR

“If you are looking to improve creativity and build teamwork, I highly recommend a session like this for your team. No matter where you are in your creativity journey, a workshop like this can give your team a boost of energy and ideas to invigorate their creative thinking.”

Amy Lilja, IC Manager — Hennepin Healthcare

“Alive were there to help when we were working every hour to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. They gave us the creativity, ideas and support we needed to deliver campaigns which empowered our residents in the most difficult time most of us have ever seen, personally and professionally. The team understood what we needed, worked closely with us and delivered fast without any compromise on quality. Working with Alive has been a joy in the darkest of times and I have no doubt will have helped to save lives. Thanks team x”

Julie Odams, Assistant Director of Communications & Customers — Derbyshire County Council

“We got 'Alive' involved to help us shift mindsets across our organisation and they delivered! Using simple, clear and creative ideas the team have delivered us a campaign which has seen a dramatic increase in idea sharing and development. They’ve also played a significant role in creating a culture of shared success. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with again, in fact, we already are!”

Gavin Buckle — B&Q
Alive logo