Jenni Field Q&A: No Slides, Real Solutions at Comms Reboot Toronto

Internal Communications expert, author and speaker Jenni Field will bring her Comms Reboot — The Unconference series to Toronto on June 25, at a special event hosted by Contact Monkey. I had a chance to catch up with Jenni about the event, what makes it special and how it powers new ideas and collaborations for attendees. Our Q&A follows.

What drew you to the unconference format?

I started running unconference events about 10 years ago after attending one in the early days of Twitter called TweetCamp. The format was incredible for learning and it inspired me to take the concept and apply it to the world of communication.

While the traditional conference format with speakers and case studies has a place, the ability to connect with other professionals and solve real problems in your place of work is so powerful – having one each year for the profession is so helpful!

Can you walk me through how it works?

The day starts with setting the agenda. Every table has post-it notes on it and pens, and there is a giant timetable on the wall which shows 5 sessions running at the same time across 5 different time slots.

Everyone writes down the problem, question or topic that they want to discuss on a post-it note – just one idea per note and you can write as many as you like. These are handed to facilitators who then gather them together, grouping them into themes and creating sessions based on the topics.

I’ll then share what the agenda is starting to look like and check in the room if this works for attendees. Once the first 12 sessions are agreed, people go off to those and they are facilitated by a comms expert. They will start the session just asking who wrote this topic down and what do you want to talk about – they then guide this discussion for around 45 minutes, helping people solve issues and share ideas.

An unconference also works on the premise of the two-feet rule. You have two feet, use them. If you’re in a session that isn’t working for you, leave and go to another session. If you want to have some quiet time to reflect or a chat with someone 1:1 instead, then there is space to do that too.

What's been the most surprising conversation that's emerged organically at a previous Comms Reboot event?

At the end of the London event we switched from the final 6 sessions to a large AMA in the main room and this was so good. It was great to hear people discussing how to use AI practically and discuss some of the challenges about leading communication inside organisations. It was the first time we had done that and with over 150 people in the room it worked so well - which was a surprise!

In previous events, things like women’s safety has come up as a topic and that has stayed with me over the years as being a surprising one that was on the mind for communication and HR professionals exploring culture and the employee experience – there is a lot of breadth to what we do!

Best example of problem-solving that happened at a Reboot event?

Oh this is hard to answer as the lead facilitator as you’re not always in the room when it happens! But when I chat to people at the end of the day over a drink, every single person will tell me they have had a problem solved, got a new idea to try or simply made a connection with someone that has made a difference.

Are there any workplace trends specific to Canada that you expect will come up in discussions?

I’m expecting to see a few more wellbeing conversations and possibly some of the broader political challenges coming up for organisational cultures.

Based on your recent work, what are the top 2-3 issues on the minds of internal communicators?

At the moment it seems to be change and AI.

For someone attending their first unconference, what's one piece of advice you'd give them to get the most out of it?

Come curious and willing to help. They are the two things you need! Be curious enough to ask questions and have the mindset to learn and come along with your own experiences and stories to share. You’ll be amazed how something you think is simple is a game-changer for someone else.

Do you find that some comms pros are hesitant about the unconference format compared to traditional events? What would you say to someone who's on the fence about attending?

Oh I think that’s often the case when something is unknown. It’s why we created some videos from the London event last year to really show what to expect!

If you’re on the fence, come. It’s a small investment compared to some of the main conferences and I am 100% sure you will leave with something that will help you in your role. You’ll also leave with some new friends – I have no doubt about that too!

What's your vision for the future of Comms Reboot?

My hope is to continue to run it in the UK for one year and in the USA/Canada the other, and continue to alternate. I would love to partner with others looking to host an unconference for their community because the format works so well if you’re focused on community building and bringing people together – the art is in the facilitation!