What’s your dream title?

If you envision your career as an ever-ascending climb, begun at sea level on the day you were first called “Intern” and continuing to rise ever-loftier toward some dare-to-dream pinnacle, then it would have to be true that your arc will peak on the day you finally get to take your rightful place as [fill in dream title here].

In the Comms world, I’ve been seeing interesting titles lately that might fit nicely into your parenthetic bracket.

Here’s a title I’d never heard of before—a new CEC member has recently joined the network as our first-ever VP, Communications and Change Management. That critical linkage between Comms and change is a theme we’ve been studying for the past year, and we’re really excited to see it reflected so blatantly in one company’s org chart.  Some other intriguing titles I’ve seen recently:

• Vice President of Communications and Strategy
• VP, Brand Management and Communication
• Director of Global Digital Communications
• Director of Communications and Outreach
• Brand & Insights Communication Director
• And, of course, the hyperbolic title claimed by US radio shock-jock: Howard Stern, the “King of All Media” (BTW, is there a succession plan for that title?  How do ya get on the list?)
  

We at CEC were all very pleased to see that Pactiv, the Chicago-area consumer packaging company (manufacturers of Hefty bags as well as a million other products) recently named long-time CEC member Matt Gonring as Chief Communications Officer.

Matt’s one of the great guys in our profession.  And you know what?  CCO is a great title.

As I look across the communications landscape, it seems like more and more companies are elevating the title of their top Comms leader to CCO.  What do you think? Are you seeing the CCO title popping up more frequently than you did a couple of years ago?

If so, it’s another demonstration of what we’ve been saying for years.  Communications is an essential, executive-level function that is instrumental to the strategic and financial success of every organization in the world.  We believe excellence in communications (internal, external, traditional, digital) is one of the big “X factors” that will determine whether your company will ever make it to the peak of its potential, or run out of air somewhere just past Base Camp III.

And, depending on your personal aspirations, the same is likely true of your career.  Will expertise in communications drive your ascent until the day you achieve your dream title?

As noted American philosopher Miley Cyrus continues to remind us in every mall, lobby and elevator, “Keep on moving, keep climbing.  Keep the faith, baby.  It’s all about…it’s all about the climb.”