The Communications Doughnut
Welcome to this new, transformative framework, and feel free to start using it today.
The Communications Doughnut can help your organisation to achieve greater influence and impact.
In a clear, visual format, its 12 principles are easy to understand and apply. Harness them to realise your ambitions for leading positive change, whilst also helping to end the destructive consequences of poor & unethical communications.
“This is excellent; an ethical framework for transformational communications that would not only work at an organisational level, but also a societal level."
CEO for a UK charity
“I really like it. I think it will strike a chord with a lot of people who are struggling to articulate these issues. It can help demonstrate when your current approach to comms is not fit for purpose.”
Former News Editor for The Times
“The Doughnut has a lot of potential. Working on better, more credible communication could fundamentally change businesses.”
Director at PR company
The Communications Doughnut is a new concept, and still in early development. Please feel free to take a look at the 'Detailed overview' and share your thoughts as we develop it further. Or check out the 'Quick start' version to get going with the basics today
Communication is the foundation of society; it is how we build connections, share information and bring about action. It allows us to fulfil our potential and realise our ambitions as organisations or individuals. A positive, constructive approach to communicating is therefore essential in supporting progress.
However, too often, communication - whether that’s from brands, the media, in politics, or even in our work and personal relationships - is anything but constructive. It is sometimes used destructively as a weapon to divide instead of a tool to unite. It can be used to mask regressive activities or make false claims, stalling real progress. We don't have time to waste with anything other than positive action.
So, how can we make it easier to communicate constructively, as well as easier to recognise and repair - or call out - destructive (or poor) approaches?
The Communications Doughnut is a first; a framework (inspired by Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics model) for constructive communication that is easy to understand, implement and evaluate. It guides optimum outcomes and mitigates against destructive possibilities. It answers the pressing need for an accessible framework to ensure that everyone can communicate in a way that is both effective and ethical.
What's in the dough?
Every communication produces a reaction - it affects the way we think, feel and act. The Doughnut helps you control those outcomes by taking responsibility for why you are communicating (intent), what you are saying (content) and how you are saying it (delivery). It also helps you to better understand and take responsibility for the potential - and critical - consequences of how you receive communications. It provides a floor of standards below which no one should fall and a ceiling of ethics, above which no one should rise.