Rebecca Sinclair
Rebecca Sinclair is currently Brand and Group Communications Director at Penguin Random House UK. She spent six years as Communications Director at Penguin Books between 2007 and 2013 before relocating to Singapore to lead Pearson’s corporate affairs across Asia.
Rebecca moved back to London in 2015, taking responsibility for Pearson’s brand globally and overseeing the international launch and implementation of its new brand.
'The brands which have kept their light burning in a responsible way will be the ones to whom consumers will gravitate once this crisis subsides.'
We’re in a time of extreme uncertainty and disruption. How has this impacted your role?
I am lucky to have been able to work for companies that really value good communication. However, I can’t think of a time when it’s been more critical than right now. Our most important priority is the health and safety of colleagues so internal communications are fundamental and we’ve pivoted our team to focus on that. That’s about creating ways to connect and update colleagues, communicating our response to the way events are playing out, as well as sharing practical guidance, be it for parents who are trying to look after children while working or mental wellbeing advice. It’s also about listening and understanding what people are concerned about and how messages are landing.
My team is also responsible for brand and Creative Responsibility so we’re spending a lot of time thinking about how we should respond to events and where we can offer help. For example, contributing to the independent bookseller fund or partnering with social enterprise Neighbourly to distribute books to those most in need. The landscape we are navigating is radically different to the one we are used to but I truly believe that the brands which have kept their light burning in a responsible way will be the ones to whom consumers will gravitate once this crisis subsides.
'I think people, and certainly my team, want clarity and transparency, even if it is tough news.'
Do you have any advice for effectively supporting a team, or each other, through this current crisis?
Like all of us, I’m feeling my way through this unprecedented moment. Lots of us have navigated challenges and crises but this is unlike anything we’ve faced before. So, I’m making up the rules as I go along. For me, the most important principle is to be open and honest, both about the challenges we face and the way we plan to mitigate against them. Sugar coating is to be avoided at all costs. I think people, and certainly my team, want clarity and transparency, even if it is tough news. At the moment, it’s hard to see beyond the day to day given the speed at which events are unfolding so it’s important to strike a balance between focusing on the immediate priorities, while keeping an eye on how we can protect the business in the longer term when we come out the other side.
I believe that in times of crisis, and particularly now, it is better to over – rather than under – communicate. And connection is more important than ever. It’s more challenging, of course, so we have to be creative about how we do it. Before the pandemic, we used to start our weekly team meetings with an emotional check-in when we’d go around the table and people would talk briefly about how they were feeling. It’s a good way of getting people to connect and to appreciate other people’s moods and moments. It also gives people permission to say they’re not having a great day. That mechanism has become even more important in our Zoom team meetings.
Like many people I’m sure, I find Zoom calls particularly draining so when I can I reach for the phone to chat to colleagues. I have found it engenders a different and more relaxing conversation. And I’m trying to be mindful of not overburdening people’s email inboxes so only sending emails where it is absolutely necessary.
'Be strict about honouring your own boundaries because if you don’t then other people won’t.'
You are a keen mentor and coach, with a particular interest in supporting mothers returning to work. How has this shaped your working life to date?
When my daughters were small I was managing communications for Penguin globally, which meant quite a bit of travel and working in the evening. It was at a time when the industry was going through a period of significant change with the dawn of ebooks and, no matter how hard I tried, my schedule was very unpredictable. I realise in retrospect quite how stressful that was and how important the support and advice of other working mothers was in helping me get through it, especially those with older children who had come through the other side.
Now, I like to return the favour with women who are facing similar challenges as they navigate coming back to work after parental leave. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to be strict about honouring your own boundaries because if you don’t then other people won’t. With my role at the time that wasn’t always possible but it was a helpful rule of thumb.
'Communication is all about connection so being able to build relationships is critical.'
What are the key skills you need to work in Communication?
To state the blindingly obvious, good communication skills, both written and verbal, are a must, particularly in an industry that is about words and stories so rightly, the bar is high. But in my role, I think it is less about writing with flourish and more about an ability to synthesise and distil information in a clear and compelling way. Much of what we do is about responding to events so it’s important to be flexible and adaptable. More often than not, I start the day writing a ‘to do’ list that never gets completed because something comes in from left field. So, being able to distinguish between urgent and important helps. And an ability to stay calm in a crisis. In fact, I think some of us actually get energy from having to work in a fast-paced and unpredictable way, even if sometimes it’s after the event!
Communication is all about connection so being able to build relationships across all functions and levels, inside and outside the company, is critical. That requires great people skills and also an ability to be direct and, on occasion, challenge the status quo but in a friendly and constructive way. It’s also about being able to anticipate how decisions and messages might land and being able to look at issues with an outsider’s eye.
Finally, I’d say curiosity is a great skill in any role. In the case of communications, it’s about being interested in world events, the media, other brands and also people, what makes them tick and motivates them. We have a team Slack where we share ideas and inspiration from news articles to culture recommendations so we’re constantly scanning.
'It’s helpful to have a clear set of principles you can tap into to guide decision making and behaviour.'
Do you have any suggestions for handling the constantly-changing pace of modern workplaces?
I’m an army kid so change has always been part of my life. We moved a lot so my siblings and I had to be adaptable from an early age. I went to boarding school at seven so learnt the importance of building a support network that I could lean on when the going got tough. I have continued to build that network and I invest a lot of time and energy into friendships, both inside and outside work, because I depend upon them a lot.
During my time at Pearson the company was going through a period of transition from traditional publisher to a digital learning company. That meant constant change and flux which, at the time, was unsettling but it taught me to become comfortable with greyness and ambiguity. I find that when the guardrails are removed it’s helpful to have a clear set of principles you can tap into to guide decision making and behaviour. We’ve just completed a piece of work to define our mission and principles and these become more important than ever in a time like this when the usual rules no longer apply. .
'I used to consider self-care as a bit of a selfish indulgence but, having experienced a personal episode of depression, I have come to appreciate its value.'
What advice would you give to the person reading this interview?
Usually my piece of professional advice is to invite people you admire and respect for coffee because, in my experience, they rarely say no and it could be the start of a friendship or even open up an opportunity. However, since that isn’t practical right now then it would be to prioritise self-care, particularly during this challenging time.
I admit that I used to consider self-care as a bit of a selfish indulgence but, having experienced a personal episode of depression, I have come to appreciate its value, not only in improving my state of mind, but also in making me a better mother, partner, daughter, friend and colleague.
In my case, exercise, sleep, fresh air and sunlight are critical so my SAD alarm clock becomes a lifeline when the light is grey and flat. And then it’s about people, laughter and levity. In normal circumstances, a night out or in with a girlfriend, a walk in the park with my girls or dinner with my husband will do wonders to lift my mood. Right now, I’m having a lot of virtual drinks with friends and doing a 30-day yoga challenge with my two daughters (and our sausage dog who insists on joining in).
'Always err on the side of generosity. That's a pretty good rule in life, no more so than in the current circumstances.'
Finally, can you tell us about one other woman working in publishing who inspires you?
One of the things I love about publishing is that it is full of strong and inspiring women. But the person who has influenced me most is Marjorie Scardino, CEO of Pearson when I worked there and the first woman CEO of a FTSE 100 company. To me, she exemplified the best leadership qualities. She had charisma and compassion. She was tough but unafraid to show vulnerability. She led with purpose and values long before anyone else was talking in those terms. And she had a lightness of spirit and made you laugh, a quality I always value in a person.
She had a great motto which was to always err on the side of generosity. I think that’s a pretty good rule in life, no more so than in the current circumstances we find ourselves in. I can’t pretend to always live up to it but I do try to keep it in mind when I’m making decisions, both personal and professional.
