In a candid reflection shared widely among communications professionals, ‘Funmilayo Ajala, Chief Storyteller at The Baruch Company Ltd, has highlighted how lengthy internal approval processes are costing brands and organizations valuable relevance and influence in real-time conversations.
Ajala, who works closely with corporate and institutional clients on strategic storytelling and reputation management, argues that the familiar lament—“By the time it was approved, the moment had passed”—has become routine rather than exceptional in many communications teams.
“Responses to sensitive issues often take weeks to clear multiple departments, endless revisions, and layers of sign-off,” she wrote. “By the time the message finally goes out, the audience has disengaged, the conversation has moved on, and in many cases, the damage is already done.”
She describes the paradox: communicators, hired precisely for their judgment and situational awareness, frequently find themselves sidelined by overly cautious bureaucracy involving legal, compliance, leadership, and brand teams. The result, she says, is diluted messaging, diffused responsibility, and a complete loss of speed—turning potential opportunities into missed moments.
Ajala stresses that the solution is not reckless posting, but deliberate, trust-building practices that gradually expand autonomy.
Among her practical recommendations:
Build credibility with low-risk content first—routine announcements, thank-you posts, event updates—to demonstrate reliability and reduce resistance over time.
Document decisions rigorously: record what was shared, the rationale, and the outcome to create a defensible track record of sound judgment.
Apply a simple internal litmus test before publishing: Is it accurate? Is it useful? Does it need to go out now? If all three answers are yes, timing should be treated as a strategic advantage.
Develop pre-approved templates for common scenarios (crisis holding statements, clarifications, celebrations, community responses) to preserve agility while maintaining governance.
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The payoff, according to Ajala, is measurable: faster countering of misinformation, meaningful participation in live conversations, early intervention that prevents escalation, and stronger stakeholder trust earned through consistency rather than perfection.
“Most approval systems are built on fear—of mistakes, backlash, or blame,” she notes. “But silence and delay carry their own serious risks, and communicators feel those consequences first.”
She concludes with a powerful reframing: the shift from endlessly asking “Can I post this?” to confidently stating “Here’s what went out and why” is not granted by permission—it is earned through consistent, documented, results-driven decisions.
Ajala’s post has resonated strongly within Nigeria’s growing community of corporate communicators, PR practitioners, and digital strategists, many of whom have shared similar frustrations in replies and reposts. She ends with a direct question to her peers: “What part of your process is quietly costing you impact right now?”
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