How To Keep Your Best Communicators Engaged

In communications, strong performers make all the difference. Whether it’s crafting a message that lands, managing a crisis, or navigating new tools and channels, these are the people who bring clarity and calm to the chaos. They’re the ones you can count on to get it done well, even when you’re not in the room.

You recognize them easily. They’re responsive but thoughtful. When they raise a challenge, they usually come with a few ideas for how to solve it. They can juggle multiple priorities, stay composed under pressure, and often see issues before they appear on most people’s radar. Of course, no one is flawless, but with strong performers you never have to wonder about commitment or follow-through. They’re the ones who give you peace of mind.

But here’s the thing: those same strong performers are often the ones most at risk of leaving if they’re not recognized or challenged. They’re driven by curiosity and learning. They want to grow, to try new things, to be part of the next interesting project. And when that doesn’t happen, they’ll eventually find a place where it does.

Recognition matters. Not everyone deserves the same amount of it, and that’s okay. Fairness doesn’t mean sameness. But when someone consistently raises the bar, thinks critically, and delivers results that strengthen the whole team, they deserve to know that you see and value it.

Recognize Them, Authentically and Often

Formal recognition is important, of course. Submitting someone for an award, noting their impact in a performance review, or giving them a visible shoutout at a team meeting all go a long way. But what often sticks most is the informal kind — the genuine, day-to-day acknowledgment that shows you’re paying attention.

That means taking a moment in a one-on-one to say, “I really appreciated how you handled that client feedback,” or, “You’ve got a great instinct for anticipating how a story might land.” In comms especially, where so much work happens behind the scenes, quiet excellence can be easy to overlook. Make a point of surfacing it.

These small, sincere gestures build trust and motivation. They tell your strong performers that your praise isn’t performative but earned, specific, and real.

Challenge Them

Recognition alone won’t keep your top performers engaged. They want to be stretched. In communications, that might mean leading a new campaign, helping to shape a narrative for an emerging policy issue, or experimenting with a new platform or tool.

Bring them into the room where ideas are shaped, not just where decisions are executed. Invite their perspective early, especially on complex or high-profile initiatives. Maybe you’re developing a conference paper, pitching a thought leadership idea, or planning a new digital strategy — consider partnering with them. It signals trust and gives them a new space to grow.

The field of communications is constantly evolving: new technologies, new audience expectations, new intersections with policy and social impact. That means there’s always something to learn and new challenges to tackle. Your strongest performers are often the ones who can help you explore that change, not just adapt to it.

Keeping the Momentum

Some of the best professional relationships you’ll ever have will be with your strongest performers. They’ll stretch your thinking, push you to see things differently, and create real synergy. That’s why it’s worth investing the time to keep them engaged and inspired. When they grow, so does the quality of your work — and the whole team benefits from that energy.