— Welcome, I'm Chared. Here's
my story
Hi, I’m Chared, the driving force behind Good Comms. I am a progressive idealist with more than two decades of experience in the communication field. I am in communication because I believe that narratives change the world.
RANGE I started out as a writer and editor in publishing and hopped over to TV News where I was journalist, writer and producer for a decade. A move to the Netherlands gave me the chance to try out in-house communication which I practiced for another decade. After 12 years of working in-house, and during the pandemic, I decided to build my own company specialising in inclusive and internal communication. And here I am.
INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION I was working for an organisation priding itself in social inclusion when I felt excluded. It was an experience I have never had in my life. I was someone who always thought, ‘where I hang my hat is home.’ So when it happened to me, I didn't even know what it was. Until I saw a talk on belonging at work. I conducted my own personal research, reading all available literature I could get my hands on. When I was sure I was experiencing non-belonging at work, I decided to conduct my master’s research on the same topic from the lens of internal communication.
GOOD COMMS Social exclusion leads to individuals not feeling safe to speak up and contribute. Can you imagine how much talent and creativity is wasted when people cannot contribute? The Good Comms mission, therefore, is to contribute to a more inclusive world where everyone feels safe and brave to be themselves and contribute. For only when we pull all our smarts and resources together can we solve global challenges such as climate change, hunger and social exclusion.
CREATE UNDERSTANDING BUILD BRIDGES, BREAK BARRIERS Good Comms is built on the belief that communication can catalyse positive change when it creates understanding, builds bridges and breaks barriers. I specialise in inclusion-oriented external communication, belonging-centred internal communication and strengths-based storytelling. I do this through interim internal/change communication, strategic advice & mentoring, coaching & training.
ALWAYS LEARNING I believe in lifelong learning and thus invest in my personal and professional development. After an MA in Development Communication, I pursued the Executive MSc in Corporate Communication at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University where I was part of the Class of 2021. This year (2022), I am working towards a coaching certification while logging my continuing professional development points at both the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and Institute of Internal Communication.
BEYOND WORK Next to my work, I lead a LeanIn Circle and volunteer as "50 Ways to Fight Bias" Facilitator. I love to travel ultralight and discover ancient civilisations along the way, and geek out on strengths psychology and brain science. A self-confessed prepper, I live with my urban farmer husband and toddler in South Holland.
INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION I was working for an organisation priding itself in social inclusion when I felt excluded. It was an experience I have never had in my life. I was someone who always thought, ‘where I hang my hat is home.’ So when it happened to me, I didn't even know what it was. Until I saw a talk on belonging at work. I conducted my own personal research, reading all available literature I could get my hands on. When I was sure I was experiencing non-belonging at work, I decided to conduct my master’s research on the same topic from the lens of internal communication.
GOOD COMMS Social exclusion leads to individuals not feeling safe to speak up and contribute. Can you imagine how much talent and creativity is wasted when people cannot contribute? The Good Comms mission, therefore, is to contribute to a more inclusive world where everyone feels safe and brave to be themselves and contribute. For only when we pull all our smarts and resources together can we solve global challenges such as climate change, hunger and social exclusion.
CREATE UNDERSTANDING BUILD BRIDGES, BREAK BARRIERS Good Comms is built on the belief that communication can catalyse positive change when it creates understanding, builds bridges and breaks barriers. I specialise in inclusion-oriented external communication, belonging-centred internal communication and strengths-based storytelling. I do this through interim internal/change communication, strategic advice & mentoring, coaching & training.
ALWAYS LEARNING I believe in lifelong learning and thus invest in my personal and professional development. After an MA in Development Communication, I pursued the Executive MSc in Corporate Communication at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University where I was part of the Class of 2021. This year (2022), I am working towards a coaching certification while logging my continuing professional development points at both the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and Institute of Internal Communication.
BEYOND WORK Next to my work, I lead a LeanIn Circle and volunteer as "50 Ways to Fight Bias" Facilitator. I love to travel ultralight and discover ancient civilisations along the way, and geek out on strengths psychology and brain science. A self-confessed prepper, I live with my urban farmer husband and toddler in South Holland.
“At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to say I contributed more than I criticized.”
― Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
I am available for -
— 01
Internal communication
Are you in the middle of a change project and need another pair of hands? Have a new (culture) change initiative which you need to design and communicate? I have worked with oprganisations in various industries with 10-40,000 employees.
— 02
Development communication
Are you an organisation that solves global problems? Do you have a sustainability project that requires communication management? I have worked in international development, for European-funded projects and am very literate in the SDGs.
— 03
Inclusive communication
Are you facing a challenge in your diversity and inclusion efforts? Would you like your communication to be more reflective of your market? I believe in the power of communication to promote cohesion over division and make people feel that they belong.
I have worked with -
What they say -
"Having Chared as a colleague is a valuable asset. Chared has excellent leadership and strategic communication skills. She is a very good (active) listener, which gives her the ability to provide valuable inputs. She always has the best interest of the team at heart and is an inspiration. It would be a pleasure to have our path cross again."
FREDERIQUE BELLIARD, PHD
Former colleague, FEMS & EHA
"It was lovely working with Chared. I thank her for all her help and support. She is a very kind and thoughtful person, with lots of empathy and resilience! I hope that working with Signify was a positive experience and that she also learned something from us that she will bring forward."
LEANNE CARMODY
Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications, Signify
"Having Chared as part of the Lean In | Netherlands team of volunteers has been amazing. Chared has a creative mindset and she is a powerful brainstormer, which allow her to bring to the table a strong skillset of creativity, leadership & team spirit. Chared is a good listener and she is always honest with her opinions which makes her a great team leader."
SILVIA ROMAN
Board Member, LeanIn NL
"Chared is a pleasure to have in the team, making sure that her assignment was covered while always sharing such thoughtful ideas, observations and questions. She is a true internal communication scholar with an unwavering commitment to create inclusive environments. I wish her best of luck on her continued cross-pollination journey or whatever comes next, as she has a lot of good to share!"
ASHLEY BELLVIEW
Senior Director Communications, Booking.com
