Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the role of the communications professional

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the role of the communications professional. Obviously, the main purpose of a communicator is to communicate — about products, clients, whatever we are selling at that point. While we are capable of "selling" whatever product or message we are asked to by our clients or companies, should we? Or, should we really try to only "sell" those ideas, products, etc. that we truly believe in?

I have worked many areas of the communications field for the last eight years and the one thing that has remained consistent is my need to feel a sense of purpose in whatever my client or company is promoting. In some cases, it has been easy to find. For example, any of my work that addresses complex global issues, especially human rights, resonates with me on a very deep level. Of course, that makes a lot of sense since I chose to get a Master's degree in International Relations with a human rights focus.

On the other hand, I definitely have had clients where I didn't connect to their message or product. In some cases, I didn't even agree with what they were doing on an ethical level. In those situations, it has not been easy to find the purpose in the work. However, I have been lucky because it was the great teams, both on the client side and within my company, that turned the situation from a negative into something that was more positive. Sure, I didn't like the basic message, the product or the policies of the client, but I believed in the team members and wanted them to succeed. I wonder how I would have handled it had that not been the case.