How can these lessons be used? Lesson $4$: Communications must have a long$-$term orientation.It has been suggested that the most enduring companies are those that focus on the long term, have a strong set of values and are proactive rather than reactive in communicating.Just as companies have long$-$term marketing and budgeting plans for the organization as a whole, they also must have a master communication strategy. For many, however, this is a difficult task. Most communications professionals are rewarded for their tactical abilities in the short term $($that is$,$ for "get$-$ting good ink"$).$ Indeed, their compensation is often tied to short$-$term, tactical achievements. Their job, however, is to meet short$-$term needs but stay focused on the long$-$term issues that will affect the company. There is a clear need in the marketplace for a measurement framework that connects the two, a goal succinctly stated by Eric Jackson of FedEx: "It's not about meeting next quarter's numbers. We have $30$ years of history and want $100$ more."Lesson $5$: Top communicators must have broad general management skills. All too often, the corporate communications function is a dumping ground for tactical managers who are uncomfortable with the quantitative skills needed for success in other functions. But effective communications professionals are those who speak the same language as senior executives and have a deep understanding of the business and its strategy. That often means they have business intuition garnered outside the communication function or from formal education, personal credibility with senior executives, a wide organizational reach, integrity and a strong leadership position in the company. One of the best ways to acquire these attributes is to work at building an informal network of contacts within the company, getting involved in every aspect of the business. When Lynn Tyson, Dell's vice president of investor relations and corporate communica$-$tions, first joined the company, she attended operations and other functional meetings so that she could learn about Dell inside and out. "For IR to be proactive and effective," she says, $"$IR needs to understand what happens in the company."