Kate Besler, PCM

Fellow Chicago communicators! I'll be speaking at the upcoming ALI Conferences later this month. If you haven't already secured your spot, make sure to do so. You won't want to miss it 💡 My panel will be focused on #changemanagement and fostering adoption with your internal audience. They say change is the only constant in life.... so join us for examples and tips on how to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, build trust, belief and excitement with your employees, and how to plan for the unexpected. ⚡ #ALIcomms #internalcommunications #digitalcommunications #corporateculture #corporatecommunications

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LinkedIn PSA of the Day: 📣No PR or comms folks need to drive dozens of leads per day or week for their business. That is...not how PR consultants or agencies operate. 📣 I love LinkedIn and all its done for my business - as well as connecting me with new and old friends, colleagues and peers. But it's become a daily exercise to either delete or mark as read the the dozens and dozens (and dozens) of LI messages I receive (and the ones that now come direct to my email) promising me X leads a week, followed by a "you're clearly busy," email followed by a "I can see you're not interested" note that in many instances, seem to place the blame on me for not responding to an email I never asked for and isn't relevant?!?! I laugh at nearly all of them as I continue my joyful deletion rampage. In any case TL;DR - lead gen folks and experts, PR people aren't your target. Thank you and good night! #corporatecommunications #PR #PSA #themoreyouknowwwww!

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Generative AI is changing how we work as marketers and communicators, right now. But how do we best embrace and approach this change, as individuals and as a profession? I found this point of view from Accenture Public Service leaders Anita Puri and Kevin Ellenwood, looking through a government communicator's lens, super interesting. Here's what stood out to me: - As communicators, we have a role to advocate for careful/responsible exploration of productivity-enhancing generative AI tools - We need a clear view of where AI is being used across the organisation and to be engaged in balancing the values and risks associated with its deployment - We have a role to play to address workforce anxieties, and to facilitate the engagement of all levels of the organisation in the AI journey https://accntu.re/44cGt5a #ResponsibleAI #Accenture

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Yeah, it really sucks. As many of you know, I left Climate Nexus earlier this year. There were a number of reasons that went into that decision, and ultimately what made me take the leap were some great opportunities to continue work that mattered to me as an independent consultant. But it was also clear my time with Nexus had run its course. The challenges that led to the decision to shutter the organization are complex. I would caution anyone from extrapolating and generalizing too much as to what this means for climate communications and philanthropy writ large. Some of the fault lies with poor decisions made on the part of individuals, which can obviously happen within any organization. I do believe the fiscal sponsor model is at fault for failing to address structural weaknesses and allowing problems to fester. Decisions that might have been made to right the ship could have come sooner if the organization's leadership had autonomy (and responsibility) to make them, or if there was a true board. As awful as this ending is, it does not take away from the incredible work the team has done in the past decade+. Climate Nexus truly changed the conversation. Climate denial has no place in respectable media, and so many reporters who Nexus worked with over the years have produced amazing, incisive and impactful coverage thanks to the work of the brilliant communicators at Nexus. Nexus helped make sure people could see the forest for the trees at the most important climate moments – IPCC report releases, COPs, climate weeks, during the 2019 marches, the 2020 election and the passages of the infrastructure law and the IRA. Many decision-makers now take as fact (even if they disagree on the details) that an energy transition is inevitable and essential. Climate justice is no longer left to the side, but front and center. The public has a growing understanding of fossil fuels as the culprit responsible for extreme weather impacts, and see those impacts is affecting their lives. Solar and wind are more clearly understood as the only path for a sustainable, energy-secure future. The climate community is more coordinated and united in working towards shared goals than ever. I'm so proud of having been a part of this team. If you have a job open for a climate communicator, please consider hiring a Nexus alum. ❤️

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Writing tip: Begin with the end in mind. What action do you want your audience to take or how do you want them to feel? Now do a little or a lot of research and begin writing! Nearly 300 comms pros shared writing tips with Allison Carter. See the best tips via Ragan Communications and PR Daily

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The Communications Singularity is inevitable; it's coming sooner than you think, with AI companies planning to introduce "agents" this year. The Singularity is the point at which AI has changed the work of communicators so much that we can't picture what it will look like once we have stepped across that threshold. It's best we prepare now. https://lnkd.in/gr2THsUN

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Hello, internal comms friends -- let’s be heard. Grab a coffee, get cozy, and take the Gallagher State of the Sector survey. It’s one of those definitive sources on how Internal Comms and Employee Experience are progressing, and I’m curious how certain trends are moving. That’s why I’d love as many IC voices as possible in the report. Do it for you, and do it for us 💪 https://lnkd.in/excBcGE6 #employeeexperience #internalcommunication #internalcomms #employeeengagement #stateofthesector #survey Gallagher – Employee Experience & Communication Local Wisdom Why Does It Feel So Wrong To Be Human At Work?

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🌿 Excited to share my latest Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications blog where I delve into how strategic communication is pivotal in advancing urban green innovations and creating sustainable cities. It's exciting to see so many transformative projects take shape, thanks to effective messaging and community engagement strategies! Learn about groundbreaking initiatives by Voltpost where everyday streetlights are converted into electric vehicle charging stations, and Brooklyn Grange, a company pioneering rooftop farming that not only beautifies but also sustains. Explore the communication techniques that make these projects relatable and compelling, helping to advance solutions forward. From storytelling that resonates with urban communities around electric vehicle charging infrastructure to promoting policies that support green initiatives like rooftop farming, these strategies are crucial for gaining support and fostering sustainable urban environments. 🏙️🌱 Dive into the full discussion here: https://lnkd.in/egS9qXXk Are you a company solving today’s environmental challenges in urban areas or elsewhere? Let’s connect and discuss how strategic communication can elevate your initiatives. 🌍 #SustainableCities #GreenCities #ResilientCities #Sustainability #Communication #PR #ClimateWeekNYC #AgTechWeekNY

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PRWeek's great 2024 Business Report highlights the key challenge facing our industry. Communications is more important than ever. Comms and policy leaders are being asked to play far larger roles as business partners supporting ever more stakeholders. So why did the industry suffer so much in 2023 after many years of growth? As an sector, we are not adapting fast enough to the needs. Organizations are desperate for help but also under tremendous financial strain. They now need both senior level counsel and advisory support as well as deep domain expertise to actually produce. By and large, our industry is still split by this chasm - between strategic and tactical. Clients cannot afford to separate these, either in time or money. At Bully Pulpit International our goal is to bridge this divide, building a team that can both 'think and do' at the highest levels. It's not always easy. Last year was a challenge. But if you share this vision for the future, please check out some of our open roles: https://lnkd.in/dGQwJUSG

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I love reading insights into design choices. Good design and good communications are always intentional. https://lnkd.in/gXKccCrB

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Here's added support for the claim that comms pros are taking their rightful seat at the "strategy" table. Why? Because brand building and reputation management are strategic pillars for businesses. Memo's new "Evolving Role of Comms" report shows: 💡 A 34% increase in comms teams reporting directly to CEOs. 💡 A 26% decrease in reporting to marketing since 2023. 💡 An expanding role for comms, beyond earned media. 50% say they now own executive comms, internal comms, and marketing campaigns. CEOs experienced the value of comms during the pandemic and other challenging events of the early 2020s. These data suggest the C-suite is taking a serious look at a range of reputational risks, including: 🚨 Misinformation and disinformation due to AI. 🚨 Cybercrime, cybersecurity, and customer privacy. 🚨 Activist investors, including those pushing back against ESG policies. 🚨 Macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical, and climate events. The report also underscores the power that comes from: ⚡ Sharing executive perspectives to promote understanding of corporate values and ethics. ⚡ Having an aligned workforce. Empowered employees are your best advocates. The most interesting tension in this report is the question of priorities. Gaining competitive share-of-voice (SOV), raising awareness, and amplifying key messages top the to-do list more frequently than, say, managing disinformation or changing perceptions. It's a tightly-knit group of priorities, however. And that speaks to the complexities of modern communications. Comms folks drive clarity about purpose and values. They also understand the importance of closing the gaps between corporate stories and actions. Shout out to the comms folks out there who are claiming more space. Check out the full report in the link below. #Comms #PR #StrategicCommunications

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One of the great challenges I have faced in my #publicrelations career is to hear, "we don't sell to the public so we don't need community relations." Tell that to your #brand if you have a crisis. This article has some great tips on building effective community relations. https://lnkd.in/d7iizvip

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Take a few minutes to check out this new Institute for Public Relations study regarding disinformation in the workplace. In addition to exploring why people share disinformation, it offers research-based strategies to help communicators combat it. Very useful and well done! https://lnkd.in/gq8PqrS3

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SAVE THE DATE: IABC Fellows will discuss communicators' mental wellness on the next Circle of Fellows: The pressure’s on — deadlines, stakeholders, and the ever-present need to deliver. According to data, half of PR, marketing, and comms professionals reported experiencing severe stress, anxiety, or burnout multiple times each year. Two in five PR professionals feel pressure and/or anxiety from their job every day. And 60 percent of PR professionals have experienced mental ill-health, while 89 percent have struggled with mental well-being. In episode 108 of the “Circle of Fellows,” the September panel will dive deep into mental wellness in the communication profession. Join us as a panel of seasoned IABC Fellows shares their insights and strategies for navigating the unique challenges of our profession. Discover how to cultivate resilience, manage stress, and lead with compassion, not only for your teams but also for yourself. Whether you’re an aspiring communicator or a seasoned pro, this conversation is essential for anyone seeking to thrive in the dynamic world of organizational communication. Brad Whitworth, SCMP, IABC Fellow will moderate the panel at noon ET on Thursday, September 19, joined by Dr Amanda Hamilton-Attwell ABC ⎮ CPRP ⎮ IABC Fellow, Andrea Greenhous, IABC Fellow, Ginger D Homan, ABC, SCMP, IABC Fellow, and D. Mark Schumann, PCC, IABC Fellow. If you watch the live stream, you can ask questions and share your experiences and observations. If you can’t make it to the live panel, you can watch the video replay or listen to the audio podcast. https://lnkd.in/ga-CbYNk

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In the last couple of months I've unofficially advised or coached about a dozen professionals looking for a new communications role. The number one finding: Communications professionals are terrific at driving a narrative and messaging for their company or clients to get desired results. And they are terrible at doing it for themselves and their career. Simply, you can't read the label from inside the jar. Long-winded stories, no key messages about themselves or their work, honing in on what they think others want to hear versus what makes them unique, few results (though they are there), and not driving a narrative that's "sticky" with recruiters and hiring managers. Through these "only for good karma" conversations and coaching sessions -- and after interviewing thousands and hiring hundreds over my 25 year career -- I've found consistent themes and a process has organically come together. I'm considering adding this type of work to my strategic communications offerings for organizations and leaders. Before I do, I'd like to test out a few more things. So if you're looking for a new role in communications or marketing (I know those areas the best) and would like to work through "candidate narrative," how you can uniquely position yourself, and generally have someone help build needed confidence, shoot me a note and we'll hop on a 30 min call. I'm happy to help more folks to determine if this is a "thing" for me. It fills my cup and I find great joy when I hear its been helpful in finding a role. UPDATE: WOW. And holy cow! I've received more than 20 requests. Thank you for reaching out. I'll get time with everyone that has reached out, but will stop at the 20-ish that's there now. But please do continue to reach out and express interest, as I'll build a list and try to help as many as I can. And, assuming I do build an offer and process for candidate narratives, I'll be sure to start with those I can't get to now. Thanks for your confidence.

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👋🏼 Today, I offer a few reflections on the election outcome and how organizers are and can respond in this moment. for social change communicators 📚 📣 this week's topic: How the roots of change agency is moving forward Tired of signing up for newsletters and not finding them helpful for your everyday work? This newsletter is built differently. It’s created for you: 🌱 for cultivating social change in a chaotic digital world 🔮 for folks who want to do it differently ❤️‍🔥 for busy communicators with limited time 🧱 for folks reshaping digital communications 🤓 Read & Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/ggJw3vCf

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When you hire an expert, it’s important to heed their advice. Most PR people will tell you what you want to hear. But a great PR person will tell you what you need to hear. Whether we like it or not, they don’t always overlap. Effective PR people will understand your goals and how to get there. The journey may not always look the way you thought it would, but trust the process and your team to do the job you hired them to do. VC: realadamrose

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A number of fantastic tips are in this article by Allison, which includes some big time names. You should have at least one or two lightbulb moments reading through.

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Resilience is one of the most important traits for a corporate communications/PR leader. Best laid plans go awry. Clients (in-house or for agency) are difficult. You can't control a lot of the outcomes. The best communications leaders know this: it's how you respond to the challenge that will create the impact you want. And how you respond is determined by how resilient you are. Examples we've all seen: ✅ Being able to keep coming back and offering positive solutions to demanding clients ultimately wins them over and gains more budget/access = resilience ✅ Bringing a can-do approach to evolving and changing plans for announcements or news = resilience ✅ Finding consensus among that 50 pieces of feedback that everyone can agree upon = resilience ✅ Shaking off setbacks on media pitches and finding the story that works = resilience ✅ Setting aside your plan for immediate needs of board or c-suite = resilience ✅ Orchestrating a crisis response in a calm, measured way = resilience ✅ Showing up everyday to provide value and working to impact the business to get to the table and have the ears of executives = resilience It's easy to say "be resilient." But how to do so? A mentor of mine once said that you need to approach these situations with a curious lens. When there are mistakes, miscommunication, setbacks, etc., try to be curious on why it happened. As much as possible, look at it almost as if you're viewing from the outside. If you got something wrong or it didn't go right, see if you can be curious and ask "Why did they feel that way? Why did this happen? Why didn't it work (this time)?" If someone is difficult, remove yourself from the situation and ask "is there something else going on? Does it even have anything to do with me? How can I help them?" Often times, it's nothing you did, it's something bigger. By being curious you can find the root cause, find the solution, build trust, and get results. And be more resilient.

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