Particularly in instances of disaster, it’s crucial that inner, exterior and govt communications groups collaborate to maintain everybody knowledgeable and engaged. Walgreens demonstrated the significance of this interplay throughout the pandemic and helped reset the model for future success.
Not too long ago, we caught up with Fraser Engerman, senior director of exterior relations at Walgreens, who led that cost, to ask him a number of questions. Engerman can be a speaker at Ragan and PR Every day’s upcoming Strategic Communications Convention at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, October 19-20.
[RELATED: Join us Oct. 19-20 at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, WA for our Strategic Communications Conference]
Ragan: What suggestions are you able to share with different professionals trying to talk extra successfully?
Fraser Engerman: Observe your elevator speech! I always attempt to boil down what I want to speak into some key soundbites. We’re all bombarded with info, and it’s typically troublesome to get the ear and a spotlight of your stakeholders, irrespective of who they’re. I attempt to present the important thing factors upfront and supply extra element as wanted. This behavior in all probability stems from my days as a tv reporter after I had not more than a minute or two to get to the essence of the story.
What’s an important factor you’ve discovered as a strategic comms professional to date?
Don’t sweat the small issues. Life is stuffed with small challenges. Attempt to hold your eye on the larger image. That’s onerous when you find yourself used to placing out fires within the second. It’s about making good choices and executing to the most effective of your potential.
How does your strategy to communication differ out of your colleagues in different fields?
Everybody has their very own strategy. My type has at all times been to be easy with no agenda aside from to get the job completed. I don’t imagine in being the loudest voice within the room. Humor is central to how I navigate every day. The work is severe, however I by no means take myself too significantly and having a wholesome dose of self-deprecating humor is a plus.
How do you keep updated on the most recent within the area? Are there any sources that you simply discover significantly helpful?
I attempt to learn as a lot as I can from the most recent business publications. Nonetheless, for me, studying the most important dailies just like the NY Occasions, Washington Put up and the Wall Avenue Journal enable me to maintain up on information that may not have an effect on my work immediately now however definitely can have an effect. Networking is one other nice option to sustain. Hopefully, as we ease out of the pandemic networking can be a precedence (no less than in individual)!
At this yr’s Strategic Communications Convention, you’re headlining a session on taking dangers, beating adversity and making a daring tradition. Are you able to give our readers a sneak peek at what they will count on to be taught?
I joined Walgreens on the peak of the pandemic and needed to assume duty for serving to lead our exterior communications by means of some of the intense and troublesome durations within the firm’s historical past. I discovered find out how to take dangers, step exterior the consolation zone and hold a staff collectively that was bodily aside.
Should you’d like to realize new strategic insights and communications methods for inner and govt comms, public relations, advertising and social media, be a part of us at Ragan and PR Every day’s Strategic Communications Convention, the place audio system from Walgreens, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Pepsico, Fb and extra will share their concepts and success tales. Register at present!
Jon Minnick is a convention producer for Ragan and PR Every day. Comply with him on LinkedIn.
