“If we set up our structures to match what agencies look like, we lose something significant in our partnership, thinking, and actions. Most importantly, our field continues to lose the battle for treatment as a critical function, a critical business function, not a service area.” --Tara McDonagh People with an agency background bring a strong skill set to whatever business area they move into next, including the ability to juggle multiple projects, being a very quick learner, and building...

“It became really clear what we could do and do well with the resources that we had, and those were limited resources. And I never stopped talking about what we could do with more.” --Jessica Onick  The dirty word on this episode of the podcast is “prioritization.” Host, Tara McDonagh has invited Jessica Onick, Senior Director of Internal and External Communications at GitHub to share how prioritizing and setting boundaries ended up doubling the size of her team in just over a year.   In...

Process––you’re not alone if that word makes you cringe. You may find processes stifling to your creativity or just generally something that’s a necessary evil.  On this episode of the Communications Business Advisor podcast, Tara challenges the way we think about processes. It’s time to turn the dirty P word into something fun. Something that works for you and the business areas you partner with. Let’s use processes to get to the ultimate goal easier so you can spend more time on things...

“If you’re not measuring, you don’t know if you’re successful.” --Natalie Papaj Host, Tara McDonagh talks with guest Natalie Papaj, VP of Communications at Wells Fargo to answer listener questions about measurement in Communications - internal and external.  In this episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara and Natalie address questions on: Aligning your metrics with business objectives The many uses for measurement  Balancing time/bandwidth with measurement and...

Can you truly grow your career without working EVEN more? This is a key question host, Tara McDonagh, is asked regularly by ambitious, exceptional, overachieving women. The assumptive answer is always - no. What most of us have always seen and assumed is that when you continue to rise in your career, company demands on your time will grow. Most women are eager and ready for growth, but don’t want to sacrifice even more time with family and friends. Is there another way?  Host Tara McDonagh,...

Women dominate the Communications field in numbers, but not in leadership roles. Why? Couple gender bias together with our misunderstood and oversimplified field and we have a fight on our hands.  In this episode of The Communication Business Advisor Podcast, Tara McDonagh explains: Equal Pay Day and International Women’s Day - and why companies will recognize one while ignoring the other.  Gender bias in the workplace and its impact on women’s careers - and how and why that shows up even...

Metrics are a massive subject for all Communications leaders in every area of our field - PR, internal communications, executive communications - you name it.  In this episode of The Communication Business Advisor podcast, Tara McDonagh explains: The area of metrics she sees many Communications teams miss.   How to approach intentional metrics-gathering with business partners, and how it makes a massive difference The dirty phrase “self-promotional” and how to tackle it.  The impact to...

Why is normalizing asking for feedback so helpful and 360 reviews so awful for Communications and PR Pros?  In this episode of The Communication Business Advisor podcast, Tara McDonagh explains: How to normalize getting feedback continuously and why - as an entire team.   Asking for feedback without using the word feedback The biases that come with a 360 review  How to counterbalance a 360 review If you have enjoyed the Communications Business Advisor Podcast so far, please take a moment...

Overworked, understaffed, under-resourced, and overwhelmed. Sound about right? It’s a common description for Communications leaders working in a corporate environment. In this episode of The Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara McDonagh emphasizes the need to align communications’ work with company business goals through a long-term strategy, and making a compelling business case for resources. Tara explains: The top challenges for both PR and internal communications leaders. How...

The most important work we do as professional communicators, meaning PR, Internal Comm. Public Affairs and related fields, lies in advancing business goals and protecting brands using the lens of Communications to advise.  In this powerful first episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, host Tara McDonagh guides listeners through Communications acting as editor of a business decision, not only content. Tara explains: What it means to edit a business decision as a...