Communications Business Advisor Tara McDonagh

We’re wrapping the first season of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast! But not before we talk about HR and Marketing … and Comms too. The HR and Marketing departments can be powerful allies, AND they can also be kind of a nightmare to work with. Let’s break it down. 
In this episode, host Tara McDonaugh explains:
The two categories HR and Marketing fall into when it comes to relationships with Comms. Reteaching people how to treat you as a Comms. professional Anchoring change to a big project  Getting experts involved & how to make it happen Tara would love to hear from you before Season 2 next fall! What was your favorite episode so far? What are you struggling with? Is there something you’d like a part 2 for? Reach out! tara@taramcdonah.com. 
Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  
The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

“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 strong relationships.
Unfortunately, many with agency background, especially at a senior level, come in ready to implement an internal agency model, and this creates a model where the comms department becomes order takers. Exactly what communicators fight against. 
There are some components agency hires bring in that can strengthen a communications function in a corporation and some that need to be left behind. Let’s discuss. 
In this episode, host Tara McDonagh explains:
The unintended impact an internal agency model can have on corporate comms. What makes agency staff great hires for communications roles inside corporations … and what they need to leave behind at the agency.  Teaching people how to treat you.  As we get close to wrapping up Season 1 of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, take a moment to share this episode, or the show, with someone. Drop a rating or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.
Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  
The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

“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 this episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara and Jesscia talk about: 
Jessica’s experience losing staff and being required to prioritize  How to go about the prioritization process and be intentional, NOT ruthless The art of telling others, “No, it’s not a priority” Determining where you’re really needed to do it all, where to guide, and where to empower self-service Using up-front prioritization as a framework for the day-to-day Growing your team and budget as a result of the prioritization process   Links & Resources: 
Jessica Onick on LinkedIn –– www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaonick
Raise the Tide - Join the movement.
 If the topic of today’s episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.
 Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  
The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.

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 that energize you. 
In this episode, host Tara McDonagh explains:
How to NOT be the DMV of process Making a process audience-friendly AND Communications-area friendly Focus on accomplishing the business goal easier and more quickly, not necessarily making your life easier (though this should be an outcome)   Uncovering hidden processes  What to use instead of Communication Request Forms The time you’ll save by having the right processes in place If the topic of creating and finetuning processes resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.
Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  
The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. 
 

“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 analysis Creating a culture of measurement What Natalie uses for measurement in her role at Wells Fargo (and why) Links & Resources:
Natalie Papaj on LinkedIn –– www.linkedin.com/in/nataliepapaj/
If the topic of today’s episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.
Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  
The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field. 
 

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, invites Megan Witherspoon, VP of Communications at Altria, to discuss how she’s both grown her career, and embraced a new level of personal fulfillment through remote work.
Megan not only works remotely, she moved her family across the country and continues to take on more responsibility in her role at Altria, while enjoying more time for family and hobbies as well. 
In this episode of Communications Business Advisor Podcast, Tara and Megan discuss:
How Megan was able to move across the country while advancing responsibilities in her company. Using data to measure if there are differences in remote vs in-person worker performance - make the case with data.  Proximity bias. It is a thing. Will it ever die?  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion implications tied to remote work. Links & Resources:
Follow Megan Witherspoon on LinkedIn -- linkedin.com/in/megan-witherspoon-8b315958/
Harvard Business Review article -- Why Many Women of Color Don't Want to Return to the Office
If the topic of today’s episode of the Communications Business Advisor Podcast resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.
Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.  

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast is brought to you by Raise the Tide, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.