Adjunct Instructor and Director, Global Strategic Communication Master’s Degree Program
College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida

As the recent U.S. mid-term elections demonstrated, it is particularly difficult to have conversations about politics and social issues with people who hold views different than your own. These conversations are always challenging, but when people function in an echo chamber hearing their own beliefs from everyone around them (and likely in the media they consume), it’s even more difficult to offer a different viewpoint.

Yet, I consider reasonable discourse to be an essential skill for public affairs and communications professionals, especially in this hyper-polarized environment. That’s why I coach University of Florida students in my graduate class in Public Affairs Communication to have reasonable conversations on contentious topics they are passionate about while respectfully responding to other points of view.

We explore techniques to avoid having biases sink conversations with fellow students (or employees, customers and clients).  It’s not rocket science, but many students are not practiced in the techniques. Find common ground. Be aware how your words influence others. Ask for the basis for statements.  Listen for information that helps you take their perspective on their actions. Somewhat to my surprise, this exercise has been an overwhelming success!

I took the same approach more broadly in Beijing recently where I had the privilege of addressing 300 colleagues at the China International Public Relations Conference.  My point—and a key takeaway I leave with colleagues I visit across the world—is that our mission as public affairs communication professionals is to build bridges for business between countries.

Speaking in China 13 years ago, I called it “corporate diplomacy.” This is where business, collaboration, diplomacy and public affairs converge.

Corporate Diplomacy means a company embeds the value of collaboration deeply into its operations and practices, extending the reach of its relationships to include groups, cultures, organizations and government, which affect the sustainability of the business.

This is the practice of non-governmental, informal and unofficial contacts and activities between organizations, private citizens or groups of individuals. This so-called “track-two” or “backchannel” diplomacy is not a substitute for official diplomatic negotiation. Rather, it assists official actors in managing and resolving conflicts by exploring possible solutions outside of public view and without the requirements of formal negotiation or bargaining for advantage.

As companies increasingly look for growth and revenue opportunities in emerging markets, frontier markets and foreign markets, corporate diplomacy becomes important. Aerospace, oil exploration and technology companies are a few among many examples of industries that face significant challenges expanding into new markets.

Third-party public affairs professionals can bring leaders together from opposing sides in interactive, off-the-record contacts to introduce “win-win” concepts, train negotiating skills, and create interpersonal cohesion by building within them a sense of interdependence and need to work together in their mutual interests.

Corporate affairs officers can be influential in achieving these outcomes. What defines this new breed of corporate affairs officer is the role as trusted advisor. They have not only the ear and the confidence of the CEO, but also a mandate from senior leadership to provide direct input into strategy.

Executives acknowledge that talent of this caliber is scarce. Demand is growing among progressive multinational companies, which recognize the importance of close alignment among strategy, reputation, public affairs, communications, and government affairs within an increasingly complex business, legislative and regulatory environment.

Chinese-American cooperation is essential if the world is to weather another financial crisis, make progress on things like climate change and global supply chains. Emphasis ought to be on avoiding unilateral actions that could trigger a crisis. It would be foolish, in my opinion, to give up on the prospect of managed cooperation.

Despite the recent escalation in bilateral tensions, the economies of China and the United States are enmeshed in the global economy. Competition between China and the United States should not be a bad word.

At the national government level, there are issues to work out, but analysts seem to agree the world will continue to integrate, especially in manufacturing, communications and technology.

Let’s identify ways to work together. As strategic communications officers let’s lead changes both in the perception of our people and in the practice of public affairs and public relations during these turbulent and unpredictable times.

This requires inspired leadership from within the public affairs and communications profession. After all, we public affairs people are living in a world that our profession is perfectly suited to serve.

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The term “strategic communication” is used so often that it might seem to have lost its meaning. It’s similar to when wine labels mention “proprietor’s special reserve.” While it sounds impressive, you might wonder if it really means anything significant. In reality, it does carry substantial importance.

Understanding Strategic Communication

Communication is strategic when an organization applies communication systematically and consistently to assist in achieving its goals and objectives.   In other words, strategic communication is defined by an outcome and achieving a goal, and working back from there.

In the capstone course in our Global Strategic Communication master’s program, we emphasize the crucial link between communication and outcomes. This focus sharpens our approach to planning, strategy, tactics, and execution. Essentially, the outcomes we achieve through effective communication distinguish between merely reacting to events as they happen and proactively shaping conversations to reach a deliberate, purposeful conclusion.

Viewed in this light, there is a broad array of communication that could be considered strategic. Communications professionals integrate knowledge from many areas: business, marketing, branding, anthropology and human psychology, business diplomacy, data gathering and analytics, digital strategy and platforms, all forms of research really, public affairs and politics and much more.

Using all these pieces together — or as they apply to any given objective — is what we call strategic communication.

Defining Strategic Communication

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed engaging in debate about a definition for strategic communications.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Christopher Paul of the Rand Corporation said he believes the definition must respect what he called “the unassailable core” of strategic communication.

• First, is a fundamental belief that it is important (and acceptable) to attempt to inform, influence, and persuade in pursuit of your objectives.
• Second, it is critical both that your objectives — the desired outcomes sought through communications – be clear. Vague goals – whether they be corporate, military, government or non-profit – do not imply measurable indicators of progress or value.
• Third, actions speak louder than words. This truism is absolutely central to an effective strategic communications construct.

Admiral Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a critique of the U.S. government’s approach to winning hearts and minds, rather famously suggested that strategic communication needed a closer look.

“Frankly,” Admiral Mullen said, “I don’t care for the term. We get too hung up on that word, strategic. If we’ve learned nothing else … it should be that the lines between strategic, operational, and tactical are blurred beyond distinction. This is particularly true in the world of communication.”

…and here’s the important point…

“Beyond the term itself,” Adm. Mullen said,  “I believe we have walked away from the original intent of strategic communications. By organizing to it — creating whole structures around it — we have allowed strategic communications to become a thing instead of a process, an abstract thought, instead of a way of thinking.”

“To put it simply, we need to worry a lot less about how to communicate our actions … and much more about what our actions communicate. Actions are the new words. We have a responsibility to educate the enterprise about how communication, behaviors and actions play in an environment that is ultimately transparent.” – Admiral Mike Mullen

Strategic Communication as Integration

Rosa Brooks, a law professor at Georgetown University, takes a view that “strategic communications is the thoughtful integration of issues of stakeholder perception and response into policymaking, planning, and operations at every level. “Strategic communication … is less about what we have to say than it is about considering how others may interpret our words and actions.”

What strategic communication boils down to, is a simple plea: learn, engage and listen; try to understand how other people view you, your cause or your organization. Think in advance about how what we do and say will be perceived, and plan activities accordingly.

The goal of a communication strategy should go beyond just shaping opinions, sentiments, and perceptions. It should also motivate individuals to take action and eventually become advocates. Linking beliefs with actions in this way boosts people’s confidence in their decisions and transforms their actions into lasting behaviors.

Managing reputations and brands alongside our external personas—whether in corporate, military, government, or NGO sectors—is no longer enough. We must synchronize these with our workforce and culture, managing them as a unified entity. After all, you can’t be a great leader without also being a great communicator.

The Impact of the Digital Revolution

The digital revolution has ushered in an era of transparency in every move and action. This shift has empowered people everywhere to demand authenticity. Consumers now expect products and services to perform exactly as advertised. Employees anticipate fair treatment aligned with what employers promise. Similarly, they expect management’s behavior to consistently reflect the organization’s stated values. In this new reality, authenticity is not just preferred—it’s required.

At stake is not just the efficacy of our work, but the success and even survival of our enterprises and institutions.

Now that’s strategic.

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The Price of Entry into the C-Suite

What does it takes to advance into a position of influence among senior management?

Bill Margaritis is executive vice president, corporate affairs for Hilton Worldwide. He oversees corporate branding, internal and external corporate communication, government relations and corporate responsibility globally. Previously, he spent nearly 16 years at FedEx as SVP, global communication and investor relations.

“This sort of proverbial seat at the table that everybody talks about has changed dramatically. Today, it’s all about value creation, credibility and leadership,” Margaritis said. “That’s what you must have to speak the language of executives. You have to understand the financial aspects of the corporation. You have to understand how strategy is conceived; what is it, how you execute; how you put analytics behind your programming.”

Business-Driven Curriculum

Knowledge of the business and how it operates is essential, a prerequisite to succeed and advance in many professions, which leads me to believe the business of business is the business.

This issue is a continuous topic among faculty in the UF online master’s of mass communication specializing in global strategic communication program. Executives, including our own Advisory Council, emphasize the need for basic business acumen no matter how well you communicate.

“I agree with you that the business of business is business,” Margaritis said. “In fact, that’s one of the biggest challenges in recruiting. A lot of folks coming out of college don’t have a very strong business acumen.”

This trend led to the creation of the course Financial and Business Essentials and the logic behind our Capstone experience. Students are graded on the degree to which their communication campaigns align with client business objectives. Faculty emphasize the importance of integration, the need for communicators to be integrators in complex, global organizations. This skill gives us a much broader role in reaching across various departments like human resources, finance, legal, IT, and marketing to achieve an integrated, holistic strategy.

Employers say these skills and capabilities are essential for graduates with a master’s degree, and we continue to adapt our curriculum so graduates fulfill this requirement and advance in their careers.

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A New Generation

We hear a lot about millennials. They’re described as selfish, entitled, cynical, self-absorbed, and mooching off their parents. But if you look at the research, it shows something very different. This is a passionate group of people who are determined to change the world and aren’t motivated by the almighty dollar. Instead, they’re driven by being part of value-driven, purposeful companies in which they can drive change.

This message is driven home by Dr. Christie Smith of Deloitte, who shared her research on millennials at the Arthur W. Page Society Spring Seminar. According to Dr. Smith, millennials are the most educated, diverse generation in most countries. They want flexibility in the workplace; to have a life and be successful.

So, what’s going on with this shift in generations?

Today baby boomers and Gen Xers comprise the 75 percent of our workforce. In four years, we’ll see a dramatic shift. Millennials will comprise 50 percent of our organizations, boomers will go down to 22 percent and Generation Xers 20 percent.

So what does this mean? It means millennials have the power to shift culture. They don’t feel the need to stay with an organization that doesn’t live by its stated values. They don’t want to be stuck with a certain skill type, but rather have multiple experiences without respect to job title.

What does the culture of organizations today need to look like?

Dr. Smith predicts we’ll see a work environment that shifts from a hierarchical structure to one that increases collaboration between generations.

The global strategic communication program prepares graduates for the modern workplace with courses including Foundations of Intercultural Communications, International Issues and Crisis Management and the Professional Capstone.

Workplace Changes are Imminent

First needs to be a dramatic shift in technology. Millennials leave companies who don’t invest in technology that generates ideas (read: data and analytics) to accelerate business outcomes.

A second culture shift is skill alignment. Too many millennials work below the level they’re capable of. They serve as PowerPoint junkies or coffee stewards when they might have a good idea but nobody asks.

Third is innovation. Millennials are attracted to a company where they believe they can make a contribution. Millennials say leadership blocks them from being innovative. These old school leaders believe since millennials don’t have experience, they can’t contribute. .

Fourth is the issue of work/life integration. Millennials want to fit work into their lives, and they believe that technology can help accomplish that goal. For this reason, the GSC program curriculum places a strong emphasis on technology and digital concepts. The outcome-based, project-based model we need in today’s companies is emphasized in the GSC Capstone.

Millennials Demand More

Millennials are a generation who demand more. This has a significant impact on the way society looks at diversity and inclusion, but also in the way society looks at the workplace. Research shows these changes increase revenue and shareholder value and provide millennials, Gen Xers and boomers a way to collaborate and interact in a way that has greater impact.

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With a UF Master’s Degree in Global Strategic Communication, Your Glass is More than Half Full

When people speak about trends, whether in our profession or in society, they tend to paint a dark picture; portraying a cup half empty, as opposed to half full. Maybe you have heard this. Some pessimism is warranted, because of divisiveness or uncertain affairs here or elsewhere.

Nevertheless, I remain optimistic, committed to lifelong learning and focused on the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead. In fact, given the state of affairs today, the world needs the skills that we communication professionals possess—more than ever.

One of the characteristics of the world that leads me to this conclusion is our interconnectedness or our interdependence. Even people who disagree about the value of globalization agree a dominant characteristic of the world is its interdependence.

If you accept that we have more opportunities than problems, and you accept that a fundamental characteristic of the world is its interdependence, then our mission in business and in society is to lead organizations, clients and companies into a better, more integrated set of social, economic and professional communities.

The question is: Do you have the skills and capabilities necessary to do that? Do we as strategic communication professionals and business leaders have sufficient stature, and do we command respect equal to professionals who practice law, work in finance, engineering or human resources?

A Master’s Degree Provides You with Options

The UF master’s degree in Global Strategic Communication prepares people for professional work in the global marketplace by introducing high-level skills and frameworks for understanding—and solving—today’s complex issues. Employers recognize the value of this UF master’s degree in the job market. Graduates increasingly are using this degree to stand out in the competitive search process.

Hiring managers tell us they are eagerly using master’s degrees to filter and sort the most promising candidates—which encourages us to provide a graduate credential that operates at a higher level of resolution, involving a clearer articulation of outcomes.

At many major employers, master’s degrees have become the de-facto credential for leadership roles.

The graduate-level instruction, all online, teaches positive work traits that include:

• Studies have shown show that online education is harder than residential learning
• because it requires more discipline, personal motivation and perseverance.

As someone who has spent a career leading global strategic communications in multinational companies and nonprofit organizations, I know many students—recent undergraduates as well as mid-career colleagues—are eager to advance quickly through the ranks. You want to advance quickly, but you also want to have impact on the world, leaving it a better place.

I applaud your desire for continued and lifelong learning. It is learning attributes like those we teach in Global Strategic Communication that provide you with the skills and knowledge required for further growth, both personally and professionally.

I hope you will explore our UF master’s degree program in depth, and I personally invite you to apply for enrollment in this engaging and rewarding graduate program.

Warm Regards,

Robert Grupp

Graduate Director, Global Strategic Communication
UF CJC Online
College of Journalism and Communications
University of Florida

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