Monica Goldson on Communicating Effectively with Every Stakeholder - Chief Influencer - Episode # 002
This Chief Influencer is a longtime educator and leader that has been recognized time and time again for her commitment to bettering her community. Dr. Monica Goldson is the CEO of the Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, one of the largest school districts in the nation. Dr. Goldson shares what she has learned about how to communicate with different groups of stakeholders, the importance of building trust as a leader, and knowing when to amplify other voices to make a greater impact.
Takeaways:
- As a leader, you need to identify the stakeholders that you need to reach and the communication channels and formats that each prefers. For instance, Dr. Goldsons’ students primarily use Twitter and Instagram, so that’s how she alerts them of timely news or shares relevant messaging. Parents or teachers, on the other hand, rely on other forms of communication. To reach them, Dr. Goldson and her team use a wide range of tools including a weekly newsletter, automated phone messages, and “town hall” style meetings via telephone.
- One example of how Dr. Goldson embraced two-way communication with stakeholders is the town-hall style meetings she held with parents through the pandemic. By doing this, she could share the latest school-health updates, field questions from parents, and bring on doctors to educate parents on pandemic-related health issues.
- The message is just as important as the medium. Leaders should tailor their message according to what each group of stakeholders needs.
- When you are communicating with your stakeholders, it’s important to remember that you need to listen. Make sure that people feel heard and are able to ask questions freely. This openness is a building block of trust in your relationship with them.
- Consistency is also key to building trust. When you communicate consistently, people know what to expect from you, when to expect it, and through which channel.
- You will not always be the most impactful voice for sharing certain messages with a given group. For example, Dr. Goldson realized when discussing certain topics, such as drug abuse, students are more likely to listen to fellow students. This led to an effective student-made video outlining the dangers of using drugs.
- Don’t run from the media. Media outlets can be powerful allies to have in your corner as you lead your organization. Remember that media outlets do not only focus on negative stories; when you do something great, especially for others, reach out to see if there is interest amongst broadcasters in covering it.
Quote of the Show:
- “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” - Monica Goldson
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-goldson-ed-d-99770283/
- PGCPS Fentanyl PSA: https://fb.watch/kQJAroxp_i/
- PGCPS Website: https://www.pgcps.org/
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0DjyDgAnBZ1Pgy4Lyojgs1
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-influencer/id1688769403
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/27c24d98-1121-465a-bd8f-d7314a9a4482
- Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/chief-influencer-podcast-5328948
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chiefinfluencer
Creators and Guests
Host
Anthony Shop
Anthony Shop believes in the power of people-centered branding and marketing to create a bright future. He chairs the National Digital Roundtable, the premier convener of digital innovators, leaders and policy shapers. Anthony also is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver, a digital services firm that helps companies and non-profits establish winning strategies with social media, websites, creative, and advertising. An enthusiastic presenter and teacher, he has led executive-level training for Amazon, PepsiCo, NASA, The British Embassy and the Bipartisan Policy Center. He has been recognized as an “OUTstanding LGBT Role Model” by The Financial Times, “40 Under 40” by The Washington Business Journal, and Business Leader of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce. A former newspaper reporter, Anthony was the first new media professional elected to the National Press Club’s Board of Governors. He currently serves on the boards of Leadership Greater Washington and LearnServe International. He earned his MBA from The George Washington University School of Business, where he teaches as an adjunct lecturer.
Guest
Dr. Monica Goldson
CEO of the Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, one of the largest school districts in the nation. Dr. Goldson is a longtime educator and leader that has been recognized time and time again for her commitment to bettering her community.
Producer
Robert Krueger
Robert is an Executive Director for The Communications Board, an organization with the mission of providing high-quality professional development for every communicator in every location. He is also the Global Lead for Partnership Communications at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture and design firm. Prior to his current role, he performed executive and CEO communications for Gensler, and was the senior director of public relations and social media at the Urban Land Institute. He obtained an MA in Communications and an MA in History from George Mason University. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition, Robert has taught communications at universities including George Mason University, West Virginia University, and the University of Florida. Robert currently serves as Immediate-Past President for the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) -- the nonprofit’s largest chapter.