The comms notes every leader needs when they begin a new job

Knowing the right tone to strike and messages to share is key for any leader when they begin a new role. At Ragan’s Employee Communications and Culture Conference earlier this year, Paul Elsberg, vice president of brand reputation at Constellation Energy, shared his insights on the big things leaders and communications need to get right whenever a new leaders arrives on the job.

Elsberg told the audience that even though they’re helping guide people and processes, new leaders should take a student-like mentality in their jobs.

“People make assumptions about you when you’re in a leadership role — that you don’t need onboarding, that you don’t need education,” Elsberg said. “But the truth is, you need it more than anybody.”

Elsberg added that new leaders and communicators alike need to explore the culture of the company outside their roles, and should even consider looking at outside perspectives to form their communication strategies internally. That can mean turning to platforms like social media and review sites to gather sentiment to help shape messaging.