CollectivNews

Welcome to a monthly round-up of information relevant
to comms professionals and everyone interested in the fractional model.

August 2025

Let’s Talk About It

By Aaron Radlet, Former Chief Communications Officer, Hilton and Walgreens Boots Alliance

“Chief Non-communicative Officer” may sometimes describe our jobs more accurately. It’s ironic for a role which literally includes the word “Communications” that we often feel like we can’t talk with anyone about what is actually on our minds and matters most to us.

The reasons why are all too familiar. We’re busy being there for everyone else, including our CEO, business partners, teams, agencies and stakeholders.

The deadlines are tight. The meetings are one right after the other. The demands on our schedules are endless. Office politics are unavoidable. And the unforeseen issues falling out of the sky seem to happen every day.

At certain moments, we feel comfortable opening up to our colleagues, but frequently, the timing, appropriateness or practicality are not right. We’re left asking, “Who’s truly there for me?”

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I was asked recently what I would do differently if I were starting the advanced stages of my career over again. High on my list would be to work individually and regularly with an external advisor/consultant who has achieved a senior level in communications.

Looking back, my degree in public relations and advertising taught me a lot, and in the early years of my career, I sharpened those skills. Over time, I knew that I could confidently hammer out a press release or a companywide email from the CEO.

At some point in our professional progression though, we stop and say, “No one prepared me for this at all!” The reality is that a leadership role in communications is constantly evolving and shifting, and the skillset really can’t entirely be taught from a textbook or past experience. You often just need to learn while doing.

The trick is that you don’t always show that you need on-the-job training. In other words, saying “I have no idea” or “I can’t get that done” are not necessarily welcome responses in an executive committee meeting.

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This concept is the focus of Marshall Goldsmith’s book, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” He explains that the competencies that enabled you to climb the ladder to your mid-career aren’t going to be the same when you reach the next rungs.

That’s where an experienced, trustworthy advisor – who has been in comparable circumstances in the past and has complete neutrality with no competing interests – can make a huge difference. I’m referring to someone who is specifically dedicated to supporting you and has held the title of Chief Communications Officer or an equivalent position.

Of course, even without this type of advisor, other resources are available. HR offers development programs, and sometimes even some sort of general coach. Agencies, if they are good, can be a wealth of information. Professional organizations and networks can lead to great advice. And yes, AI can provide useful tips and outputs. Although they all have their limits, and none of them can offer the real-world experience and results of someone who has sat in a similar seat.

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Here are some examples of the many questions that an advisor can help answer:

Structural – How do I build the best organizational chart, budget and leadership team, especially as technology, “paid vs. earned” and other factors are rapidly changing our functions?

Diplomatic – How do I work with a particularly challenging business partner or boss? How do I keep my team motivated and ensure my company understands the value of what they do?

Situational – How do I deal with a unique crisis that the company hasn’t confronted in the past? How do I prioritize and schedule my time most effectively in the midst of a big initiative?

Collaborative – Who are really the best vendors and agencies out there… for how to evaluate results or reputation, or to pull off a next-level, all-hands meeting?

Additive – Since I don’t have the time, who can effectively get some things off my plate, such as drafting a speech or organizing my team’s annual plan?

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That’s why CommsCollectiv’s fractional model is so valuable. You have direct access to someone who puts your needs first, can get up to speed quickly and understands what you’re confronting. It’s different from an agency approach because, while many agencies promise you senior-level access, these people are often spread thin and are largely focused on new business.

Instead with CommsCollectiv, you can pick exactly the right partner(s) for you, and exactly how many hours you need. This advisor is fully on your side and is free to meet with you regularly – and can get you talking again, and performing better than ever.

Communications Professionals and Responsible AI: Everyone plays a Part

By Rebecca Gonzales, Strategic Advisor for Compliance and Ethics in R&D&I

It’s 2025 and AI is everywhere. The technology has grown rampantly with society adopting generative AI at a rate faster than any technology we have seen in our lifetime. Uses of generative AI range from the mundane and expected like writing email and enhancing productivity, to the surprising, mental health and dating.

The same is true in business. In McKinsey’s State of AI report released this year, 78% of enterprise organizations stated they are using AI in at least one business function and 71% report using generative AI specifically in one business function. With this growth in adoption comes concern. Every year a large number of AI incidents adversely affect customers of companies using these AI systems, mortgages are denied, healthcare is withheld erroneously, and job applicants are thrown out of consideration due to their age. All things that were not meant to happen in the race to be more efficient, drive innovation, and increase the bottom line. When an organization suffers from an AI incident they risk loss of trust from customers and employees which can lead to adverse business outcomes and even legal action.

Over the past 20 years, there has been a call from researchers, scholars, academics, and ethical practitioners to examine the uses of AI and strive for a better, safer way to deploy the technology. Many companies have established AI principles, formed AI governance boards, and created leadership positions to attempt to design, develop, and deploy this technology in a way that does not introduce any more bias or harm into society. But still these errors persist. The AI Incident Database, an online repository that aims to index the collective history of AI harms, has more than 3000 incidents documented.

For responsible AI to succeed, all parts of an organization, not just the technologists, must participate in the AI lifecycle. We cannot place all the responsibility on the data scientists, AI/ML engineers, or product managers. It takes all levels of leaders, both technical and non-technical, to provide the checks and balances that lead to good AI deployment.

But where can you start?

• Learn the basics of AI. There are hundreds of both free and low-cost courses to teach you the basics of AI.
• Talk to your team. If you don’t know how your company uses AI, find out who is in charge of AI use cases and book time with them to review. A recent survey found that only 45% of employees consider their company’s AI adoption successful over the past year.
• Learn about common responsible AI principles and find out how your organization uses them. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) developed AI principles that many organizations use as the basis for their AI strategies. They are:
  • Inclusive growth
  • Sustainable development and well-being
  • Human rights and democratic values, including fairness and privacy
  • Transparency and explainability
  • Robustness, security and safety
  • Accountability
• Review how your organization aligns with these principles and help operationalize them. For example, regarding transparency and explainability, you can work with your technical counterparts to have them explain the models your organization uses and how they derive their outputs. If the technical team can’t explain them to you in plain language, they are not meeting the basics of transparency. Use your communications and storytelling skills to help them use language everyone can understand.

In summary, communications professionals play a key role in advancing responsible AI because:

1. We translate complexity into clarity – helping internal and external audiences understand how AI is used and why it matters.
2. We shape narratives and build trust – ensuring transparency and accountability are embedded in how AI initiatives are communicated.
3. We connect dots across teams – serving as bridges between technical teams, leadership, and the public, making sure the human impact of AI isn’t lost in the hype.

In this era of AI, it’s not just about what the technology can do, but what we choose to do with it. Let’s make sure that includes responsibility and impact.

Basic Protocols Can Make or Break Good Communications

By Laurie Hurley MacKenzie, Founder, LHM Partners

Having led communications functions at high-growth companies and advised clients through periods of change, I’ve seen just how important the basics can be.

As senior communications veterans, we have all experienced what happens when content creation, review, and approval processes lack structure, often leading to issues with version control, confusion, and ultimately delays. What often separates an effective communications team from one that improvises are clear, well-defined protocols that are widely understood.

When it is unclear who should provide input, there too many people involved, or the team is getting conflicting or vague feedback, the process can get derailed. This focus on the “how” vs the “what” not only slows things down but can also lead to frustration across the team, leaving the message as an afterthought. Even with great content and sound strategy, poor execution leaves a lasting impression. Fortunately, this is avoidable.

It is easy to focus on big priorities like implementing AI tools or launching a brand refresh. But without a documented, shared understanding of how work flows, teams risk undermining their own efforts. Clear processes for content development and approvals are not just nice to have; they are essential. They bring order, reduce friction, and help everyone deliver their best work. Putting these protocols in place, or improving what already exists, can be one of the simplest and most impactful steps a team can take can be an easy win. Instead, this has become an area of growing opportunity.

This is where fractional comms leaders come in to help establish processes. This is especially needed when the volume of communications increases, for example companies that are growing rapidly or undergoing leadership and other changes. A once intuitive and organic process can become increasingly complex quickly.

While it may seem basic, implementing a strong communications protocol can become a cornerstone for an effective communications team. Each organization’s approach will be slightly different, yet a few basic steps can increase agility, speed, and success.

Here are some insights that I’ve found useful, but I would love to hear about other ideas and experiences:

• • Continue to assess the current processes in place and identify what works and what doesn’t for a particular organization. There is always room for improvement.
  • A classic way to make these protocols more impactful is to apply traditional decision rights theory – known as RACI, where R=responsible, A=accountable, C=consulted, and I=informed. Best practices like this one help define roles in creating content, reviewing for accuracy and compliance, and providing final approval.
  • When using collaborative review tools, set “rules” to prevent reviewers from using the platform to have conversations and provide vague comments.
  • Get leadership buy-in at the start by creating a simple briefing document for communications that includes the objective linked to a business strategy, the key messages to convey, the content experts on the topic, who needs to review and when, and who has final approval.
  • Work to ensure everyone involved is aware of and trained on the protocols and keep them updated on any changes. Also, remember to educate new team members when they join.