Trenesa Stanford-Danuser
Trenesa Stanford-Danuser

Trenesa Stanford-Danuser, Chief Communications Officer at Hudson’s Bay Company, and Global Head of Branding, Communications, and Community Outreach for Streetworks Development, shares her insights on the need for effective leadership, and how challenges can lead to profound growth amongst your teams and on your leadership journey on latest Taking the Lead podcast.

Below are edited excerpts from the full video interview:

Why is effective leadership critical for PR and Communications in 2024?

We're so enveloped by what's happening outside of the walls of where we work. If you’re not in tune to that as a leader, and think breaking news has nothing to do with your clients, then you're doing something wrong.

Colleagues and associates in our companies expect us to show up knowing what's happening outside of the world of work. When we can say, let's move forward with the work that has to be done with the understanding, sensitivity, and emotional intelligence about what's happening, I think then you're going to get an effective team because there's the human-to-human.

That's all we're doing. We're just people trying to earn a living. Sometimes, we're coming into the work environment highly impacted by what's happening outside of the workplace.

What’s a leader to do in the era of employee disengagement?

I think that it's an interesting question because if a leader doesn't know what to do, then there's a problem. I think that the simple act of reaching out and seeing the people that are a part of your team is really a number one leadership responsibility. When you take the time to read a CV or a resume, when you take the time to interview a person, you ask them questions about themselves beyond the work that they've done in the past.

There's already this relationship that you've begun to establish. So what is it that we do, especially when we're in these hybrid work environments? How do you maintain as much interest as you showed that employee when they join your team? How do you continue that?

By a simple, “How's your weekend?” It doesn't take a lot, and sometimes people just need to know that they're being seen. Now, there are some associates that are happy to be under the radar, and that's a different conversation. But there are people that just simply need to know that their bosses, their leaders, and their managers acknowledge the fact that they're there and they pick up the phone, schedule a Zoom, take a walk outside of the office.

It doesn't take a lot to spark that re-engagement. Now, you might find out why that person is unengaged during those interactions, and that's for you to use that intel and move forward. However, the act of just seeing them and asking them to pick up the phone, have a private Zoom, take a walk, have a coffee, are really some basic steps that we as leaders can take to engage with our colleagues.

What has been your most significant leadership challenge?

I think it really does spark back to your earlier question about engagement, as there are changes that are happening in companies. The way we do business is changing, the size of the teams that we have is changing, the work is changing. Having that candid conversation with your team about the changes that are happening is challenging as a leader.

Especially when you have teams that are virtual, where some are international. We're able to do business anytime, anywhere, but we're not often, always in the room. As a leader, that can also be a challenge.

It's a modern challenge, but it is something that I remember from the days when we would work together at Marina Maher Communications (MMC). We had those big conference rooms, and we would huddle and have some baked goods. There was something about ideation, building something together in real life that we often don't have as leaders with our teams.

Now, someone may be in the room and someone may be on a Zoom, and there is that challenge in making sure that everyone is feeling heard, and having a way to contribute to the bigger ideas and feeling a part of the team.

As a woman of color in PR, what’s your take on many states and university’s closing down their DE&I initiatives, or even worse, not allowing mentions of it?

It's disappointing. I think it's a sad step backwards. There are companies that are savvy enough and have been early adopters of making sure that they understood that their businesses are better, work product is better, and environment for working is better if they have that diversity.

There may be laws that are rolling back, and there's already a body of case studies to prove that even if you have to take your own initiative, that it's worth doing. It isn't a Nice-To-Have, it’s a Must Do. There's enough data out there to support that. Businesses thrive when you have that representation, when you have the right people at the table that can speak for various groups and bring that thought process into the boardroom, or on the front line to represent the work that has to be done.

It saddens me that there are laws rolling back, but I also feel like there's enough data out there and there's enough learned experience from companies where they'll continue to keep things moving forward.

There are also universities that are finding ways around it. There are some clever ways to honor the Supreme Court ruling, but also to the point of understanding that their universities are better with diversity.

What are you going to commit to do to be a more effective leader in 2024?

One of the things that I have been doing is placing some intentionality around mentoring. I think that you get to a certain point in your career where you have a team, you have support, you have resources, but it also affords you time. What do you do with that time as a senior leader?

You can ask for more work, but there are also things that you can do, and I do that as well. But there is always work, right? Being in a leadership position gives you some control over how you manage your time, and one of the things that I've really found great joy in is mentoring.

I had the opportunity to be a keynote speaker at a university recently, and was able to sit with hundreds of students and talk about my career, my journey about being a woman of color, the roles that I've had, and really take a great interest in their curiosity about how I got to where I am.

There's something about paying it forward that I just feel karmically. I've been the beneficiary of people taking the time to hear me out and to help with my path, whether personal or professional. I really am committed as a leader to finding ways to be a mentor. I surprise people because, someone will send me a note on LinkedIn and they'll ask for help and I'll say, why don't you come and see me in the office?

And it just blows their mind, but I'm in the position where I can manage my time to get the work done, but I can also manage my time to give back. We should, as leaders, carve out that space to be mentors because somebody at some point was there for us.

Jacobs:

It's almost like the phrase “noblesse oblige.” Once you get to a point in your career and you've worked hard, you've been smart, and you've been strategic, you've earned some time. I think there is somewhat of an obligation to give back either to the next generation or the up-and-coming generations, to those in college, or to those just getting out of college.

Beyond the obligation, it's very fulfilling. I've mentored a number of professionals through PRSA New Jersey and PRSA New York and it is one of the most wonderful feelings to sense that you've helped someone make a decision. You didn't make the decision for them, but you helped them with some strategic thinking or gave them some objectivity, and helped them believe in themselves.

For anyone reading this article, if you haven't mentored yet, please consider doing so. It's never too early. You can be in your first or second year of your career and you could be mentoring the graduating class. You know, maybe some PRSSA students in your university or the local college. And if you’re already a leader, I encourage you to find time to be a mento. I’ve learned so much from those people that I've mentored. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Courage is a critical leadership must-have. Please share a moment where you demonstrated courage.

I had the opportunity to do my first stand-up comedy debut not too long ago. My husband has often said that I'm very funny, so he put his money where my mouth is and said to take some comedy lessons. The culminating moment of six or so weeks of lessons was to go to an actual comedy club and perform. One thing that I learned about comedy, is that it is not improv.

Comedy is prepared, comedy is written, comedy is rehearsed. I always love comedians, but now understanding the process and going through it myself, was a lot of fun. I have to say, I'm kind of proud of myself for making fun, and for doing it.

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Ken Jacobs is the principal of Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching, which empowers PR and communications leaders and executives to breakthrough results via executive coaching, and helps communications agencies achieve their business development, profitability, and client service goals, via consulting and training. You can find him at www.jacobscomm.com, [email protected] @KensViews, or on LinkedIn. You can also subscribe to the Jacobs Consulting and Executive Coaching YouTube channel.