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ExpertFile-powered “Our Experts” site makes health experts findable and accessible to media at a click of a button ChristianaCare and its collaborative partner ExpertFile have been recognized with a 2022 Silver Quill Award from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for its "Our Experts" media database. Designed to easily and quickly connect journalists to subject-matter experts, this online resource has been recognized with the top prize – an “Award of Excellence” in the Communications Management, Media Relations category. The IABC Silver Quill Awards showcase business communication excellence and are acknowledged as among the most prestigious awards programs in the communications industry. “I’m proud to accept the Silver Quill Award on behalf of our organization and our incredible Communications team, including our ExpertFile partners,” said Shane Hoffman, communications director at ChristianaCare. “The ‘Our Experts’ platform has given us next-level ways to engage our experts and share our knowledge as a trusted source of health care information. It has also helped us re-imagine the traditional online news room experience and turn it into a truly new and innovative way to serve the needs of both journalists and our community.” IABC’s Silver Quill awards honor the dedication, innovation and passion of communicators on a global scale. Each entry is scored independently by evaluators who judge the award submission on factors that include: stakeholder analysis, strategic and tactical planning, quality of execution and measurable results. Since launching in March 2021, the "Our Experts" media database has received more than 20,000 online visits and has resulted in more than 200 news stories. “We are honored to earn this Silver Quill Award with our client, ChristianaCare,” said Peter Evans, CEO of ExpertFile. “Despite the pressures of the pandemic, their team collaborated closely with us to create a world-class program that continues to help a variety of audiences discover and connect every day with credible medical experts and groundbreaking research.” Powered by the ExpertFile software platform, the ChristianaCare “Our Experts” site provides a digital media toolkit with advanced search/digital content features to help journalists discover experts and access resources that make it easier for them to complete stories and meet their deadlines. Awarding top honors “with distinction,” the IABC judging panel provided a number of detailed comments on the “ChristianaCare Experts Program”: “Very well-done website. Nice content that is well organized and searchable. From planning and implementation to measurement afterward the program shows great work.” “Great work in the time of COVID. Your knowledge of journalists and their challenges. during COVID was spot-on.” “I liked the media advisories. Having been on both sides of the reporter/media relations thing, I like clear and simple. You achieved this!” “If I were a reporter, the advisory would be invaluable when I needed an expert.” “Very specific and focused on business-results. Great work here.” “Very comprehensive! You thought of everything without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.” Nearly 100 ChristianaCare experts are featured in the database today, and that number continues to grow. “As communicators in health care, it has always been important for us to provide timely, accurate, easy-to-understand information to the communities we serve so that people can make informed decisions about their health,” said Karen Browne, vice president of marketing and communications at ChristianaCare. “The COVID-19 pandemic added an entirely new level of urgency to our role as communicators, and it made it even more important for us to build strong relationships with our partners in the news media so that they can deliver compelling, actionable health information to the community—from experts they can trust.” The pandemic also highlighted the need to do more with less. ChristianaCare’s innovation was driven out of a desire to improve the reach, impact and efficiency of its media relations efforts—amid rapidly increasing demand—without the need to add additional resources. “With our partners at ExpertFile, we leveraged ExpertFile’s outstanding technology platform to create a database of our experts that helps reporters and news producers find the sources they need quickly, and it enables our team to nimbly manage their requests and facilitate interviews in a way that makes the absolute best use of our resources,” Hoffman said. “The ExpertFile team worked as our strategic thought partners throughout this process, and they’ve really embraced our desire for innovation that drives results. They’ve helped us to work smarter and do more without adding a lot of additional resources. Together, we’ve built a system and process that is helping us to communicate in new and better ways—and we’re just getting started.” About ChristianaCare Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute. ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 2nd best health system for diversity and inclusion, and the 29th best health system to work for in the United States, and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.
Interested in the true pursuit of greatness? Take a look at what Florida Tech has to offer
If you are up for the challenge and want to begin your own relentless pursuit of greatness, let us help. The Florida Tech campus is located in the heart of Florida’s Space Coast. That means proximity to key agencies and operations, such as NASA-Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX, Embraer, L3Harris Corporation, Northrop Grumman and more. Oh, and did we mention there are miles and miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches just moments away? Learn more about all Florida Tech has to offer. Get in touch today! Simply contact: Adam Lowenstein Director of Media Communications (321) 674-8964 adam@fit.edu
Building Your Own Expert Network - How Expert Personas Help you Organize & Develop Your Talent Pool
As business continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate, companies need new ideas and strategies that help them rapidly transform to keep pace and grow. This explains the massive popularity that expert networks are having as companies look to connect with subject-matter experts with specialized sector and functional expertise who can accelerate their transformation efforts. Expert networks now represent a multi-billion dollar industry, helping companies in a variety of ways. From helping build primary research to assessing new market or acquisition opportunities to conducting due diligence for new technology purchases or competitive benchmarking, expert networks provide a valuable service. While many companies are increasing their use of traditional expert networks, there is also a trend toward organizing and developing internal talent by implementing a "knowledge management platform" or "employee skills marketplace." These can also be extended to engage broader audiences when experts are listed publicly as part of an Expert Center, Media Room, or Speakers Bureau. Depending on the scope and market visibility organizations wish to commit to in sharing their expertise, such programs can yield the following benefits: Improved access to shared knowledge throughout the organization Faster innovation through an improved discovery of key experts available for project opportunities Higher amount of cross-functional engagement between departments A more collaborative relationship with employees through better knowledge engagement and skills development Less reliance on outside consultants and traditional expert networks Improved brand reputation by engaging experts in thought leadership activities Increased media coverage and speaking engagements Improved business development opportunities by engaging experts earlier in the sales process Improved connection with the local community Additional ways to foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion throughout the organization What is an expert network? An expert network is a service that matches clients with experts who are willing to share their knowledge and advice via short conversations. These are usually in the form one hour long expert interviews conducted with the client. Expert networks such as GLG, AlphaSights, Guidepoint Global, Third Bridge, and Coleman Research help match the client's interest to specific experts in their private database of experts on call. They also look after logistics such as scheduling the expert interviews and have detailed processes for qualifying experts to ensure compliance with the exchange of information. And they handle time tracking and billing of interviews which are typically charged based on an hourly rate. They also handle the payment of fees to the experts following the interview. Building your own knowledge platform There is a growing trend towards organizing their expertise given the profound challenges organizations are facing. And these challenges didn’t just start when the pandemic hit. In a recent Deloitte survey, 63% of executives reported that work in their organizations is currently being performed in teams or projects outside of people’s core job descriptions, 81% say work is increasingly performed across functional boundaries, and 36% say work is increasingly being performed by workers outside of the organization who don’t have defined jobs in the organization at all. Yet fewer than half (42%) of respondents say their organization’s job descriptions do an “excellent job” of specifying the work that needs to be done in their positions. As work becomes far more fluid, packaging skills into rigid job descriptions leads to a lot of untapped human capital in organizations. It’s an issue that hasn’t gone unnoticed by leadership. Research shows that only 18% of executives strongly agree that their workforce is using their skills and capabilities to their fullest potential. 85% of HR and business executives say organizations should create more agile ways of organizing work to improve speed and swiftly adapt to market changes. These issues underscore the need to better organize and develop internal talent by implementing a "knowledge management platform" or "employee skills marketplace." This is for a variety of reasons. With vast amounts of acquired knowledge pooled across various departments and teams, it can be difficult for other employees to access this knowledge when it is outside their area of expertise - as the old saying goes, “people don't know what they don't know.” Organizing your expertise for external audiences also can provide huge benefits for building reputation, relationships, and revenues. How to position your experts as industry thought leaders More and more organizations are looking at employees who can advance their innovation efforts internally, often as part of a cross-functional team or special project. And there are also important revenue-generating activities, such as sharing research and perspectives through content generation (blogging, webinars, podcasting) or speaking (at internal events, industry conferences, or as an expert source for media interviews). Determining how to best identify and put experts to work isn't a simple process. That's because to do this right requires a more disciplined approach to assessing and developing the talent across your organization. One that goes beyond linear career paths and traditional job titles we assign to employees. It also requires a more progressive approach to diversity and experience. One that is not simply correlated to seniority or authority in an organization. Given the current state of the talent market, most organizations are also recognizing the importance of managing their talent, listening more to employees, and helping them achieve their goals - both professional and personal. And that extends to how best to tap into their skills that can benefit the organization both internally and externally. That's why we developed a talent framework that helps identify opportunities where subject-matter experts can best contribute as well as potential options for professional development. To make this process more intuitive, we have developed a model that outlines 4 "expert personas" that detail the various characteristics related to experts in an organization along with a potential development path. Level 1: Experts in the "Practitioner" persona group can offer their organizations a wide range of skills. Our research and in-field experience with companies focused on innovation reveals that organizations can realize significant gains by tapping into this broad pool of talent. To better engage practitioners, we have helped universities better engage their Ph.D. candidates who are approaching graduation to conduct research and writing content that promotes their work and institutional brand to prospective students or donors. This also extends to corporate innovation. A recent example of this was our collaboration with a Fortune 500 company in the CPG sector, where we completed the build of an internal expert network. One of the key challenges this organization faced was the inability to quickly engage with “practitioners” - subject-matter experts across the organization who could help with specific R&D and innovation projects. While this organization had legacy HR and intranet communication platforms, they had experienced a number of challenges engaging their researchers. To make things worse the pandemic forced many to work from home, creating the need for more opportunities to engage online. They needed the ability to conduct simple searches to find other researchers relevant to their work who could help them with projects. Our research/writing team started the process by taking an inventory of experts and then developed profiles for each researcher in collaboration with the company’s research/innovation team using the ExperFile SaaS software platform. With the unique data structure used to categorize this broader set of biographical information, we then enabled advanced search capabilities to build a private, SOC2 (security) compliant expert network which was easily integrated into their existing talent platforms. With thousands of researchers across the globe, they now have the ability to quickly search for experts on areas such as skills, topics, work experience, research publications, company/industry experience and IP/patents. It’s important to note that activating all this hidden expertise not only lays the groundwork for faster innovation. It also can reduce the fees associated with outside expert networks and consultants, maintains tighter internal control of proprietary research information and forges stronger collaborations between experts across the globe. Level 2: The "Ambassador" category represents experts with a more developed set of skills and a reputation both inside their organization and within their community of practice. Working with them to generate more exposure through internal speaking engagements and within their local community is a great way to create market visibility. For example, we have worked with a number of professional services firms to make experts at this level more visible in their local markets. Building reputation and generating new client opportunities with thought leadership activities such as blogging, webinars and speaking at local business events or on podcasts is a proven way to tap into this talent. These activities have allowed organizations we have worked with to bring in new clients and increase revenues across various practice areas. Ambassadors are also perfect for involvement in on-campus recruitment events where competition for talent is high. Particularly in fields such as engineering, law and accounting. One way to make these experts more approachable to a wider audience is by creating a speaker’s bureau. Remember that not all your experts will be comfortable speaking to the media, however, they can still meaningfully contribute as a keynote speaker or panelist at an event. Organizing your experts on key topics enables local event and conference organizers to find you more easily in Google search results and on your website. In addition to getting your experts on the podium, it’s a proven way to get your expert's guest appearances on webinars and podcasts. Given the growing importance of these channels, we recently formed partnerships with the leading marketplaces for webinars and podcasts - BrightTalk and Podchaser to help our clients promote their experts for speaking opportunities. Level 3: Experts in the "Authority" category have developed a strong reputation as an expert in their field, often speaking at academic or industry conferences. At this level, they have also developed a degree of proficiency in speaking as an expert source with the local or national media. They can be found speaking as a guest on podcasts to share their knowledge and are often active on social media. In higher education, these people are critical to helping media relations and other departments generate media coverage that is essential to building a reputation. We have worked with many organizations that effectively engage their Authorities by staying connected to their research and publications and collaboratively creating regular content with them to reach a broader audience. You will find regular opportunities to boost coverage with local and national media by utilizing this group of experts. We work with media teams to conduct Google Search (SEO) analysis to identify what topics their target audiences are searching for. This allows them to more strategically focus on key experts to promote. They are also focused on delivering more engaging content formats such as video interviews and Q&A to boost Google PageRank and audience engagement across their website. And they are working collaboratively with their faculty to post media advisories and a regular stream of content that contributes to higher rates of discovery by journalists looking for expert sources. Level 4: Experts in the "Evangelist" category are those go-to experts that you often see in the media as key spokespeople representing a certain topic. They are seen as notable authorities with deep domain expertise within their community of practice which has often been earned through heavy research and publications. Chances are they have also authored books that provide a path to speaking engagements at conferences and media interviews. These are also the people who have developed a regular audience through blogging or by hosting a podcast and have a well-established social media following. Ultimately, what separates this group from the others is the significantly broader market profile they have earned as a thought leader. These individuals have an intuitive sense of how to communicate complex topics in a relatable way that both educates and engages. That makes them particularly valuable to the organizations whose brands they represent. Given the degree of qualifications required to operate at this level, it’s to be expected that you will find far fewer “evangelist” category experts in any organization. Many are naturally found within the ranks of the executive team. These are the people who are comfortable in interviews, and most have extensive public speaking experience appearing on a large stage and on radio and television. At this level, organizations need to be far more strategic about how they utilize this talent pool to build a reputation and reach a wider audience. We have seen first-hand how strategic thought leadership programs can build a platform for these experts that can pay huge dividends. One healthcare system we have worked with recently forged a relationship with ABC News to feature one of their medical experts (a medical doctor) on a weekly segment related to important Covid-related health topics. Given the frequent appearances this expert has made on television, this was an earned media home run and a great way for this healthcare system to build visibility and trust within the community by providing accurate medical information. Their commitment to making their medical experts more discoverable and approachable online has also helped them promote their strengths in areas such as cardiology, neonatal, cancer, and genetic research. And the results are impressive. Over the past year, they have doubled their national media coverage and are currently outperforming much larger healthcare systems in their area. How to organize your experts Personas by their very nature are designed to provide a more standardized approach for planning using "clusters" of talent that are grouped against common characteristics. However, we're very aware that they cannot possibly capture all the nuances you will find within your organization when it comes to talent. But our experience helping leading organizations in knowledge-based industries to better manage thousands of experts shows that having a more methodical approach pays off. It optimizes the internal/external contributions and the development paths of experts to create win-win opportunities. but it also helps forge a stronger connection with employees who feel their organization is taking the development of their professional skills more seriously and more actively creating avenues for them to engage and contribute. With an understanding of these personas, we can then focus on another important consideration - where can we best engage our experts to more effectively tap into their skills inside and outside the organization? To help answer that question, we developed a "Talent Assessment Grid" (TAG) that helps you identify key areas where each of these personas can contribute. As a planning tool, it's meant to provide a more organized approach that helps you assess your bench strength and create a more tangible system for measuring progress over time in areas such as skills development or contributions to cross-functional innovation projects or outside industry consulting. Playing to the individual strengths these experts have while moving them out of their comfort zone to develop additional skills also yields additional marketing benefits. Contributing content; speaking at conferences or community events or to the media are proven ways to build market visibility, establish trust and generate revenues - and experts play a vital role in this process. A thriving network where knowledge is easily discoverable inside an organization and strategically shared outside in the community and beyond can make a huge difference in boosting innovation and culture. When properly promoted, these experts will also help you grow your reputation, relationships, and revenues. Although this process requires commitment, it positions you to be more agile and outperform your competition by ensuring you are optimizing every employee’s true potential and making them more discoverable both inside and outside the organization. How are you putting your expert talent to work? Do you have a process you use today for identifying and engaging your experts? We would like to hear from you. For more insights on how you can organize your experts online to support your internal knowledge management or promote them to a wider audience, visit us at https://expertfile.com/resources to learn more.
Ask an expert: Are children mentally rebounding back to a sense of normalcy?
With kids heading back to class and schools facing a new normal, there's a lot to consider about life post-pandemic, especially when it comes to America's children. Recently, we sat down with Augusta University's Dr. Dale Peeples, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who treats young patients and educates parents on psychological disorders such as anxiety, ADHD and depression. Throughout the pandemic, Peeples has also been the go-to psychiatrist for media and parents, providing tips to maintain mental wellbeing. Q: Are children mentally rebounding or adjusting back to a sense of normalcy? I think we are seeing an impact from the pandemic that’s continued even though life is getting much closer to what we consider normal. The impact with kids largely focuses on school, both through education and through those social interactions. I still see kids who are struggling to make up for things after falling behind during the pandemic and struggling to work back to that classroom setting when they developed a little bit of anxiety for such extended periods. You also are seeing kids dealing with a lot of regret having missed out on life, on friendships and connections, and some kids have been really struggling with how to deal with a bunch of people again. Q: Is there a certain age group that you’ve seen that may be struggling more than others? I think the older kids are, because when they were going through this, the more impact it had. A couple of reasons for that: Peer relationships become a lot more important as you become a teenager as compared to when you are little bit younger. Also, school becomes more demanding and sometimes that catch-up on work that was missed is going to be a little more challenging than younger grades. Q: What would your advice be to parents to help their children mentally in these increasingly challenging times, specifically as we begin the new school year? Communication, obviously, is still ideal. Families want to make sure that they are still getting together, having dinner as a family, discussing how the children's day went, so parents are in the loop about what kids are dealing with, trying to maintain that open line of communication. Parents also want to kind of generally be on the lookout for symptoms of depression. Obviously that's the changes in mood, feeling sad, feeling down, but also when kids kind of socially withdrawal and they lock themselves in their rooms and they don't want to go out, be around other people, do things they enjoy. When you see grades begin to decline, those are warning signs that there might be a little bit more going on here. Q: What can children do to help themselves and make sure they feel heard? Any time I'm sitting down with a patient for the first time and we're talking about treatment options, we'll talk about medication sometimes. We generally talk about talk therapy, behavioral and cognitive interventions. They also always talk about lifestyle interventions, healthy lifestyle, and there is a ton there that people can really do to make a big difference. The biggest thing I see kids struggle with, honestly, is sleep. Sleep has a huge impact on mood and anxiety and getting proper sleep is really tough in this day and age, when you've got cell phone notifications going off around the clock. Q: We know kids are resilient. Those who have struggled the most over the last two years, can they turn the corner and get better? Absolutely, I 100% agree that the kids are resilient. I'd say almost always, I share that optimistic attitude that if they have a hard time, they're going to get better. Sometimes it's just putting out the safety guards to support them and make sure that they keep on that right track. Q: Unfortunately, school shootings are again in the news and seem to be on the rise in recent years. Are you seeing more concern and stress for children or maybe even from their parents as it relates to safety in school? I try to remind my patients that part of the reason they get a lot of national attention is because they're infrequent and they're rare. So part of it is parents kind of controlling media for younger kids. Teenagers, obviously, they understand what's going on, and it's going to be a little bit harder for parents to monitor the media, but having those open dinner table discussions can let parents know when their kids are having worries. This is an important topic, especially as students are heading back to school and beginning a fresh start to a new academic year. If you're a reporter looking to cover this topic, then let us help. Dr. Dale Peeples is available to speak with media. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Are You an Expert? Here’s How to Tell
Have you ever wondered whether or not you are an expert? When asked this question about what defines expertise, you will hear a variety of answers. Many will reference key requirements such as an expert must have extensive knowledge in their field. Others will see education, published work, or years of experience as key qualifiers. Yet there are so many other dimensions of expertise that contribute to how visible, influential and authoritative they are within their community of practice or with the general public. Who Qualifies as an Expert? I started looking closer at this topic for two reasons. The first is my personal work with experts. Having worked with thousands of them across a variety of sectors I've observed that many are driven to develop themselves professionally as an expert to meet a variety of objectives. Often these are focused on raising one's profile and reputation among peers or with the broader market to inform the public. Some see media coverage being an essential part of their strategy while others are more interested in developing a larger audience for their research or client work, by speaking at conferences or on podcasts. Others have a focus on improving their PageRank on search engines. All these activities can enable important objectives such as attracting new clients, research funding or talent. The second reason for this deeper dive into expertise is a need to better organize how we look at experts within organizations. My work with communications departments in knowledge-based sectors reveals that they are keen to learn more about how they can better engage their experts to build reputation, relationships and revenue. However, better engagement starts with a better understanding of what qualifies someone as an expert - what attributes can we objectively look at that define expertise? With that knowledge, we can first better appreciate the amount of work experts have put into establishing themselves in their field. Then organizations can nurture this expertise in a more collaborative way to accomplish shared goals. My observation is that with a little more insight, empathy, and alignment, both experts and their organizations can accomplish incredible things together. And there has never been a more important time for experts to "show their smarts." By definition, an expert is someone with comprehensive or authoritative knowledge in a particular area of study. While formal education and certifications are a starting point for expertise, many disciplines don’t have a set list of criteria to measure expertise against. It’s also important to recognize other dimensions of expertise that relate not just to the working proficiency in a field but also to the degree of influence and authority they have earned within their profession or community of practice. Because of this, expertise is often looked at as a person’s cumulative training, skills, research and experience. What are the Key Attributes of Expertise? In evaluating your accomplishments and the various ways you can contribute as an expert to both your community of practice and the public, here are some key questions that can help you assess how you are developing your expertise: Have you completed any formal education or gained relevant experience to achieve proficiency in your chosen field? Are you actively building knowledge in a specific discipline or practice area by providing your services as an expert? Are you generating unique insights through your research or fieldwork? Are you publishing your work to establish your reputation and reach a broader audience such as publications or books? Are you teaching in the classroom or educating and inspiring audiences through speaking at conferences? Do you demonstrate a commitment to impact your community of practice and help advance your field and generate an impact on society by informing the public? Have you established a reputation as a go-to source for well-informed, unique perspectives? Some Additional Tips to Help you Develop Your Expertise To further the discussion, I’ve also shared further thoughts about the meaning of “expertise”. As you think about developing your own personal skills, or if you are a communicator who is responsible for engaging with your organizations experts, here are a few additional principles to keep in mind. Experts Aren't Focused on Some“Magic Number” Related to Hours of Experience Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” (2008), outlined the now famous “10,000-hour rule” as the magic number of greatness for the time it takes to master a given field. As the rule goes, you could become a genuine expert in a field with approximately 10,000 hours of practice — roughly 3 hours a day, every day for a consecutive decade. But is that what it really takes to become an expert? But is that what it really takes to become an expert? Or did Gladwell oversimplify the concept of expertise? Some of his assumptions for “Outliers” (which became a major bestseller) relied on research from Dr. Anders Ericsson at Florida State University who made expertise the focus of his research career. Contrary to how Gladwell outlined it, Ericsson argued that the way a person practised mattered just as much, if not more, than the amount of time they committed to their discipline. It also depends on the field of research or practice one is involved in. Some disciplines take decades to achieve expertise and many experts will admit they are just scratching the surface of what they are studying, well after they have passed the 10,000-hour mark. That might be just the first stage of proficiency for some disciplines. Experts are Continuously Learning It’s difficult to claim proficiency as an expert if you are not staying current in your field. The best experts are constantly scouring new research and best practices. Dr. Anders Ericsson observed in his work that "deliberate practice" is an essential element of expertise. His reasoning was that one simply won’t progress as an expert unless they push their limits. Many experts aren’t satisfied unless they are going beyond their comfort zone, opening up new pathways of research, focusing on their weaknesses, and broadening their knowledge and skills through avenues such as peer review, speaking, and teaching. The deliberate practice occurred “at the edge of one’s comfort zone” and involved setting specific goals, focusing on technique, and obtaining immediate feedback from a teacher or mentor. Experts Apply their Knowledge to Share Unique Perspectives While many experts conduct research, simply reciting facts isn't enough. Those who can provide evidence-based perspectives, that objectively accommodate and adapt to new information will have more impact. Expertise is also about developing unique, informed perspectives that challenge the status quo, which can at times be controversial. Experts know that things change. But they don’t get caught up in every small detail in ways that prevent them from seeing the whole picture. They don't immediately rush toward new ideas. They consider historical perspectives and patterns learned from their research that provide more context for what's happening today. And these experts have the patience and wisdom to validate their perspectives with real evidence. That's why expert sources are so valuable for journalists when they research stories. The perspectives they offer are critical to countering the misinformation and uninformed opinions found on social media. Experts Connect with a Broader Audience Many experts are pushing past traditional communication formats, using more creative and visual ways to translate their research into a wider audience. We conducted research with academics in North America and in Europe who are trying to balance their research (seen in traditional peer-reviewed journals) with other work such as blogs, social media, podcasts and conferences such as TEDx - all with the goal to bring their work to a wider audience. While that's an essential part of public service, it pays dividends for the expert and the organization they represent. Experts Are Transparent More than ever, credible experts are in demand. The reason for this is simple. They inspire trust. And the overnight success some have seemingly achieved has come from decades of work in the trenches. They have a proven record that is on display and they make it easy to understand how they got there. They don't mask their credentials or their affiliations as they didn't take shortcuts. They understand that transparency is a critical part of being seen as credible. Experts Don’t Take “Fake It Till You Make It” Shortcuts The phrase “fake it till you make it,” is a personal development mantra that speaks to how one can imitate confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset, and realize those qualities in real life. While this pop psychology construct can be helpful for inspiring personal development, it gets problematic when it becomes a strategy for garnering trust with a broader audience to establish some degree of authority - especially when this inexperience causes harm to others who may be influenced by what they see. When self-appointed experts take shortcuts, promoting themselves as authorities on social media without the requisite research or experience, this blurs the lines of expertise and erodes the public trust. Experts Are Generous The best experts are excited about the future of their field, and that translates to helping others become experts too. That's why many openly share their valuable time, through speaking, teaching and mentorship. In the end, they understand that these activities are essential to developing the scale and momentum necessary to tackle the important issues of the day. How Do You Show your Smarts? How do you personally score on this framework? Or if you are in a corporate communications or academic affairs role in an institution how does this help you better understand your experts so you can better develop your internal talent and build your organization’s reputation? As always we welcome your comments as we further refine this and other models related to expertise. Let us know what you think. Helpful Resources Download our Academic Experts and the Media (PDF) This report, based on detailed interviews with some of the most media-experienced academics across the UK and United States draws on their experiences to identify lessons they can share in encouraging other academics to follow in their path. Download the UK Report Here Download the US Report Here The Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing for Higher Education (PDF) Expertise Marketing is the next evolution of content marketing. Build value by mobilizing the hidden people, knowledge and content you already have at your fingertips. This win-win solution not only gives audiences better quality content, but it also lets higher ed organizations show off their smarts. Download Your Copy
Researchers in Georgia Southern University’s Tactical Athlete Readiness and Preparedness Program (TARP) have teamed up with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) to ensure the readiness and resilience of Georgia’s public safety officials. Members of the TARP in the Waters College of Health Professions have worked to revise the fitness training standards for Georgia’s police cadets with a focus on functional fitness, mental resilience and injury prevention. In addition, the program has formed a partnership with the GPSTC, Georgia’s premier training facility for all state and local public safety related units to include police, fire and communication. Bridget Melton, Ed.D., professor of exercise science and lead faculty member of TARP, said that due to high stress and health concerns, some police and public safety officials are at high risk for cardiovascular disease or other fatal illnesses. “Our program provides state academies with fitness exercises that increase overall cadet fitness and focuses on injury prevention,” said Melton. “Our program focuses on occupational focused fitness to hopefully encourage a more positive view of exercise that will stick with cadets even after their academy training is done.” Richard Cleveland, Ed.D., associate professor of leadership, technology and human development, heads resilience and mental health for the TARP team, and has created a Mindfulness-Based Tactical Instruction curriculum for the state of Georgia. “Tactical athletes need training and support for resilience and mental health, but too often it’s only presented as a one-time workshop or seminar,” said Cleveland. “Our program dovetails into the state’s resilience curriculum for officers, but provides ‘bite-sized’ mindfulness practices within the fitness program. This gives cadets repeated practice at using mindfulness and embeds it within their context using police language, actions and behaviors.” The partnership was made possible due to a subgrant GPSTC was awarded from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to fund TARP at their facilities due to the program’s comprehensive view of officer wellness, which is aimed at improving de-escalation skills among recruits through mental and physical training. “We are pleased to form a partnership with the GPSTC and the Tactical Athlete Readiness and Preparedness Program,” stated Chris Wigginton, director of GPSTC. “This partnership will allow public safety professionals to be better prepared in their personal and professional lives. Some of the many benefits will be a reduction in injuries, being better prepared to use needed skills in rapidly evolving situations, and the resiliency and mental health component. As word has gotten out of the possibility of the GPSTC implementing this program we have already been contacted by several states regarding the initiative.” Additionally, graduate students in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology participate in the program and gain firsthand and practical experience by performing training and assessment for state instructors. TARP is part of Georgia Southern’s Tactical Athlete Initiative, which aims to reduce the number of injuries and increase readiness and preparedness of tactical athletes. The interdisciplinary team consists of the following Georgia Southern faculty members: • Bridget Melton, Ed.D., Professor • Richard Cleveland, Ed.D., Associate Professor • Greg Grosicki, Ph.D., Assistant Professor • Haresh Rochani, DrPH, Associate Professor • Mary Beth Yarbrough, Lecturer • Sarah Davis, Lecturer TARP is just one example of the work coming from Georgia Southern University’s Tactical Athlete Initiative. The Tactical Athlete Initiative is a multi-discipline collaboration providing research, training and support for military, police, fire and EMS workers. The Tactical Athlete Initiative has partnered with multiple agencies including the Statesboro Police Department, Statesboro Fire Department, Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Waycross Fire Department, Georgia Public Safety Training Centers, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and the United States Army. If you're a reporter looking to know more about this partnership at Georgia Southern University - the let us help. Richard Cleveland, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, Technology & Human Development at Georgia Southern - simply click on his icon to get in touch or contact Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Georgia Southern students expand communication disorder awareness amidst Deaf Culture Renaissance
At Georgia Southern, a group of students is taking courses to grow the number of interpreters in their communities and their fields. Each student comes to class with their own motivations to learn ASL. “Most of the deaf people, myself included, feel kind of depressed,” signed Angellia Burnett, a volunteer assistant in Georgia Southern University’s American Sign Language (ASL) course. “We miss a lot of things in life, because it has always been a struggle with communication.” Burnett grew up deaf, and is the only person in her family who is deaf. Members of her family speak ASL, but she said many in the Deaf community continue to be left out of family conversations because not everyone will sign all of the time. This leaves Deaf family members feeling isolated even within their own homes. “Not everyone accepts my deafness,” Burnett signed. “They need to know Deaf culture. They need to accept that.” One of the most effective ways of accepting someone is by understanding the challenges they face. Over the past few years, the world has experienced a Deaf culture renaissance, where the inclusion of people who are deaf becomes more mainstream. Recently, the film “CODA,” which stands for “children of deaf adults,” won the 2022 Academy Award for Best Picture. This brought Deaf culture further into the spotlight, opening many eyes into the lives of those with hearing impairments. “What that means is it embraces the entire community,” said Dana Taylor, Ph.D., Georgia Southern adjunct professor and sign language interpreter. “It’s not isolating one group as being different. Individuals get to see the struggles and challenges and the triumphs that people experience.” At Georgia Southern, a group of students is taking courses to grow the number of interpreters in their communities and their fields. Each student comes to class with their own motivations to learn ASL. Some are learning sign language because they have people in their lives with hearing impairments or other communication disorders where sign can be advantageous. Others are there to develop their Sign skills as a professional tool. “If I had a client who spoke ASL, I’d be able to communicate with them better or make them feel more comfortable,” said Ricki Botsford, speech pathology student. “I’ve learned a lot about how broad communication can be, because there are so many ways to communicate outside of the verbal option.” When the students were asked if they had tried learning other languages like Spanish or French, every hand was raised. When asked if they stuck to learning them, all but a few went down. So what makes Sign different? “It’s a lot easier to integrate into every day,” said Adia Greer who’s studying to be an athletic trainer for Deaf athletes. “I can speak it verbally, but I can also sign it. I’ve picked up signing to my cat a lot. She doesn’t understand it, but it allows me to practice.” While the students practice Sign with their pets and favorite TV shows, Burnett continues to come to class to help show her students the world they share, but not the one they see. Georgia Southern has a network of Student Accessibility Resource Centers on the Statesboro and Savannah campuses providing interpreters for students who want to attend classes and interact with their environment, as well as many other resources for students who are hard of hearing. “The whole world needs to learn Sign,” Burnett signed. “I want to see people motivated to learn. I see a lot of Hearing people who are motivated to learn, and a lot of Deaf people that want to help make them successful. I’m really proud that I can help in that.” If you're a reporter looking to know more about this important topic - then let us help with your coverage and stories. Dana Taylor, Ph.D., is available to answer your questions - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Social media interaction and well-being during a public health crisis
Yvette Wohn, assistant professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology, examines how social media and mobile technologies are used for social support, which includes emotional, informational and financial support — managing both personal and professional relationships. Wohn‘s research area is in human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-mediated communication. She studies the role of algorithms and social interactions in livestreaming, esports and social media and how they influence well-being. Wohn is conducting research on how physical and social space influences the well-being and productivity of people living or working in enclosed spaces. Some of her experiments look at the effects of simulated nature via digital windows. As Wohn notes, "Seeing nature is important to maintain well-being. In a nutshell, seeing nature on a big screen, even if you know it is fake, can help elevate mood." Wohn is also the principal investigator of two NSF-funded projects examining the role of content moderators on social media, whose role is to keep online spaces positive and factual. Wohn is available to speak with media on topics related to how people use different technologies and social media to connect during these times. To request an interview, click on the button below.
Aston University experts to take part in Pint of Science 2022
Pint of Science, the world’s largest festival of public science talks, will run from 9 – 11 May Experts from universities, including Aston University, will take part across 32 UK cities Aston University academics will appear in front of audiences at Birmingham venues: The Woodman, Grain & Glass and Café Artum at Hockley Social Club. Tickets have gone on sale for Pint of Science 2022 which is returning on its 10th anniversary. The festival will bring thousands of scientists and their research out of the lab and into our pubs, cafes and community halls from 9 to 11 May 2022. Experts from universities in Birmingham including Aston University, Birmingham City University and University of Birmingham, will take part in 16 events across the city. The festival will take place in 32 UK cities, with events in hundreds of cities across 25 countries. Each event will provide a unique line up of talks, demonstrations and live experiments, held in a relaxed and informal environment. Aston University academics taking part in Pint of Science will appear in front of audiences at a number of Birmingham venues, including, The Woodman, Grain & Glass and Café Artum at Hockley Social Club. They will host talks on topics around the Pint of Science themes of: Beautiful Mind; Atoms to Galaxies; Our Body; Planet Earth; Tech me out; Our Society. Seven Aston University experts are leading talks including ‘The science of swearing’, ‘How much microplastic is in your pint: does it matter?’ and ‘How facial expressions guide our eating behaviour’. Dr Robbie Love, a lecturer in English at Aston University, who is taking part in Pint of Science 2022 and who is hosting a talk about the science of swearing said: “I am really looking forward to an evening of linguistic libations at Café Artum for Pint of Science 2022. “Swearing might seem like a bit of fun, but the science behind swearing shows us that it plays a really important role in human communication. Plus, I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s favourite swear words!” Katie Edwards, a PhD student at Aston University who is taking part in Pint of Science 2022 said: “I am really looking forward for this year’s Pint of Science festival to chat about eating behaviour. “I will be talking about how other people's food enjoyment can impact our eating. “It is a great opportunity to hear about current scientific research whilst relaxing with a drink.” You can find out more about full line up of events in Birmingham, which includes experts from the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University, here.
12 tips to help you build your networking skills in Canada
Your professional network will be one of your most valuable assets in the Canadian job market. Whether you’re trying to land your first job or are looking for a mentor, your network can play an important role in helping you achieve professional success in Canada. As a newcomer to Canada, you’ll have to work harder and refine your networking skills to build connections from scratch in your new country. This article will provide you with tips to help you build your networking skills, so you can start nurturing meaningful professional relationships. 1. Understand that communication is two-sided One of the many advantages of networking is that it’s as much about promoting your personal brand as it is about learning from the experience of others. When someone takes time to speak with you, give them a chance to talk. Active, attentive listening is an essential networking skill that ensures you absorb the information being shared with you. You can then ask intelligent, relevant questions and get insights that might be useful for your professional success in Canada. Keep distractions away and focus on the conversation. It is rude to interrupt when someone is talking, so save your questions until they’ve finished speaking. 2. Improve your public speaking skills Many newcomers avoid networking or public speaking as they lack confidence in their English language or interpersonal skills. However, practice is the best way to overcome the fear of speaking in public. Take the time to work on your language skills. There are many English as a Second Language (ESL) resources and community groups available across the country to help newcomers improve their speaking and listening skills. Practice speaking in front of a mirror or with your friends. Don’t feel insecure if you have an accent or have trouble understanding some words. Remember, Canada is a diverse, multicultural country, and most people are accepting of the fact that English may not be your first language. 3. Practice both verbal and non-verbal communication What you say is only half the image you present—non-verbal communication is just as important. Your body language conveys a lot about your personality and how engaged you are in a meeting. Avoid crossing your arms, closing your fists tightly, or hunching your shoulders, as this can make you seem unfriendly. Practice smiling and gesturing with your hands as you talk in front of a mirror. Be aware of your posture and make eye contact with the people you are talking to. While networking in-person, speak confidently. Respect people’s personal space and avoid standing too close to them. 4. Learn the art of small talk Small talk is culturally important in Canada. It serves as an icebreaker before you get to the actual topic of conversation. Since small talk is meant to create a safe, comfortable environment, be sure to choose non-controversial, light topics. Some common small talk topics include the weather, sports, arts, entertainment, hobbies, and current events. Stay away from topics like politics, personal or family matters, income, and religion. As a newcomer, you can build your small talk skills by staying up-to-date on the news, developing an interest in Canadian arts, culture, and, of course, sports. 5. Ask for constructive feedback An easy way to build your networking skills is to get an honest opinion on what you maybe doing wrong or need to improve. Before an important networking meeting, do a practice run with some friends and ask them for feedback on your small talk, elevator pitch, questions, and overall communication skills. You can also ask for constructive feedback towards the end of your networking meetings. Be open and humble when you ask for tips to help you build your networking skills. In most cases, people are willing to offer guidance and insights that you can leverage in future meetings. 6. Give before you get One mistake many newcomers make is to only think about what they can get out of a connection, without considering what they may be able to offer in return. Networking is not one-sided, so be sure to make a list of your unique skills and strengths before you start. Even if you are new to the Canadian job market, review the LinkedIn profile of the person you’re going to meet to understand their role and see where you can contribute. During your meeting, convey your willingness to help and ask if there’s anything you can support them with. By offering to give before you get, you can build meaningful connections and also prove your value to your network. Once they’ve seen your skills in action, they’ll be more likely to offer guidance, connect you to others, or refer you to job opportunities. 7. Attend networking events and workshops One way to build your networking skills is to jump right in and start networking. Look for both virtual and in-person networking events on industry association websites or on platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup, and attend as many as you can. In addition to making connections, this will also give you a chance to observe the way other people network. You’ll be able to pick up best practices related to small talk, ways to introduce yourself, verbal and non-verbal communication, and questions to ask. If you meet someone particularly impressive, don’t hesitate to follow up and ask if they would be willing to share some tips to help you network better. 8. Prepare, prepare, prepare When it comes to networking meetings, preparation can make all the difference. Put your research skills to good use and learn as much as you can about the background, role, and career path of the individual you’re going to meet. Know what you want to get from your networking meetings—further connections, guidance, or referrals. Prepare a list of questions accordingly, and customize your list based on each person’s industry, skills, and position. Finally, spend some time creating an engaging, authentic elevator pitch. Remember that an elevator pitch is not a sales pitch, but a chance to tell your story and highlight your skills in an impactful way. 9. Ask for recommendations and introductions In Canada, every professional you meet will likely have their own network. As a newcomer, it might not be easy to ask the people you meet to connect you with others. This is a networking skill that you’ll need to build as you start to grow and nurture your network. Before you meet someone for a coffee chat, go through their LinkedIn network and see if they know someone you’d like to be introduced to. If you’re looking for specific information or trying to build a particular skill, it is a good idea to ask your connections if they can recommend someone in their industry or organization who might be able to help. If you’ve cultivated a meaningful relationship, you might also be able to get an introduction to someone in their network. When you are introduced to a person by someone they know and trust, they are more likely to take out time to speak with you. 10. Keep track of your networking meetings For most newcomers, the first few months of networking can be overwhelming. Since you’re building your network from scratch in Canada, you might be meeting as many as four or five people each week. This makes it hard to keep track of who you’ve met and what you discussed. As a result, you might forget valuable insights or miss out on following up with some people. Keeping track of your meetings is an important networking skill. Create a list with names of people you meet, meeting dates, their designations and organization, discussion points, and follow-up actions. When you set up follow-up meetings, you’ll be able to refer to your list to review points that you had discussed with them earlier. This list can also help you identify connections who might be useful when you’re applying for a job. You’ll also be able to clearly see gaps in your network, such as industries you don’t have connections in, so you can focus on those in the future. 11. Follow up and follow through Building meaningful professional relationships takes time and in most cases, the first meeting is only an introduction. The value you can leverage from your connections often depends on how much time and effort you invest in maintaining them. You can start by sending a personalized thank you note within 24 hours of your meeting. If you’ve agreed upon any action items during your meetings, don’t forget to deliver on them. After your initial meeting, you can keep the conversation going by regularly sharing relevant developments and insights, engaging on their social media posts, or asking for their opinion on topics related to the ones you discussed. 12. Don’t give up Finally, patience is another skill you’ll need as you start building your network in Canada. It’s easy to become demotivated when your LinkedIn connection requests go unanswered or when the people you connect with online are unwilling to meet you. Even after the initial coffee chats, some of your connections may not be able or willing to offer you the advice, guidance, or contacts you need. It takes time to nurture relationships and identify how and where someone might be able to add value. You might also have to demonstrate your own willingness to help before someone agrees to support you. Even if some meetings don’t go as well as you had hoped, don’t give up. Each new meeting is a learning opportunity, so keep an open mind. Remember that it only takes one connection or referral to land your dream job in Canada. Networking plays a crucial role in the Canadian job market. However, networking may not come naturally to everyone. As a newcomer to Canada, improving your networking skills will help you build meaningful relationships with people who can bring you closer to achieving your career goals. Original article located here, published by Arrive. About Arrive Arrive is powered by RBC Ventures Inc, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. In collaboration with RBC, Arrive is dedicated to helping newcomers achieve their life, career, and financial goals in Canada. An important part of establishing your financial life in Canada is finding the right partner to invest in your financial success. RBC is the largest bank in Canada* and here to be your partner in all of your financial needs.
