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In this episode, Carrie-Ann Wade shares the highlights, challenges and insights from her communications career to date and her life as a communications director.
From careers advice at school to the importance of her support network, she shares her journey so far. Opportunity is the word of the episode - grabbing the ones that feel right as they come along and looking to help others find the right opportunities for them.
Carrie-Ann has worked in communications for almost 20 years and is currently founder and director of Cat's Pajamas Communications Ltd, mentoring aspiring comms leaders and supporting team development. In this, the last episode in the series, she shares her advice for other communicators alongside some of the learning she has gained from life as a leader so far.
Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode of Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director, Carrie-Ann Wade is in conversation with Nick Pearson about the successes and challenges of his career to date and his advice for aspiring communications leaders.
Nick is a communications leader with more than 25 years’ experience and runs Pearson & Pearson (communications) Ltd with his wife, Vicky. He began his career in the media and in 2004 he joined the NHS. During the COVID-19 pandemic Nick was Director of Communications for a Nightingale Hospital. His last role in the NHS was Chief of Staff at NHS Devon.
Nick shares his passion for politics and how that has shaped his career as well as his desire to develop teams and individuals. And one of his key bits of advice is to know your red lines. The importance of integrity and knowing what you stand for in your role working with other senior leaders is crucial when you are the person who may well have to challenge the decision making and strategy.
Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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Fehlende Folgen?
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Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In the latest episode Carrie-Ann Wade talks with Simon Jones who is the Executive Director for Communications for Westco and the former Chair of LGcomms, a professional body representing local government communicators.
We talk about his 15 years’ experience at director level in local government where his remit not only covered communications but included policy, strategy and business intelligence.
Simon shares his journey from journalist and editorial director into a career in communications and is honest about the challenges and learning.
We also talk about the joy of working with senior leadership teams who value and understand comms as well as the impacts of crisis communications on our work and our wellbeing.
Thank you to Simon for sharing his story and his advice for communications leaders.
Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode of Behind the Bob, Carrie-Ann Wade is in conversation with Ranjeet Kaile about life as a communications director and some of the highlights and challenges of his career to date. Ranjeet is the Executive Director of Communications and Engagement for South East London Integrated Care Partnership and for South London and The Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
From his desire to work for the police service, through to the various opportunities he has grasped throughout his career in public sector communications, it is clear that Ranjeet is focused on creating positive impacts for the communities he works in. We talk about the various and diverse work you can get involved in as a public sector comms pro, and some of Ranjeet's highlights such as the South London Listens programme.
We cover the challenges and opportunities that COVID-19 and managing comms through a pandemic has presented to our profession, alongside working out which team or teams you are part of when you take that step up into a leadership role.
And we also get to hear Ranjeet's thoughts on his hugely successful work supporting the communications trainee programme in the NHS, something many of our guests in the first series of the podcast name checked him for.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode, Carrie-Ann Wade and Mary Whenman discuss Mary's career highlights and her advice and insight for aspiring communications directors.
Mary is Director, Group Communications at the British Business Bank, the UK’s economic development bank. Before moving in-house, Mary had a 25-year global agency career. She is a Fellow of the CIPR, has featured in the PR Week Powerbook since 2015 and was President of Women in PR 2015-2018.
The conversation ranges from holiday camps to high end diamonds, with everything in between. And Mary shares her experience of moving from agency to in-house. With advice on speaking truth to power when you are a communications leader, there are plenty of gems in this episode.
Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode of Behind the Bob, Carrie-Ann Wade is in conversation with Darren Caveney. He is the creator and owner of comms2point0 specialist consultancy, Creative Communicators Ltd. His 28 years in communications, PR and marketing includes communications leadership in local government and in the NHS.
From a potential career as a stained glass maker (it's never too late) to be asked to stop the Guiness blimp flying over London, Darren shares the highlights and challenges of his career to date.
And best of all, he shares his top 10 tips for communications directors and aspiring communications leaders. These unsurprisingly include a focus on mental health and wellbeing, as well as setting really clear boundaries to support your ways of working and relationships in the workplace.
Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director
Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director with Carrie-Ann Wade.
This podcast is all about developing communications leaders of the future and supporting you to grow and thrive in your comms career. You’ll hear from Carrie-Ann about her own personal experiences and insights and there might even be a special guest or two popping up.
The first series focused on diversity in the communications profession and how to create more opportunities for people to see communications as a profession they would like to work in. The second series explores the lives of communications directors to help inspire and support communications leaders of the future.
Behind the Bob gives you a sneak peek into life as a comms director and provides you with all the "behind the scenes" knowledge to help you thrive as a communications leader.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review. It really does help the podcast reach more communicators!
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published on Wednesdays and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode of Behind the Bob, Carrie-Ann Wade talks with Shak Rafiq about his communications career to date, diversity in the profession and how we can attract new talent into public sector communications.
Shak is an Associate Director of Communications and Engagement in the NHS and shares his insights and advice about being a communicator.
03:31 - values and community led
06:01 - imposter syndrome, are we holding ourselves back?
11:44 - role modelling and representation - the challenges
19:14 - diversity of our profession and seeing someone like me
24:24 - attracting new talent, ambassadors and apprenticeships
Thank you Shak for taking time out to share your thoughts and experiences to support and inspire others.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode of Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director, Carrie-Ann Wade shares her thoughts and reflections on what you might want to consider during times of change and uncertainty.
01:31 - your role as a leader in your organisation
05:00 - intuition and empathy
05:33 - your role with your communications team
08:55 - impacts on you as an individual
10:11 - your support network
In challenging times, comms directors take on numerous roles, often providing support, advice and counsel to other leaders. In this episode, Carrie-Ann encourages you to ensure you have a strong support network in place to help you when you need it. Change impacts you too!
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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This is another guest episode of Behind the Bob and Carrie-Ann is talking with Kirk Millis-Ward, Director of Communications and Engagement at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust. Kirk is also the Executive sponsor for the Disability and Long-Term Conditions Network and Neurodiversity Network.
In this episode Kirk talks about his own personal journey and experience as a neurodiverse communications director as well as sharing his thoughts on how we can better support colleagues in and into the profession.
06:00 - finding the connections
12:12 - understanding the impact of a diagnosis of ADHD
19:53 - developing a diverse communications team
34:40 - why choose public sector communications
39:43 - personal responsibility and curiosity
Thank you to Kirk for being part of the discussion about our profession, diversity and opportunities.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode of Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director, Carrie-Ann Wade shares her thoughts and reflections on why communications professionals make good leaders.
03:26 - it's all about communication
04:04 - decision making
05:35 - taking action
06:57 - caring about the consequences
09:38 - creativity and curiosity
10:58 - "being strategic"
There are so many reasons why good communications professionals make good leaders, not that Carrie-Ann needs to tell you that.
If you are looking to step into a leadership position, or you are a leader who is considering your purpose and impact, then now is the time to reflect and consider what sort of leader you want to be. And why stop at comms? When comms pros rule the world who knows what could happen...
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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It's another episode with a special guest and this time Carrie-Ann is talking with Shameema Ali, Senior Communications and Engagement Manager at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Shameema shares her thoughts and advice on diversity in the profession and why communications professionals should consider a career in public sector communications.
02:07 - being thrown in at the deep end
06:37 - dealing with imposter syndrome
08:29 - the role of leaders in our profession
13:07 - opportunities to develop in public sector comms
15:20 - using our diversity to our advantage
Thank you so much to Shameema for sharing and being part of the discussion about our profession, diversity and opportunities.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In the latest episode Carrie-Ann talks all things demonstrating value as a communications professional - a topic listeners have been keen to hear more about.
The key elements are relationship building, evaluation and performance reporting and impact.
02:45 - relationships and the nuances
04:55 - key questions to ask yourself
08:33 - impact over outputs
13:39 - what's your performance report telling you?
15:46 - influence and opportunity
Use this episode to reflect on the value you are adding as a communications professional and how you are evidencing this in your organisation.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you found enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode of Behind the Bob, Carrie-Ann talks with Lewis Williams, Senior Communications Officer at NHS Blood and Transplant, about his career to date and his advice for improving the diversity of the communications profession.
04:06 - routes into public sector comms
11:01 - the Socially Mobile programme
16:47 - the value of work experience (and the hidden cost)
20:44 - diversifying the industry
28:10 - the benefits of networking
36:50 - commitment to learning and development
In this episode Lewis gives shout outs to Stephen and Sarah Waddington for the Socially Mobile programme, Asif Choudry and the Comms Hero crew and Leanne Hughes, one of his colleagues.
Lewis also discusses the CIPR (Chartered Institute of PR) and the learning opportunities available.
Carrie-Ann and Lewis also recognise the value of mentoring, particularly early in your career as a communications professional and the value this can add personally and professionally.
Thank you Lewis for sharing your experiences, challenges and career highlights so far. Some really insightful advice and reflections to support others in the industry.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In this episode, Carrie-Ann Wade talks about the importance of boundary setting as a communicator and as a leader.
Sharing her own experiences of boundary setting, and recognising when boundaries are slipping, Carrie-Ann invites you to reflect on your boundaries and how you are communicating them.
00:54 - recognising when your boundaries are slipping
02:38 - protecting your time and energy
03:26 - protecting your team
05:19 - delivering strategic objectives
06:27 - boundaries and decision making
07:59 - taking on the mental load
As well as being clear on what your boundaries are, make sure you communicate them. And make time for your life outside of work, your professional boundaries should help support your personal life.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you found enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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This is the first of Carrie-Ann's conversations with public sector comms pros focused on how to encourage diversity within the profession and make a career in public sector communications attractive to new talent.
In this episode Carrie-Ann talks with Lisa Ward, a former NHS communications director, about her career so far, challenges she has faced and her thoughts on diversity in communications.
10:46 - storytelling and communications
15:58 - returning to communications from maternity leave
20:29 - menopause in the workplace
30:06 - apprenticeships as a route into communications
46:57 - reaching different communities to recruit
Thank you Lisa for sharing your own journey and experiences to inspire others who are looking to take the next steps in their communications career.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you found enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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In the first episode of Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director, Carrie-Ann Wade shares a few of the things that have helped her communications career to date.
Sharing some insights into what has supported her, as not only a communications professional but as a leader, Carrie-Ann hopes to encourage you to think about your career to date, as well as your aspirations for the future.
02:30 - saying yes to opportunities and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone
05:46 - building and nurturing your support network
08:15 - investing in your own development
13:38 - working with leaders who value communication
15:59 - knowing your own values and what you stand for
It is a really important part of your development as a communications leader to take the time to reflect on how you can best serve your needs to grow and thrive. And as always, ensuring this is reciprocal, consider how you can help others too.
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Thank you for listening to this episode. If you found enjoyed listening please share it, leave a rating or a review.
New episodes of Behind the Bob are published every Wednesday and you can always subscribe via your favourite podcast platform to ensure you don't miss an episode.
You can find out more about Carrie-Ann and Cat's Pajamas Communications at www.cats-pajamas.co.uk
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Welcome to Behind the Bob, Diary of a Comms Director, with me, Carrie-Ann Wade.
Behind the Bob is my new podcast that provides an insight into life as a communications director to support aspiring communications leaders as part of your development.
As well as a behind the scenes peek into my working life, I will be shining a light n the issue of diversity in public sector communications, and how we can make the profession more attractive to encourage new and diverse talent. This means I'll be having conversations with communicators who are passionate about this in the hope it provides advice and insight so we can take more action to make a positive difference.
I hope you enjoy the podcast. Please do share it, leave a rating or a review.
Catch up soon!
