How important is learning to communicators?
Very.
Tim Fitzpatrick, retired chief marketing and communications officer for two of the largest energy companies in America, explains in his interview with Kay Peterson in this month’s episode of Learning at the Edge, a podcast from the Institute for Experiential Learning.
“If you want to succeed over the course of a career, you must embrace change. To do so demands that you embrace continuous learning,” he said. Learning the company culture, learning your new boss’s style, learning the ever-changing subject matter that you’re tasked with communicating, and knowing your customers, clients and co-workers – a successful communications leader is constantly gathering information, seeking feedback, and learning from experiences and mistakes.
‘What can we learn from this and what are the implications for us?’ Continually asking those two questions is a core function of leadership.”
Tim Fitzpatrick has deep expertise in all aspects of reputation management and brand building, stakeholder engagement, change management and crisis communications, having spent nearly four decades helping senior executives in the energy, chemicals, telecommunications and technology industries successfully navigate unique challenges.
Most recently, Fitzpatrick served as the chief marketing and communications officer for two of the largest energy providers in America, NextEra Energy and PG&E. Earlier, he held leadership roles with BASF, Ameritech and Lexmark, among others.
He began his career as a journalist in Youngstown, Ohio, and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Youngstown State University.
Tune in to our conversation with Tim on Learning at the Edge.
