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Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Hi there, welcome to the biz communication show. I’m your host Bill Lampton, the biz communication guy bringing you communication tips and strategies that will boost your business. Because my guest and I are going to share winning words and ways coming to us today from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Sharon MacLean, Sharon McLean believes we need leaders to quickly adapt and evolve within the ever changing dynamics of today’s business landscape. She’s an experienced business woman, digital communication strategist and instructor in communication for adult learners. This Canadian also is fond of saying she is on Team human I liked that. Sharon founded a magazine for business leaders with her husband and sold the media enterprise as she puts it before going broke amid the worldwide economic crisis of 2007 2009. This disruptive change led to her immediate upskilling for the online world, and the launch and investor backed marketing portal for wellness experts. Before she started specializing in content strategies for business leaders. Sharon relied on her experience in publishing together a team of experts and communication to train the evolving hybrid workforce and how we need that this team designed virtual communication mastery to recognize employees as drivers of the new economy. Now there’s a new slant and a welcome one. Sharon received an inspiration award from the universal Women’s Network, global televisions women of vision Award, and the YMCA is a woman of distinction in business nomination. And as she puts it, since life is lived in balance, she also likes to hike, bike golf, sang and travel as a digital nomad. So I know that you will enthusiastically join me in welcoming Sharon McLean. Hello, Sharon.
Hello, Sharon.
Sharon MacLean
Hello, Bill. So nice to be here with you this afternoon.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Yes, and good to be with you as well. One of the things that I I would like to key in on to begin with, is where you said that you have, you have a very strong appetite for learning business. Business Communication, you have a very strong appetite for learning communication. So tell us how that started. Now that’s that’s not something that’s universal. It’s very special. And of course, it’s something you and I share. And that is a desire to learn lifelong, as much as we can about communication. What prompted that with you, Sharon?
Sharon MacLean
BELL I communication is central to my life. And I believe it’s the the lifeblood of humanity. Because it really talks to communication, relationships between one to one one to many, community, when to community want. And the world. So back as a very young woman, I really felt the the need to really work on and develop relationships and and how do we do that while we try to do that with better communication skills. So that carried me throughout my lifetime here.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Along that line, I would ask, what do you do to keep that going? You’ve got that appetite. So in what ways? Do you continue to develop your communication skills? And your answer to that will give us some tips on how we can do that?
Sharon MacLean
Well, for me, it’s been a matter of lifelong learning, and testing and watching and communicating and making mistakes. In communication and then learning from those mistakes, but I’m gonna say, life long learning, you know what Bill I just never ever learning what is new in our communication world and certainly most recently, with artificial intelligence, AI chat GPT has got me in thrall today.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
One of the one of the factors that you and I both are aware of is that in the last 20 to 25 years with the, the great opportunities we have with the internet, and now as you mentioned, artificial intelligence, it takes lifelong learning, it’s impossible to say get a degree 30 years ago, and then you’re in step now it just, it just can’t be done. In fact, the very fact that you and I are talking right now, the fact that I even ever had an eye contact from Gainesville, Georgia with somebody and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. That’s quite miraculous, because a few decades ago, maybe I would read an article of yours that you published and you were in the publishing business, we’ll talk about that. I would write you a letter in hopes it may be two weeks later, you might answer the letter. And once you answer the letter, courteously, and professionally, as I’m sure you would, that would probably be the end of our contact. And now, there’s just no limit. And there’s, there’s hardly any budget limit. So as as you say, unless we keep learning, not only will we fall behind will fall down. But there’s an excitement and learning and I’ll have to say to you, and to those who are with us on the video and on the podcast, that during my 20 years in management. Like you I had a career before I became a Communication Consultant during my 20 years in management, Sharon, I ran from technology. I absolutely thought it was something I could never learn. I’m not very technically oriented, inclined. And so all that time, I had people that I could delegate it to, but guess what, when I became an entrepreneur, there was nobody to delegate it to. So I did what was very necessary and extremely helpful. I found people who knew what I did not know. And I still have since 1997, the same tech and marketing mentor. He was one of those who saw the value of the internet, the potential. And he started in a day when practically nobody else was doing it. So I would imagine you’ve had some mentors as well.
Sharon MacLean
I so many, so many to count, Bill honest to get us over the years from where I started. And so the careers from those days would be gentleman in the name of Jim Vincent here, who I’ve known for all of these years. And from there into fundraising development, and Jim Keller, who was the executive director, from the charitable sector, organization I worked with a lot of times you have with a global organization, and then on and on and on over the years. The transition reminded me of my time from transitioning from the magazine into becoming now over 12, over 10 years ago, and the idea, the same idea that we could, in an executive role, we could delegate those technical responsibilities to any number of disciplines. But as we became consultants, and certainly as we became involved in in digital communications, or the digital enterprise world of it then became really, really clear to me that I had better learn these skills that I was delegating, because at some point, that person may or may not be able to perform the duties I require. Somebody has to step in. That’s me. So if your story really resounds with me.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Did you have as it seemed, you indicated, did you have a career or a role and professional fundraising?
Sharon MacLean
I did. That was my My middle career, I like to call it fundraising development. And I know you have a serious career in that role with the institutes of higher learning your universities. Yes, my first role after leaving, let’s say was with Easter Seals. And with Easter Seals. Yeah, we became we were a national organization, very heavily involved in fundraising development. And from there, I moved into the world of arts and culture, and became the Development Director for our Citadel Theatre, which is a regional theatre in Canada. So I loved those years. Oh, my goodness, what I learned from the mentors, on those boards of directors and the volunteers 1000s of volunteers, some more active, some more skilled, but did they ever teach me how to stick to have to stick to the, to my guns and be persistent? So I loved it. Yeah.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
I, as you just indicated, I had a two decades and in professional fundraising. And I know that you and I would agree, and I think our our viewers and listeners would agree, if you want to put your communication skills to the test, become a professional fundraiser, where you go to people and ask for major contributions, you you, you just don’t do that off the cuff. It takes. It takes research, it takes learning a great deal about, as we said, communication, you have if you’re ever have to know your product, and we talk about that, and sales and marketing, if you ever have to know your product, you certainly have to know it. And fundraising because you’re going to get many, many questions. I, I think that one of the most valuable lessons I learned was my first year and development work where I had moved from the faculty of the University of Georgia. And the person who was my supervisor before I went out and started making fundraising solicitations, we would call them. He said, I want to give you a phrase that will work wonders. Instead of asking somebody, can you give 100 500 1000 5000, whatever. Instead of asking them, can you give that ask them? Could you consider a gift of and the magic and that was that that took away the feeling of force or pressure? Sure they could consider it. And that meant by considering it, they had the the option to decline are to commit? And so before we go to any other topics, is there any particular key like that, that you remember that you still find valuable in communication, Sharon,
Sharon MacLean
on bill it many times I’d have I have said this, I wish that business could learn so much more from fundraising in the charitable sector. And on the likewise, the church, both from the business sector, if we have those skills brought together, learning from each other, we would have a seriously growth economy. So, and challenges would be overcome, I think very much from the church people will say that we invite people to join our higher purpose. So I would always like to say it then rather than gifting or giving to this particular cause, would you invest in the higher purpose of who wouldn’t want to have a better cultural life or a better medical life? Well, better any type of life within our community because business and government and are not taking care of all of our needs. But together we’re investing in a better world
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
like that. And the word invest, of course, is something that we, as consultants, we talk to our potential clients about. We don’t say, Would you be willing to pay something that’s that’s, that’s very brass and blunt and unappealing. We say to them that hiring our communication consulting services, I think you and I both would say, this is not an expenditure on You’re apart. It’s an investment. It’s an investment, and how we can help you to develop your communication skills. Is that a phrase you might find appealing? Sharon?
Sharon MacLean
Oh, my goodness, you’ve touched on something very close to my heart again, Bill. So the the, the board of directors I spent some time with a few years back was on the world of intangible assets, and how we have switched from tangible assets and the investment of the bricks and mortar that we, that we live in to intangible assets, intangible assets speaks to putting your employees on the balance sheet where before they were expensed it essentially, by investing in your employees, they become an intangible asset, and now move to the other side of the equation and look like equity in your organization. And doesn’t that turn the tables on her?
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Very well put, Sharon, we’re going to come back in a few seconds. And talk about your publishing career. And what you see as the future of magazine and newspaper publishing today, a very vital question. We’ll be right back.
Speaker 3
Do you wish you felt confident about giving speeches? Do you want to deal with difficult people constructively? And what about becoming more persuasive and sales, then keep listening now? Dr. Bill Lampton, he spent 20 years in management, so he knows the communication skills you need for success. I urge you to call the biz communication guide today for a no cost. But very valuable 30 minute discussion about your communication challenges. Call now. 678-316-4300? Again, that’s 678-316-4300.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Yes, Sharon, we go back to thinking about your publishing days now. 21 years publishing a magazine. I remember. And I don’t know if this was the case in Canada, but in in the United States, it was so common in waiting rooms of doctors offices to have a dozen or more magazines that those patients would read. I mean, it was just a standard. And one of the one of the factors that I’ve noticed among my acquaintances here in Gainesville, Georgia, there are so many I will say, Did you see something in the local paper? Oh, we don’t subscribe. We don’t subscribe. And so the trend, of course, the Atlanta Journal Constitution would be an excellent, excellent example of how adjustments have to take place, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a daily newspaper, in fact, at one point, it was morning and afternoon, it was a daily newspaper for 150 years. And then about three months ago, no more printed editions, except I think maybe they still do a Sunday edition that they deliver. But everything is online now. There’s, I’m not going to knock the internet you and I love it. But it has had a tremendous impact on publishing. So as a veteran publisher, who was was right there with on your hands for a long, long time. What do you see as the future, the very near future, even of magazines and newspapers?
Sharon MacLean
Well, I can see that we’re not going back bill, we are going forward. And as much as I love the publishing magazine, business, and and it’s a big part of my heart, because it really was part and central into into the community in which I live, which is Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was very much a part of the central centrality of that community building. And so what I see now, of course, is and we all know what’s happened over the last decade and a half is the is the arrival of so many citizen journalists, online and offline. I do think that magazine and you do have a place and those really refined magazines with better forms of paper. Certainly requirement for tremendous photography, and really solid interviewing skills. I think those might take with them a really precious place. Then, of course, the rest will be our digital enterprise. I mean, look, we’ve we’ve we’ve we’ve already made an six months, there’s been lots of chatter about, about AI and its effect on on writing, and interviewing and edit. I kind of think that the media that will have really high quality elements to them in in the future, I’ll tell you what I really, truly miss, though bit is a journalistic approach to and that anytime I see as an article, or a blog or somebody with a comment, I will need for deeper to find out. And did they have when they were reporting on that story, and are creating that content? Did they come together with qualified sources themselves. That’s really what I miss most about about journalism today is though, journalists who double check their sources and come back a written piece.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
There’s one interesting slant that I add doubt that many newspapers, local newspapers would try. But I’ve seen it work. So effectively, I grew up in a very, very small town in Mississippi town still has a population of 6000 are fewer, they have two editions of the paper per week, I still subscribe to it. And the reason I believe it is so successful is they have absolutely nothing in the way of national or international news. Everything is local, if that their thought is if you’re going to be a local newspaper, then let’s have everything local. And I’m not a trained journalist. But I know that people like to read about what’s going on around them, the events, the people, the milestones, the anniversaries, the celebrations, and one of the most popular columns that that local newspaper had. And I wrote them and told them, I really commended them for it. They called it looking back. And they would they would print items from 50 years ago and 30 years ago, just in one column, you know, a few selected ones. And you it brought back memories for people from those decades. So I suppose I’m saying just off the cuff, that the personal side of journalism, is what I hope we don’t lose.
Sharon MacLean
I think that’s a terrific strategy on the part of that community, your community bill, the strategy being that memories are so important to us. Again, it’s about connection, you know, within my students, the classes that I teach it to Nate northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and we have classes in the Applied Business Writing, problem solving leadership, the the essence of, of writing to somebody on the other side of the screen, now we’re talking digital communication, is to understand this are human on the other side of that screen. It is not a an eight by 10, or a 10 by 12 or 1517. There’s a human on the other side of that communication, and listening to what it is that you’re saying hearing what is that you’re saying the same thing with the printed medium, and the newspaper, there are people picking up when making an effort to go and pick up or receive and flip through those pages. And they are absorbing what it is the message the message that you are wanting to convey through the newspaper, building relationships, building connections between the reporter the editor, the publisher, and the community reading what it is they have to say, we don’t need at the community level probably like they have agree. National Coverage, international coverage that’s coming to us from all different levels. What we want is to grow our community. So I love that what they’ve done.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Just popped into my head that this This, to me explains the ongoing longtime popularity of People magazine, people saying is about people. Go ahead,
Sharon MacLean
sorry. That’s exactly right. People. We kind of used that same philosophy with the magazine I published over those 21 years. It was people everywhere, people on the cover. We rarely had an inanimate object on the cover of the magazine. It was a human’s face But by and large bill, we need to also remember and and understand that publishing, whether it’s in your local municipality, where you grew up, it’s about advertisers, who are the bring the lifeblood. So they also publish a statement when they’re going alongside those editorialist stories. Press community.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
And one thing that made advertising dive so much years ago, before economy downturns, the classified ads, it was mostly jobs. Absolutely, job opportunities. But that’s a very small segment of a newspaper. Now, Sharon, talking with you again on the biz communication show, is a treat. And I know that you have given us those tips and strategies and the winning words and word ways that I talked about in the introduction, people will want to get in touch with you, I’m sure. So please give us your contact information.
Sharon MacLean
Well, the best place for me Bill is where you and I connected that’s on LinkedIn. So it’s Sharon, a Period and Period McLean, and the company, media, LinkedIn.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Anyone who contacts you, it will be in touch with a vital resource for learning more about communication. Thank you. For that contact information. Now that you’ve given yours, I’m glad to share mine, I invite our viewers and listeners to go to my YouTube channel, go to the search bar on YouTube and type in my YouTube handle, we’d call it Bill Lampton PhD, you’ll have access not only to this interview, but to more than 400 instructional videos that I’ve posted, with about 75 of those being issues of the biz communication show where I’m not just presenting instructions and tips and strategies silho. But I’m calling on experts like Sharon McLean, so, I invite you to go there. And also, while you’re on my YouTube channel, be sure to hit that subscribe button. Also, my website, since I’m the biz communication guy, quite logically, my website is biz biz, biz communication guy.com. And notice, please on the website, that there’s an opportunity for you to subscribe to this podcast if you haven’t done that. Certainly after you’ve become familiar with how I serve corporations and leaders, I certainly invite you to get me a an exploratory non obligation phone call 678-316-4300 so that we can discuss your communication problems and challenges and how I can assist you with them. Thanks again, so much to Sharon McLean to for being with us today. Thanks to those of you who joined us on video and on the podcast. And in closing, Sharon, do you have any thoughts and a few words to sort of pull this all together for us?
Sharon MacLean
Bill, I believe that the theme that the thread that’s run through our conversation today has been all about how communication has evolved. And that the the how it has moved from generation to generation. Always please remember whether it is shouldn’t or digital communication or the future with AI, that there are human beings join me on Team human when you’re writing to somebody or with with your next client.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
You You’re a valuable resource and I’ve been so fortunate that you and I met through clubhouse you might right do you remember
Sharon MacLean
that clubhouse? Yes. And are you still there on clubhouse?
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
We had we had some fascinating discussions and on our our panel on that we had some terrific people who who shared their expertise. It was an exciting time. Social Oh yes, all the best to you Sharon all the best to our viewers and listeners. Be with us for the next edition of the Best communication Show. I’m your host Bill Lampton the biz communication guy Hello
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
