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Communications Business AdvisorAuthor: Tara McDonagh
The Communications Business Advisor Podcast addresses the misunderstood and oversimplified field of communications in the corporate world, and elevates the reputation of the field and the people in it as Critical Business Advisors, never order takers. Hosted by Tara McDonagh, a Corporate Communications expert with 25 years of experience for some of the biggest brands around, the Communications Business Advisor podcast is a place to share our vision for the field, discuss the challenges we face, and approaches to elevate our field and ourselves as critical advisors. Episode topics include everything from teaching executives how to treat us, to measurement that matters, building a business case for budget, and gender bias impacting our field and the people in it. Join Tara McDonagh in the movement to prove that our value as a business area is not only helpful, it's imperative to a company's success. Find more at www.taramcdonagh.com or follow Tara on LinkedIn where she writes about Communications topics for our field five days a week at: www.linkedin.com/in/taramurraymcdonagh Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Episode 45: The Strategy That's Still in Your Head
Episode 41
Monday, 20 April, 2026
In this follow-up to the long-term planning conversation, Tara McDonagh tackles a common but critical gap for communications leaders: having a strategy… that only exists in your head. You know where the function needs to go. You're making decisions based on it every day. But without documenting and aligning it with your organization, that strategy can't build authority, secure resources, or shape how leadership experiences communications. This episode explores why that happens, what it costs, and how to move from a mental plan to a strategic framework that actually works inside your organization. In this episode, Tara explores: Why a "mental strategy" isn't enough at senior levels The concept of advisory debt and how it limits authority The real reasons strategy stays undocumented What a written strategy actually does for your role and reputation Why plans fail (and end up sitting on a shelf) How to build alignment and keep strategy active Where to start when you're ready to get it out of your head The strategy in your head is a starting point. Authority is built when others can see it, align to it, and work from it. Keep advising. Always keep advising. Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter on advancing as a Communications Business Advisor, Level Up: Be Extra, and her Raise the Tide™ emails for women in the field. This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a professional development ecosystem for women in communications — helping them grow, connect, and lead with confidence through mentorship, coaching, professional development, and community. If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review — it helps more communicators find the show and strengthens our collective voice. Until next time, keep advising. Always keep advising.
