Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on March 1, 2022. By Celia Willis Creation, the underlying “why” that drives humans forward, flows throughout a communicator’s unique skill set. Studies show that our creative “Aha!” moments trigger the brain’s pleasure center, which means a successful brainstorm could be the most rewarding part of the day. Communicators don’t…
Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on Jan. 1, 2022. By Celia Willis After almost two years of emails beginning with some iteration of “In these challenging times…,” I’m ready to talk about what’s next. It’s important to acknowledge the challenges we’ve faced, but after months of dwelling, I am exhausted. The heavy weight of burnout…
Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on Oct. 1, 2021. By Celia Willis March of 2020 feels like a lifetime ago. Why? Because so much has changed. Companies began innovating more quickly than ever before simply out of necessity. Leaders turned to technology to help as an entire society pivoted in the face of…
Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on Aug. 1, 2021. By Celia Willis When I reflect on the last 17 months, I find the same refrain echoing in my mind: Are we out of the woods yet? As we begin to emerge, slowly and cautiously, into the clearing, the irreversible impact of the past year…
Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on May 1, 2021. By Celia Willis There has been a lot of discussion around strategic planning — or, more accurately, strategic pivoting — over the last year, as businesses and organizations were thrown head-first into an endless crisis loop. Some were better prepared than others, but just…
Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on April 1, 2021. By Celia Willis Have you ever had a conversation with someone who spent most of the time talking about themselves, showing little or no interest in getting to know you? It’s a pretty immediate turnoff. The example illustrates a point that is just as…
Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on March 1, 2021. By Celia Willis Imagine your company as a human body for a moment. (In fact, the word “organization” stems from the Greek organon, meaning body.) Revenue and profit feed it. The face is your reputation, the skeleton is your company’s structure and the genome is…
By Celia Willis The value of being independent — as a country and as individuals — has been a point of pride in American culture. However, everything morphs under stress, and stress we have had. After experiencing what’s felt like several years’ worth of challenges just in the past six months, we are seeing evidence…
Originally published in PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics on Oct. 1, 2020. By Celia Willis Imagine you’re running a 5K, making the last turn with 100 meters to go until you can finally stop running and enjoy a post-race beverage. Just before you start to pick up your pace for the final stretch and reach for…
CEO Celia Willis takes the stage to accept KWI’s newest designation as one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work. Oh my gosh, I’m so unprepared for this. I don’t even have a speech ready. (Just kidding, I totally do.) Growing up, I remember watching my dad lead GCI America – he has always been an…