T2B Tag: communications

Inclusive Language

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Is that really true? We think not.

As communicators, we labor, we deliberate, and sometimes we have to debate with others the words we use–from websites, to social media posts, to corporate decks, to employee emails… the list goes on.

Words matter.

Here are a few lightbulb moments we’ve had recently and would like to ask you to consider as well:

Gendered language: Hey guys. Chairman of the board. Manpower.

Violence and gun-centered turns of phrase and idioms: Shoot you an email. Kill two birds with one stone. I’ll die on this hill. Beat a dead horse. More than one way to skin a cat.

Racially or ethnically biased language: Lowest on the totem pole. Gypped. Grandfathered in.

When taken all together like that, it’s hard not to cringe. As communicators, especially practitioners in the human health space, we have a responsibility to weigh whether these are truly the most appropriate ways to convey our message.

Our job to translate complex science is hard enough. Let’s say what we mean the rest of the time.

We’re dropping a few resource links for you all, but please do share what other words or phrases have you started to think twice about using? And on the flip side, what are examples of inclusive language that have emerged in your lingo?

Non-Performative DEI

It’s the first week in June. As I speak, almost all biopharma logos will have turned rainbow.

Love to see this.

And now with Juneteenth being a federal holiday in the US, orgs would be remiss not to acknowledge its significance.

That’s all well and good, too.

But come June 30th, all of us communicators who manage our orgs’ social media accounts will notice that calendar reminder to flip those rainbow logos back to their normal colors and to coordinate with HR and Operations to take down the Pride flags and Juneteenth commemoration materials from the office.

What happens on July 1st?

That’s the question we are challenging you to contemplate NOW.

Throughout this month, consider how you’re setting up your teams, educating your leadership, and creating awareness among employees and other stakeholders to foster SUSTAINABLE progress toward a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and world- beyond June 30th.

What’s Next for Biopharma Comms

Communications in biopharma–and beyond–is undergoing a transformational shift right now.

Our function is moving away from “comms” towards strategic corporate affairs, with advising on and communicating decisions that drive a company forward now being recognized as twin necessities.

Corporate affairs is a pivotal partner in achieving business success. And if it’s not at your organization or with your clients, it should be!

Edelman reported last fall that “comms leaders are increasingly informing and advising the enterprise on strategy,” with “more than half surveyed [who] consider themselves to be a strategic advisor or partner.”

Although we may not see this put into practice across biopharma yet, especially among early- and mid-stage companies, it’s time for us to challenge conventional preconceptions and embrace critical business advisory and decision-making roles in our orgs.

A few tangible examples of what this looks like day-to-day: Job titles evolving to reflect the more holistic “corporate affairs” nature of our roles.

Not asking to be on the leadership team, and once you’re there, having clear expectations set from the top down on how the C-suite should partner with and consult your function.

Internal business partners fishing for themselves, so to speak, while consulting you on campaign approach without expecting you to simply write their emails.

What experiences have you had, and what are you proactively doing to become an even more strategic communicator?

You’ve got this! Follow along with us at Ticket to Biotech to access new resources this year to support your professional growth, regardless if you’re just starting out or are a seasoned communicator.

Worst Career Advice

Sometimes we receive advice when we don’t ask for it, or maybe we don’t even realize it’s advice in the moment. But certain things stick with you.

While we hope you all have experienced more good than bad of these types of instances, we’ve been reflecting on how to recognize guidance that may not be applicable or the best fit when imparted, and what to do about it.

Communicators in our industry, whether in-house or at an agency, may not have clearly defined roles, at least to start and ESPECIALLY when supporting smaller companies, or we can be underappreciated for the strategic value we bring.

One of the ways these issues can manifest is by being held back. What do we mean by this? A couple of examples:

Legal’s redlining of materials veers into content editing, but you feel like you can’t push back because they’re the lawyers.

Some of your C-suite are first-time leaders and haven’t worked with comms before, but may not organically provide an opening for a two-way conversation, potentially resulting in the perennial favorite, beautifying slides.

Sometimes bad advice isn’t career guidance at all. Sometimes it’s even what goes unsaid! But that can be just as, if not more, detrimental. So, be on the lookout!

We want to know- what was the worst biopharma comms career advice–said or unsaid, intentional or inadvertent–you’ve ever received?

Best Part About Being a Biopharma Communicator

Is our job as biopharma communicators for the faint of heart? No. But is it one of the coolest, under-the-radar professions of all time? Inarguably, yes!

We often hear things from the T2B community like, “I just sorta stumbled into this role, and that was 20 years ago.” Or “We kinda need to know a little bit about everything.” Let’s dig into that.

First of all, this is a niche role, but we suspect that’ll change as the organizations advancing the science become more and more visible. Think about it – in the past few years, we’ve gone from asking “Pfizer or Moderna?” at the dinner table to reading about Ozempic, well, everywhere, even in the tabloids.

Our industry is only expanding, and with it is coming the necessity for leadership teams and boards steering these companies to be even more planful and strategic, and work hand in hand with well-versed, highly specialized corporate affairs practitioners like us.

We don’t see why this shouldN’T be a career option that our college advisors tell us about, or better yet, hear about in high school or middle school.

But, but… to actually be successful, there’s a looong list of hard and soft skills acquired through both textbook and experiential learning, to hone. While you don’t have to have a formal science background, you DO need to have a passion for it and a willingness to read a LOT and most of all, to listen.

Listen to scientists gossiping in the breakroom. Listen to your CEO present the corporate deck. Listen to your head of IT’s vision. Listen to your program manager’s milestone plans.

And THAT, my friends, is the best part: Sanctioned opportunity to be embedded across the organization so that you can help drive the conversation and ultimately, tell the story to the world.

Do you agree?

Productive Coffee Chats

Want to meet for coffee? That little phrase can mean so many things: meeting someone for the first time, networking, an informational interview, reconnecting after a while, or maybe just a general catch-up. And now, having a Zoom coffee chat doesn’t necessarily even mean coffee is involved!

What a great tool to have at our disposal, when so much of our job as communicators relies on knowledge-sharing and building meaningful relationships– up, down and across our organizations.

Yet, coffee chats in the professional sense without a clear purpose can often be unproductive.

The goal can be simple, but still, it’s important to have one. Are you in learning or intelligence-gathering mode? Do you want the other person to actively work with you differently? Or maybe you want to be kept in mind for future collaboration or job opportunities?

As Scott White recently advised during Ticket to Biotech’s AMA session, prioritize the top 3 things you want the other person to know.

In our experience, it’s helpful to establish who’s driving the conversation. While a formal agenda is usually atypical in a setting that’s meant to be informal, most of the time, wouldn’t you agree that the invitee looks to the person doing the inviting for guidance?

Especially in our industry and even more so in our profession, people generally want to be helpful and don’t mind talking about themselves when asked, but folks are busy.

So, even if the coffee chat objective is pretty simple, how do you make sure it’s still worthwhile for both parties?

Unconventional Networking

Especially coming out of the pandemic, gone are the days when formal get-togethers are the main source for building your network.

It’s often said that life sciences is a small world, and that would make biopharma comms an even smaller world.

But by our count–which by the way, is definitely incomplete–there are over 200 consultancies and firms who either focus on or have dedicated biomedical comms expertise. Not really that small, right?

We got to thinking about a few of the opportunities for unconventional networking to build meaningful connections and want to share what we came up with.

It might seem unnatural especially for introverts, but it’s totally fine to comment on posts published on LinkedIn, in a professional setting, with your feedback, thoughts or POV. We at Ticket to Biotech LOVE when we see a comment from someone new because that means our message is resonating with a wider reach.

This is a funny one that communicators will appreciate. Chatting up people wearing biotech swag at NON-biotech events, especially when doing a hobby.

Another approach that we feel is underrated is networking within one’s own company–whether you have a huge comms team and want to better understand other focus areas, or are getting to know colleagues who work in completely different jobs. As an added bonus, understanding the backgrounds and motivations of your peers can only help us be better communicators.

We could go on, but we’ll leave you with one final tactic that we hope won’t be unconventional too much longer. That’s messaging communicator peers through Ticket to Biotech, via Slack, LinkedIn or one of our programs. Definitely use this communicator community as your extended network!

How are you using T2B, and what other uncommon networking tactics have you found beneficial?

Supervisor, Mentor or Sponsor?

So often, supervisors become mentors or mentors become sponsors, but it’s worthwhile to be intentional when building this aspect of your network.

By definition, a supervisor observes and directs the execution of tasks.

So, what does a good manager look like to you? Regardless of what level you’re at, are you actually seeking someone to literally direct your work, or do you want a mentor, or maybe a sponsor?

A mentor is an advisor who can offer advice and help you work toward your goals. It makes sense that many of us seek a supervisor who’s also a mentor.

Most think of a mentor as someone more senior to them, but there’s also peer mentoring and reverse mentoring.

To paraphrase a recent HBR article, the difference between a mentor and a sponsor is that a sponsor actively advocates for someone and uses their connections to open doors.

This article spotlights new research actually derived from following pharma companies for 25 years and goes on to say that women in particular often benefit from having a sponsor. “Third-party ties allow women to be seen through the prism of their strengths and competencies rather than through a lens clouded by societal preconceptions.”

Whether you have a great boss who’s also your mentor or you work for yourself, our profession as communicators is built on a foundation of relationships.

It takes time for such relationships to blossom, but our aim is for Ticket to Biotech to be a place to reconnect with each other as well as to jumpstart new connections, including for mentors and sponsors. What do you seek in these types of relationships?