Tom Martin, a past Institute for Public Relations Trustee and currently Executive in Residence, Department of Communication, College of Charleston, offers just what the title suggests — what corporate communicators need to know about sharing their life experience with tomorrow’s leaders.
After a long and distinguished career, Tom’s passion for corporate communications as well as his new career in the classroom illuminate this readable, informative, and personal guide to guest lecturing.
“As a leader in corporate communications and public relations, you have held your place at the decision-making table. You have faced almost insurmountable threats to your organization’s very survival. You have developed strategies on which its future depended. You have had to sit down across the table from an employee and deliver the tough news that he or she is no longer needed.”
“You know what it takes to get hired, to move up the career ladder, to earn the respect of your peers, your employees, and your boss. And the knowledge that you have — from direct experience — is a gold mine for the thousands of students sitting in college classrooms throughout the United States and the world. The demand for this knowledge is truly insatiable,” writes Martin.
“But as with many issues of supply and demand, there is a barrier that inhibits the transfer of this knowledge. The barrier is simply a lack of understanding by those who possess this practical knowledge — namely you — about how to go about sharing it in classroom settings. It’s as if you have entered a world in which those around you are dying of thirst and you are uncertain of how to share the full canteen strapped to your waist.”
“Here’s the good news. The process of getting involved in the academic world is straightforward, rewarding and relatively painless. As with any new activity there are a few practical suggestions that can facilitate your entry into this world and enhance your effectiveness as a teacher. The purpose of this booklet is to provide you with recommendations drawn from both academics and practitioners that will inspire you, educate you and prepare you for participation in the essential work of educating the next generation. The need is great. The rewards are plentiful. The ability to influence outcomes in the lives of these students can be profound.”
