Dialog Research and Communications

DIALOGResearch & Communications

WHO WE ARE

ABOUT

SERVICES

PROJECTS

TESTIMONIALS

CLIENTS

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ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL

WHO WE ARE

DO YOU KNOW...

If employees are engaged in your organization's strategic direction?

If your communications are properly mapped to business objectives?

How audiences are receiving and reacting to critical information?

If global stakeholders are aligned around a common vision?

If your message is really being heard and understood?

Effective communication is a critical factor in reaching organizational goals. In a time-pressed and challenged global economy, leaders must commit to open, frequent and informed interaction that respects and engages a broad range of increasingly savvy audiences.

DIALOG Research & Communications helps today’s leaders bridge the gap between where they are and where they need to be with stakeholder engagement. DIALOG partners with innovative organizations to distill complex information and persuasively convey it to different audiences they need to engage – whether internal, external or both.

With a strategic understanding of global business and government policies, DIALOG quickly connects with the bigger picture in which today’s leaders operate, devising communication initiatives that support organizational goals while also resonating with the parties who must be influenced – because successful communication is always a two-way process.

ABOUT

ABOUT_

DIALOG excels at helping clients bring focus and alignment to complex business situations - and then to communicate critical information in a respectful, resonant way to the stakeholders they need to influence.

Distinct advantages include:

■ Senior Expertise. A blend of strategic communications, research, business savvy and policy acumen, focusing exclusively on a small number of directional and highly targeted situations

■ Organized. Skilled at managing complex information around things that are new or changing

■ Right match of experience. Experienced in innovative, technical domains

■ Proven. DIALOG uses a robust, detailed methodology for assessing the business situation and devising effective communications to support meaningful interaction

■ Flexible. Projects can be underway in days, completed quickly and adjusted to your changing business demands

■ Global. Bringing extensive experience with multiple countries and cultures, including many of today’s emerging markets – India, China and the Middle East

■ Cost effective. Supplementing or melding with internal resources to accomplish a defined end goal

SERVICES

SERVICES_

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Custom services match your unique environmentStakeholder Assessment. Identifying all involved stakeholders, –from employees to adjacent departments to partners and customers –and their level of influence on key changes. The assessment process includes targeted interviews to understand stakeholder awareness of and views about change, their levels of buy-in or resistance, attitudes about the current state vs. the desired future state, and a comprehensive mapping of stakeholder impact to their level of organizational influence–, clearly showing the needed path to acceptance and advocacy. Communications Planning. DIALOG creates a comprehensive, practical and targeted plan for reaching stakeholders in the right way at the right time. Planning includes developing a compelling Value Proposition built on a market-based ‘burning platform’ that taps motivation and action; building clear, resonant messaging that maintains the core Value Proposition while speaking to unique stakeholder needs; and then using the best channels to get information out in the right way at the right time. Implementation. DIALOG helps turn communication plans into action –through both content development and communication programs management. DIALOG excels at translating complex ideas into clear language that moves audiences toward greater awareness and understanding.

PROJECTS

PROJECTS_

Review our expertise with highlights from some successful projects. Flexibility, keen listening, strategic thinking, and detailed execution drive our ability to expertly handle diverse client requirements.

TESTIMONIALS

NICE THINGS CLIENTS HAVE SAID_

"Kathy worked to turn brainstorming sessions into a crisp messaging framework for our M&A story. Her strong listening skills, complimented with her ability to draw out relevant information, enabled a fast ramp-up on content with which she wasn’t familiar. She was able to move easily between tactical and strategic discussions and execution paths to get content created and applied to various strategic presentations, in a timely and organized way."

- Ned Hooper, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Cisco Systems

"Kathy worked with us to facilitate formal integration of the Scientific Atlanta supply chain team into Cisco’s supply chain group three years after being acquired. Bringing these diverse cultures together was a big job. Kathy worked proactively to help me communicate effectively with my team about this transition, to establish cooperative relationships with the right people in both organizations, and to provide insightful and discrete support needed to get through some challenging organizational changes."

- Hector Baro, Vice President of Supply Chain Management, Scientific Atlanta

“Kathy is one of those rare professionals you can count on to get the job done right the first time. I’ve worked with Kathy on multiple projects to gain insights into the needs, experiences and satisfaction of our online customers. She consistently brings thoroughness, professionalism and strategic perspective to her work, collaborating on the right approach to the research, engaging the respondents, and then synthesizing findings into practical insights that speak directly to increasing the value of our business.”

- Jon Samsel, Senior Vice President, Bank of America [Countrywide Financial]

"I want to sincerely thank Kathy Stershic for her excellent support and flexibility over the past many months of work on the NOAALink Task 12 NWS AD Modernization project."

- Dan Morford, Director, The Ambit Group

"We are so grateful to you for contributing your expertise at Footprint Forum. The session proved to be really valuable to our partners and will support all of us in having clear, compelling messaging around the Ecological Footprint."

- Susan Burns, Managing Director, Global Footprint Network

CLIENTS

SELECTED CLIENT LIST_

DIALOG has been privileged to work with the following companies:

• Cisco

• Countrywide Financial

• Gilead Sciences

• Maxtor

• Oracle

• Philips Lighting Electronics

• Proxim Wireless Networks

• Quantum

• Solvay Chemical

• Triad Financial (Ford Credit)

• Xerox

… and several start-up and not-for-profit ventures.

BLOG

Click for The DIALOG Blog

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL

ABOUT KATHY_
Everyone intuitively knows that things go more smoothly, get done faster and yield better results when people effectively communicate yet communication often fails. That reality has frustrated me from a young age. With my inherent need to bring order to the Universe, I became a champion of clear communication as essential to building stronger connections so that more things get done faster and done right.Today, as a senior consultant, I help leaders at innovative organizations to distill complex information and persuasively convey it to different audiences they need to engage, whether internal, external or both. While my strong communication skills are critical, perhaps my highest value add comes through my strategic understanding of both global business and government policies, enabling me to quickly connect with the bigger picture in which todays leaders must operate. Teaming with my clients as a trusted advisor, I help to organize their environment, their ideas and their objectives then devise communication initiatives that will support organizational goals while also resonating with the parties who must be influenced because successful communication is always a two-way process.As a Silicon Valley veteran, I have a strong foundation working with innovative businesses. I've been privileged to work extensively in executive, corporate and marketing communications, incorporating international dialog, relationship building and corporate policy guidance into both paid and volunteer positions. Much of my experience has involved work with executives, global work teams, partners and affiliates from countries ranging from mature Western European economies to todays emerging markets in the MidEast, South Africa, China and India. Spurred on by a desire to understand how governments approach technology policy, I'm currently a Candidate for a Master of International Policy and Practice degree at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington DC. My earlier education includes a Bachelors Degree at Rutgers University (Im still a Jersey Girl at heart) and graduate study in international business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.My leadership ability and desire to facilitate broader discussion on bigger issues are demonstrated through my extensive involvement in professional and civic activities. I recently served as President of the Silicon Valley chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, and previously served on Boards for two chapters of the American Marketing Association, the World Affairs Council of Northern California, and Women in Consulting in the San Francisco Bay Area.I am devoted to life-long learning and maintain a strong curiosity about how the world works. Please check out my blog for a few musings.

PORTFOLIO

PORTFOLIO_

Here are just a few representative DIALOG work samples:

Blog Post - Writing Sample.pdf

Service mgr global change study.pdf

Advancing Public Diplomacy in the Digital Age.pdf

Policy Brief Writing Sample.pdf

US ICT Policy Overview.pdf

Cisco Unified Security White Paper.pdf

PROJECT 1
The Situation:The services division of a global F500 corporation needs to increase the skilled talent pool of professional service engineers in developing countries, where anticipated business growth demands are high. The company invested in a new Program to train and develop well qualified recruits in the Middle East and South Africa. The Program required a strategic approach to communications that would resonate with internal stakeholders around the globe. The communication goals were to brand the Program in the minds of executive to mid-level managers across multiple internal teams, establish consistent messaging, keep stakeholders informed about progress, and facilitate change management and adoption of the new Program into the established course of business.The Solution: With the Program in its inception, DIALOG deployed a foundational approach, starting with a stakeholder analysis to assess opinions and needs of individuals in various affected organizations. Once familiar with the Programs objectives, DIALOG developed a formal communications plan to reach stakeholder sets with varying levels of detail, in tandem with developing a comprehensive set of key messages that were essential to scripting formal Program launch happening on a tight timeframe. DIALOG also drove creation of multiple communication materials for both internal and external consumption, built upon the new messaging. Once the Program was launched, DIALOG conducted an awareness and attitudinal survey of affected staff members, and used the results to develop change management recommendations to facilitate Program acceptance and cooperation.The Results:Working as part of a global team, and under significant deadline pressure, DIALOG created a strategic communications solution for this high-visibility Program in its infancy. DIALOG structured an intelligent, resonant message platform that was used to inform internal and external audiences in various countries about the Program. DIALOG also strategically guided the client regarding the role and application of communications as an instrument of awareness building and change management.

PROJECT 2
The Situation:The supply chain division of a global organization needed to integrate the supply chain management team from a major acquisition, which had been running independently for over two years since the acquisition was finalized. The teams were geographically dispersed and had very different cultures; some down-sizing was also involved. The communication requirements were to facilitate executive communication around the significant changes that would impact the acquired team, and to define a robust change communication plan to help the disparate organizations move toward ‘us’ rather then '‘we'’ and '‘they'’ thinking and behavior.The Solution: DIALOG joined the effort at a critical juncture, when several major management decisions were pending on the direction forward with the acquired team. DIALOG worked with executives from the acquiring and acquired entities to communicate to senior corporate leadership the results of a year long study on the right integration approach to get their buy-in. In tandem, DIALOG worked closely with cross-organizational/cross-global teams to prepare communications around several employee RIFs that were taking place coincident with the integration, in an effort to manage employee understanding and perception of these actions. Finally, DIALOG created a comprehensive change communications plan to facilitate the integration, based on an analysis of the internal business environment and feedback studies with employees about their needs and expectations from the integration.The Results:As the integration moved forward, the leadership team had the right story and communication materials needed to gain consensus on a sensitive issue. Employees at the acquired entity experienced the first concerted effort to bring them into the culture of their new company in 2+ years; DIALOG worked closely with their head supply chain executive to increase the flow and interactivity of communication in what had traditionally been a culture of information push only. DIALOG handed off a detailed plan for the organization to pursue as the integration proceeded over the next 6-9 months.

PROJECT 3
The Situation:A leading international biotech company was challenged with reinvigorating its employee learning and development capability to increase employee adoption and reinforce growth in professional skills among its worldwide staff. The Solution: DIALOG led a strategic effort to create an overall program identity and communication approach that connects the company’s learning and development strategy to corporate goals and values. The DIALOG team created a sophisticated, high energy look and feel that was implemented across various print and digital L&D materials. We created a platform of key messages designed to resonate with various stakeholders across multiple levels of the corporation, and a targeted communications plan for reaching those audiences. Our work was done in close collaboration with the company’s Human Resources team to keep on point with their evolving business requirements and ambitious timeline. The Results:The company is implementing the communication strategy to engage employees and managers in learning and development programs, and to promote strong advocacy of professional skills development among its senior leadership team. Given the newness of this initiative, data on increased adoption rates is not yet available, but over 1600 employees have been targeted for course participation and are being reached through promotional efforts.

PROJECT 4
The Situation:Global Footprint Network, a high growth leader in planning for environmental sustainability, was hosting their first international conference for its partner organizations that deploy GFN’s Ecological Footprint metric in their sustainability work. The partners are spread out across the planet, and communicate about the Ecological Footprint in inconsistent ways. GFN wanted use the conference opportunity to inspire partners about the importance of effective communication, as well as to teach them messaging about the Ecological Footprint that resonates well with target audiences.The Solution: DIALOG worked with Global Footprint Network to refresh key messages about the Footprint and to create a compelling communication workshop for the partners. Information needed to be clearly presented to 70+ representatives from multiple countries, cultures and linguistic backgrounds – all of whom had a scientific or technical orientation. At the conference, DIALOG presented fundamental principles and guidelines for effective communication to the partners, and facilitated small group break-outs on how to approach & plan positive communication for their distinct organizations.The Results:The workshop was well received by conference attendees, many of whom report incorporating the guidelines and key Footprint messages into their organizational pitches. The tools provided help to simplify the often challenging work of advocating sustainability among governmental and business audiences.

Dialog (n.) - A conversation between two or more people. An exchange of ideas or opinions.

CONTACT_
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+1 925-719-1260