Challenge
Leadership at a global pharmaceutical giant was concerned by the mounting distrust of science across all disciplines of life science, from biology to agriculture. Scientists needed to build empathy, credibility, and trust with a community that isn’t scientific, in order to foster and nurture trust in science. They needed to evolve into science engagers.
Solution
Individual voices are more powerful than corporate messages. The company sought to have scientists within the corporate R&D function engage in community and industry events, and on social media to share their voices and views in support of science. The goal was to enlist thought leaders across the 1,600-person organization to post and engage on science topics related to their work and passion.
Decker worked closely with the learning team to co-create and deliver a multi-module virtual training program that included group training sessions, individual coaching and peer support. Over the course of X weeks scientists learned critical communication skills that enabled them to engage with lay audiences in a way that was authentic and inspiring.
Impact
Scientists transformed their core communications skills and embraced an audience-centric mindset. Participants created prototypes for specific social media platforms and tested messages for community and industry events. As a result, they brought authentic and powerful voices to the public dialogue around many disciplines of science. While the impact of the engagement was by definition external, the internal impact on engagement and enthusiasm with the global organization continues to be seen as each cohort builds upon and learns from each other’s work.