Signature May/June 2015 - 17

THE POINT:
Learn to think on your feet
when facing the unexpected

forming, but this is in a small group or
one-on-one.
"I was very nervous before I took it,
several years ago now," she says. "I was
not into acting, but now I love improv.
I still think about it to this day: 'How
should I respond to keep creativity in this
collaboration?'"
Eskew was a little reluctant to share too
much about the session because, she says,
"Surprise is part of the fun. The unexpected, and ways to approach it, is part of
what people will be taking away. In large
meetings and conferences, a lot of time
you're just sitting and listening," she says.
"Here, we're getting people on their feet
and getting them interacting and learning
by doing. People can learn by applying
these values right on the spot in real-life
situations. We make it relevant to folks
in various roles in associations that way.
The main point is to give people tools to
use right away every day."
Eskew says much of the session is
open discussion, suggestions, and feedback from the group. So each presentation becomes customized by and for the
people who attend. "It's especially good
for people in associations who are wearing
a lot of hats, who have a lot of things to
juggle," she says. "This helps them do that
while helping them create and nurture
collaborative environments. ... It's great
for anyone who wants to execute big ideas
in a resource-strapped environment. You
can learn ways to move up yourself, your
team, and your organization."
OK. We don't want to spoil any surprises, but a little hint can't hurt right?
She said people will definitely remember and take away two words - "yes
and."
"I think about that phrase all the time,"
she said. "You'll see."

PLUS, THESE HIGH-ENERGY
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
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Current Legal Issues in
Publishing
(How to stay out of trouble)
EXCEL Award Winners Panel
(How did they do it?)
Editorial Panel
(Stylebook war - who will win?)
Mobile
(Do you really need a mobile app?)
Design Your Future
(Is your look outdated?)

June 28 @ 10:30-11:30 am

CASE STUDY:
HARNESSING THE POWER
OF A SOCIAL MEDIA
STORM
Joan Meehan Hurwitz, senior director,
communications, American Nurses
Association
Viral. Firestorm. Explosion.
In a literal sense, most people try
to avoid situations that include any of
those three. In a social media sense, these
benchmarks of intensity are highly sought
after, even if they often are portents of
ill tidings.
"We know that communications are
quickly evolving; however, relevance and
speed are key ingredients for impact. The
power of social media to shape impressions and build - or destroy - reputations cannot be underestimated," says
Joan Meehan Hurwitz, senior director
communications for American Nurses
Association. "I've led association com-

THE POINT:
Learn to use relevance and
speed for more impactful
social media

munications for more than 15 years and
have seen how the primacy of channels
has changed over the years, as well as the
tremendous impact of social media on
members' expectations and engagement."
Specifically through the lens of the
success of the American Nurse Association's media team, Meehan Hurwitz is
eager to discuss
how associations
can best leverage
the full power of
social media. "Case
studies are great opportunities to share,
discuss, and learn
HURWITZ
from other organizations," she says. "Communicators must
be trusted, empowered, and prepared to
respond rapidly to emerging situations.
By acting quickly and setting clear goals,
you can influence the tone of a conversation on social media. Additionally, this
experience underscores the importance of
working together as an integrated team for
maximum impact." She says the discussion
at Annual Meeting will highlight specific
responses and messaging that used social
and traditional media to drive the association's goal home with members.
To borrow from the allegory in the
session's title - harnessing the social
media storm - it's the difference between
riding the wave to wherever it goes and
using the wave to get where you want to
go. As Meehan Hurwitz points out, it's
the difference between speaking to your
members and engaging your members.
"If you want to move someone to
action, you must touch their heart as well
as their head. Nurses, like many professionals, often feel undervalued and underappreciated. Our efforts to engage
nurses in this campaign with a simple
call-to-action gave them an opportunity
to show pride in their profession. Their
collective action also demonstrated the
power of their profession, and advertisers
and others took notice, providing positive
reinforcement."

signature

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signature May/June 2015