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UC Alum to Host Communications Workshop

Grates to Present "A Consultative Approach to Communications"

Written By Victoria Cruz-Griffith '12, PR Intern

Contact - cleogrande@utica.edu

Utica, NY (03/27/2012) - Communications professionals have a new tool box, so to speak. 

While the ways in which people receive and distribute news have increased and changed rapidly over the last decade, media professionals find themselves asked by management to do more with less. Expectations require more knowledge and understanding of the business and at the same time, employees, customers, competitors and communities that are more aware and more demanding of information and will offer more criticism than ever before.

Gary F. Grates, principal of WCG Worldwide and UC alumnus, will present a communications workshop on Wednesday, March 28 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Carbone Family Auditorium in the Economic Crime, Justice Studies and Cybersecurity Building at Utica College.

Grates’ Consultative Approach Workshop is designed to explore the benefits of moving from a tactical to a more strategic mindset for communications. The session provides an introduction to specific approaches and techniques to establish a more consultative approach to communications planning and implementation, a forum for discussing challenges, internal bias and barriers, a framework for interacting on a more consultative bias with leadership and management, examples for exploration and knowledge building, a protocol to be applied in management interactions lifting the discussion with leadership to a more strategic level and role-play scenario to hone and comprehend a new mindset. Participants will take away a new understanding of the business environment and the strategic role communications play, confidence in building an individual perspective and point of view and a process for strengthening management and leadership interactions.

Grates is principal at WCG Worldwide, a fast growing, multi-faceted public relations, marketing and communications counseling firm focused on integrated business solutions in the areas product supremacy, innovation, change, organizational effectiveness and growth for the world’s leading organizations. Grates has more than 25 years of corporate, marketing/brand., labor and strategic communications experience. His areas of expertise are in organizational management/employee communications.

Grates holds a bachelor’s degree from Utica College. The public relations/journalism program at UC was one of the first of its kind in the United States.

Grates is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and a Teaching Professor at ABERJE – the Brazilian Public Relations Association.