Rethinking the skills you need for a future-ready comms team

With the new year upon us, it’s worth considering what skills, values and attributes will make your comms team stronger—and having that conversation with your HR colleagues.

During Ragan’s Future of Communications Conference, Linda Thomas Brooks, CEO of PRSA, moderated an engaging panel conversation about building communications teams for the future.

The panel, composed of Catenya McHenry, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Katie LaFranchi, HR Consultant at Amplēo and Emily Teitelbaum, Chief Communications Officer at Libra Group, shared strategies for staying agile in a rapidly evolving industry.

Here’s what we learned.

“It’s not just about skillsets—it’s about energy and values,” she said.

LaFranchi highlighted the importance of diversity in experience and education, questioning traditional requirements like college degrees. “Diversity in thought brings novel insights,” she said. “You don’t want everyone thinking the same way.”