Rob M.

As the Internal Communications Manager at Stanley Black & Decker, Rob drives active support. In a world full of content, it’s his job to find creative ways to motivate.

Working to inspire people has its perks

“I provide communication solutions that enable leaders, engage employees and meet business objectives. It’s my purpose to make my communication ‘as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after’ to quote Anne Morrow Lindbergh (American writer and aviation pioneer, 1906-2001). It’s not enough to craft an informative message. We must motivate people to share our digital content with their own networks by tapping into their natural motives to share information through a calculated delivery of stakeholder-centered communications.”

Getting the message out isn’t what it used to be

“Content development and delivery are no longer about a one-way push of information as top-down communication has been disrupted. We moved to a networked communication focus through Workplace by Facebook as our internal communication platform. This puts the stakeholder at the center. My job as a communicator is to move people to action, so I need to know what will move them. To say the way the audience consumes information is changing is an understatement.”

Finding a sense of purpose...

“I’m proud to work for a company that provides tools and solutions that help people across the world in their everyday lives. The company’s long history, in combination with the purpose-driven culture and people, and the focus on corporate social responsibility, diversity & inclusion and sustainability, make this a great place to work for me. There is a winning culture present here and we all want to create success for the company and ourselves.”

A day to day that’s anything but ordinary

“‘Variety is the spice of life, that gives it all its flavor’ to quote William Cowper’s “The Task” (1785). That’s why this job is a good fit for me. Not a single day is the same in this fast-paced, ever-changing environment. With the variety of responsibilities, I have the opportunity to work on strategic designs, activate my own initiatives, work creatively and think analytically.”

Taking every opportunity to learn...

“Our company’s vision of lifelong learning inspires me to continue growing and developing myself, both personally and professionally. I proudly finished the Specialization in Digital Marketing offered by the University of Illinois on Coursera. It took me a little over one year to complete the six courses and write the digital marketing capstone project. Because our company made lifelong learning a priority, I was able to block time in my calendar every week to keep up the pace of the courses. Next up is a new 7-course Specialization in Strategic Leadership & Management, again part of the University of Illinois Masters of Business Administration degree program on Coursera.”

The importance of work-life balance

“Last year I became the father of a beautiful girl. Working from home has allowed me a level of flexibility to really be there for her and my wife. Outside of work, my biggest passions are without any doubt music and sailing. My wife and I have a large collection of vinyl records, and the ritual of putting a record on a turntable is so much more fun than just clicking a song in your online music library. And when the weather is nice, sailing also helps me to relax and disengage from work. On a boat, you are disconnected from the rest of the world, which is a wonderful feeling.”