Better Know a Member: Alex Hogan

Alex Hogan has worked for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for 17 years, which means his tenure is almost old enough to vote. He started in 2007 in the media department, mainly writing content for our monthly publication and website. He assumed the role of speechwriter in 2015 when his boss retired.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
I had extensive print but minimal speechwriting experience, so I asked my boss to send me to Bob Lehrman’s and Jeff Nussbaum’s speechwriting class at American University. It gave me the tools to go from written to oral communications. I still refer to my class notes.

What is your proudest career moment?
I listening to CSPAN in the car on my way to pick up my kid from school. President Biden was on. He was speaking at one of our union halls, so I had written a short introduction for him. Biden then quoted a line from my script, “as __ put it best.” That’s always kind of cool.

What’s your “ace up your sleeve” at work?
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. You can’t write a speech without having a skeleton in place, and that’s what MMS is all about. I couldn’t imagine starting a speech without using it as my framework.

How have you grown throughout your career?
Every leader has their own voice and story. One of the biggest challenges for speechwriters who write for multiple principals is learning each one. It’s not my speech; it’s theirs. We must ask probing questions, do our homework, and, most of all, listen in order to capture the voice of the people we work for.

Recommend a favorite speech, book, article, podcast, or something every comms person should know about
Every speechwriter should own the Political Speechwriter′s Companion. It’s essential.

There are so many great speeches; I’m sure anyone reading this knows the big ones. But one of my favorites is unfamiliar to most Americans. It’s a speech by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock in 1985. His rhetorical flourish and deployment of logic in taking down his opponents are masterful. Plus, he uses nearly every language trick in the speechwriter’s handbook.

What is the biggest challenge in executive communications?
There is so much digital noise that breaking through with your message is harder than ever. And right now, authenticity is critical to that. The more scripted you sound, the more people will tune you out. Just compare Donald Trump going off the cuff versus him reading a written speech. The former grabs everyone’s attention. The latter puts people to sleep. Every leader must find their own voice and ensure that it’s heard across all their communication platforms. Tell people who you are, what you believe, and why. And the first people who need to know are your executive communications team.

Who is doing work that you admire?
Joe Biden’s speechwriters do a great job of giving him speeches that sound like him. They know his voice. They also know how often he goes off script so when he does it, it still sounds integral to the rest of the speech.

How has the field changed since you started?
The job isn’t just about writing 25-minute speeches for in-person gatherings anymore. It’s about writing for digital and video as well. Today our jobs are about developing integrated messages that will resonate across multiple platforms. Even when writing standard speeches, I’m not just worried about applause lines. I also need to factor in how this or that line would sound on Twitter as well.

Also, everyone’s attention span is way down. Just look around the room to see how long it takes for people to start playing on their phones. More than ever, we need to capture people’s attention and get to our point fast using language people remember. Fewer words and bigger impact.

What non-work thing do you love the most?
I’ve got two kids who keep me plenty busy outside of work. I also like reading, cooking, and enjoying everything D.C. has to offer with my wife and children.

Alex Hogan is the Speechwriter/Communications Manager at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and an organizer for DCECA.