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Carleigh Kmetz on the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Communication

Knowing what you want to communicate is easy enough. Understanding exactly what your audience needs to hear is the harder part.  

Carleigh Kmetz is Associate Director, Business Unit Communications & Public Affairs, Dermatology at AbbVie. She has built a storytelling career in healthcare, with a passion for elevating patient voices and more than 10 years of experience across internal communications, crisis management, executive comms, corporate social responsibility, and influencer strategy. 


In this episode, Carleigh joins Kristen to discuss the role of emotional intelligence in communication and how she practices empathy with the patients that comprise her audience. 								

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

					
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									Watch the full episode here or listen to it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.								

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

							

			
		

						

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

					
The Big Idea: Communication Is More Than Exchanging Information 
				

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

									Carleigh Kmetz believes communication must do more than simply convey information to make an impact—it must be rooted in empathy and emotional intelligence. For example, in her work communicating with patients, she makes a conscious effort to imagine herself in their position, considering not only their informational needs but also their emotions and lived experiences. 


This deep sense of empathy, she admits, can be overwhelming. Yet, Carleigh believes it’s essential to crafting communications that truly resonate with her audience. Before developing any new messaging, Carleigh questions how the patient on the other side will feel when they see it and challenges herself to center what they actually need to hear at that moment.								

				

					

		

					

		

				

						

					

			

						

				

							

			

						

		

						

				

				

				

							

							
"Information exchange is one hundred percent important, but for the sole definition of communications, we've evolved way past that. We're at a point where you need to understand the intention and the purpose of your communication, and what's the emotion that you want to have behind that communication."

			
						

				

											

													

					
										

														
Carleigh Kmetz

																						
Associate Director, Business Unit Communications & Public Affairs, Dermatology at AbbVie

													

									

			

					

						

				

					

		

					

		

				

						

					

			

						

				

					
Key Takeaways
				

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

									
    
 	
  • Understanding an audience’s emotions and experiences, especially in sensitive contexts, is crucial for developing messaging that resonates. Carleigh practices stepping into patients’ shoes to consider how different individuals (e.g., newly diagnosed vs. long-term patients) might feel and respond. 
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  • Carleigh emphasizes the importance of choosing the right person to deliver the message. Audiences don’t always want to hear from an executive; sometimes, a patient or subject matter expert can make a greater impact.  
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  • An organization’s marketing and communications goals don’t always neatly align with audience needs. Marketing and comms pros must master the art of balancing both. 
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