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IoIC and Gatehouse launch new training course
We are excited to officially announce that we have joined forces with the Institute of Internal Communication to launch a new training initiative that targets the strategic performance of internal communicators. As internal communicators move on in their careers, what makes them stand out from the c…
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Rock Star Joins Gatehouse
In exciting news, Gatehouse has acquired RockstarComms – the publisher of the Journal of Internal Communication and the popular RockstarComms blog. As part of the deal, founder Ian Harris, has joined us as Head of Content to oversee the launch of a number of innovative products and content platfor…
Gearing up for growth
Nick Wright has joined us this week to lead our design and digital teams and drive the growth of our creative services business. Nick joins following a period of rapid expansion for us, including winning a raft of new creative projects with big name clients including Coca Cola, DENSO, Ernst & Y…
Pain Management
Take a look at your iPhone or Android, now apart from the odd signal issue, most of us would admit to being amazed and perhaps intimidated by how quickly technology has developed over the past ten years. Yet we need to realise that it is in fact the worst piece of technology that you will ever own. …
Creativity in Motion
The reoccurring problems that we encounter as internal communicators naturally lead to some obvious remedies, and, although there is more than one way to skin a cat, once you’ve skinned it several ways you tend to find the way that works best (I’m assuming this as I’ve never actually skinned a…
Keep Calm and Remember: You’re an Event Manager
With the much anticipated 2012 Olympics almost upon us, some may feel that organising and running an employee event could be classed as an Olympic event in itself, without the gold medal to show for it. So why should we bother in the first place? Well, beyond the hysteria of an early finish and a fr…
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Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it’s Off to Work We Don’t Go
Yesterday’s budget initially provoked a sobering reminder that most people of a similar age to me (in their twenties), wont be at a pensionable age until we’re at least 70 years old, a reality of a country laden with debt and an ageing population. It got me thinking about what work will be like …
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Death By PowerPoint
Ahh PowerPoint, how I loathe you! You know how it goes, the first few general housekeeping slides are bearable… introduction, objectives, what we’re going to cover in this presentation…Ok fair enough. Then comes the inevitable… a never ending onslaught of Times New Roman, point 9 text, with …
Started Monday. Hated Tuesday. Left Wednesday.
Hemmingway once wrote a story in just six words – “For sale: baby shoes, never worn” surprisingly, he described this as his best work, giving hope to all the budding authors out there. However, you’re unlikely to get a publishing deal on the back of six words, perhaps a new business discount…
Continue reading Started Monday. Hated Tuesday. Left Wednesday....
The Only Way is Essex for Gatehouse
In early January, Gatehouse will be expanding with the opening of a new creative centre and the appointment of a number of additional designers for 2012. The new developments come on the back of an extremely busy 12 months for the team which has seen a sustained demand for creative content from many…
K.I.S.S and Wake Up. Keep it Simple, Stupid
Ideas that have value are important for the progression of any organisation. As a result, an emphasis on the perceived ability of the communicator to generate winning ideas is becoming commonplace. However, you may feel that you aren’t naturally creative and struggle to think of ideas that carry m…
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How to Respond R.A.P.I.Dly to Workplace Bullying
After reading this week’s ShortList article, written by Jimi Famurewa, on bullying in the workplace, I cant say that I’m shocked or surprised by it. Bullying is rife in every walk of life and is just as prominent in the workplace now as it ever was, only carried out in different ways. Ph…
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Social Media – A Double Edged Sword
Having heavily researched the use of social media within internal communications the benefits of it are apparent and wonderfully abundant, from getting your message heard quickly, gaining instant feedback from staff, communicating effectively with Gen Y, through to organising social events…it is c…
Perhaps we could learn a little from the Romanians…
Trawling through my morning Google alerts, I came across the following link from an online publication called ‘Business Review’: http://business-review.ro/talent/internal-communication-contributes-to-certainty-in-organizations/12634/ “Internal Communication contributes to certainty…
Continue reading Perhaps we could learn a little from the Romanians…...
Why The Gatehouse Penguins?
We are often asked by clients “what’s with the penguins on the website and marketing material?” So we’ve decided to put all the rumours to bed and reveal the real reasons for their inclusion… Not only are penguins intelligent, smart and attractive but they are also highly accomplished comm…
Gatehouse Makes TV Debut
The State of the Sector research reports which are produced annually by ourselves, in conjunction with the IoIC, continue to be extremely popular both within the industry and outside of it, with the latest report gaining a steady stream of media attention. So much so that last week we made our very …
SCM article on leadership communication
The latest issue of Melcrum’s Strategic Communication Management journal includes an article in which Gatehouse co-founder Lee Smith discusses the challenges of working with senior leaders and understanding their communication styles. Here’s a copy of the article: SCM article – lea…
Two new BiteSize ‘core skills’ modules launched
Gatehouse’s specialist training arm, Gatehouse Academy, has this month added two new ‘core skills’ modules to its popular range of 90 minute BiteSize learning and development sessions for in-house communication teams. The Fundamentals of Change Communication is designed to provide an introduct…
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Growing the Gatehouse Team
As we prepare to celebrate five successful years in business next month, the Gatehouse team is expanding with the addition of Mark Ford as a graduate consultant. Mark joins us after completing an MSc in International Public Relations at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he undertook research…
It’s time for that professional detox!
If you haven't already, now is the time to start thinking seriously about the state of your career, to plan how you’re going to tone-up those flabby tactical and strategic muscles and to commit to a healthy regime of continuous learning and development for 2011. Yes, it’s time for your profe…
Return of the footie feel good factor
England expects. And so, it seems, do our employees… HR Magazine reports today on new research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) showing that many businesses are panicking about the impact the World Cup will have on employee productivity. It is estimated that the big tournament could c…
Calling all financial services communicators – make sure your views count in new State of Sector research from Gatehouse and IoIC
If you’re an internal communicator operating in the financial services sector, you’ll be interested in a new piece of research we’re conducting in conjunction with the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC). The first State of the Sector research project for 2010 will shine the light on th…
Successful employee engagement: getting beyond the rhetoric
My old friends at CIPR Inside have organised a great forthcoming event which will shine the spotlight firmly on practical employee engagement. Taking place in central London on the morning of Thursday 15 April, it will feature speakers from M&S, O2, HSBC and Babcock Marine. Hosted by commi…
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Corporate events, rituals and culture
Here’s a great little blog post from one of my favourite management thinkers and authors Leandro Herrero – on why events are an important part of an organisation’s culture. Responding to a post by US marketing guru and writer Seth Godin in which he urges corporations to axe big ‘set piece’…
Melcrum research reveals widespread adoption of social media behind the firewall
Preliminary findings from a new Melcrum global study on large organizations’ use of social media to engage employees, deliver strategy and drive business results reveals widespread adoption, a clear business case and visible return on investment for communicators. Internal communicators are increa…
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Introducing BiteSize from Gatehouse Academy – condensed learning for communicators
Following on from my pre-Christmas post about planning your professional development for 2010, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce BiteSize, a newly launched learning and development programme which is aimed squarely at in-house communication teams, line managers and aspiring leader…
Introducing BiteSize from Gatehouse Academy – condensed learning for communicators
Following on from my pre-Christmas post about planning your professional development for 2010, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce BiteSize, a newly launched learning and development programme which is aimed squarely at in-house communication teams, line managers and aspiring leaders. N…
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas
It’s almost time to down tools and break up for the Christmas break, so I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy festive period and a wonderful and successful New Year. Enjoy the holidays and see you in 2010!…
Free Engaging Manager webinar exclusively for in-house practitioners
Join us for a free Gatehouse Academy webinar on 1 February 2010 and learn how to put line managers at the heart of your internal communications To celebrate the launch of our Engaging Manager learning programme for line managers and aspiring leaders, Gatehouse Academy invites you to participate in a…
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Thinking about your development – planning your professional detox for 2010
With the festive season in full swing and the New Year nearly upon us, now is the time to start thinking seriously about the state of your career, to plan how you’re going to tone-up those flabby tactical and strategic muscles and to commit to a healthy regime of continuous learning and develo…
Continue reading Thinking about your development – planning your professional detox for 2010...
The building blocks of a successful f2f strategy
Facilitating and improving face-to-face (f2f) communication is arguably the single most important aspect of what we do as internal communication professionals. Study after study shows that face-to-face is the communication channel most preferred by employees for certain types of information. It is t…
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The A-Z of Internal Communication – get your copy now
A few months ago my co-director at Gatehouse, Simon Wright, put the finishing touches to a fun little book all about the world of employee comms – The A-Z of Internal Communication. Described as “an entertaining journey into the world of communicating inside large and complex organisatio…
Continue reading The A-Z of Internal Communication – get your copy now...
The A-Z of Internal Communication – get your copy now
A few months ago my co-director at Gatehouse, Simon Wright, put the finishing touches to a fun little book all about the world of employee comms – The A-Z of Internal Communication. Described as “an entertaining journey into the world of communicating inside large and complex organisations…
Continue reading The A-Z of Internal Communication – get your copy now...
Meat no cheese when it comes to employee events
Now that we at Gatehouse are officially in the events business (our live events arm Gasp! is now around six months old and growing nicely) I find myself pondering more and more the role of big set piece events as part of the employee comms mix – and questioning the tactics some organisations a…
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Absence, stress & depression in the workplace – line managers may hold the key
A recent study from NICE, the National Institute of Health & Clinical Excellence, caught my eye. Reported on the Management Today website, it suggests that poor line management is responsible for rising levels of stress in the workplace. NICE reckons the total cost to the UK economy of work rel…
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The power of focus groups and other qualitative techniques in communication research
It’s currently 6.30am and I’m sitting in a hotel room in Hong Kong, thinking about the day ahead… I’m here to facilitate the final round of employee focus groups for a client research project – eight more sessions to complete the qualitative programme and then it’s reporting time. Th…
The power of focus groups and other qualitative techniques in communication research
It’s currently 6.30am and I’m sitting in a hotel room in Hong Kong, thinking about the day ahead… I’m here to facilitate the final round of employee focus groups for a client research project – eight more sessions to complete the qualitative programme and then it’…
View from the Summit part 2 – Wayne Clarke, Best Companies
Following an introduction from Melcrum CEO and co-founder Victoria Mellor, keynote speaker Wayne Clarke from Best Companies Partnership LLP kicked-off the SCM Summit 2009 with an informative session exploring the links between employee engagement and internal communication. First off, Wayne de…
Continue reading View from the Summit part 2 – Wayne Clarke, Best Companies...
View from the Summit part 2 – Wayne Clarke, Best Companies
Following an introduction from Melcrum CEO and co-founder Victoria Mellor, keynote speaker Wayne Clarke from Best Companies Partnership LLP kicked-off the SCM Summit 2009 with an informative session exploring the links between employee engagement and internal communication. First off, Wayne defined …
Continue reading View from the Summit part 2 – Wayne Clarke, Best Companies...
View from the SCM Summit 2009 – conference highlights part 1
This is the first of a number of posts reporting on the proceedings at yesterday’s SCM Summit in London. More than 200 communicators packed into the conference suite at the Tower Hotel for one of the highlights in the professional calendar – and once again Melcrum didn’t disappoint…
Continue reading View from the SCM Summit 2009 – conference highlights part 1...
View from the SCM Summit 2009 – conference highlights part 1
This is the first of a number of posts reporting on the proceedings at yesterday’s SCM Summit in London. More than 200 communicators packed into the conference suite at the Tower Hotel for one of the highlights in the professional calendar – and once again Melcrum didn’t disappoint. Lean…
Continue reading View from the SCM Summit 2009 – conference highlights part 1...
Rebuilding trust with employees – random thoughts and snippets
More random thoughts and snippets on organisational trust ahead of next week’s Melcrum SCM Summit in London. “Trust is a fragile plant which may not endure inspection of its roots, even when they were, before the inspection, quite strong” Baier What exactly is trust? Decades ago Douglas …
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The dirty dozen – 12 ways to destroy trust inside organisations
One of the hot topics I’m looking forward to hearing more and thinking more about at Melcrum’s SCM Summit in London next week (14 & 15 October) is the tricky challenge of (re)building trust with employees, particularly in an industry like financial services. There are sessions and work…
Continue reading The dirty dozen – 12 ways to destroy trust inside organisations...
Rebuilding trust with employees – random thoughts and snippets
More random thoughts and snippets on organisational trust ahead of next week’s Melcrum SCM Summit in London. “Trust is a fragile plant which may not endure inspection of its roots, even when they were, before the inspection, quite strong” Baier What exactly is trust? Decades ago Do…
Continue reading Rebuilding trust with employees – random thoughts and snippets...
The dirty dozen – 12 ways to destroy trust inside organisations
One of the hot topics I’m looking forward to hearing more and thinking more about at Melcrum’s SCM Summit in London next week (14 & 15 October) is the tricky challenge of (re)building trust with employees, particularly in an industry like financial services. There are sessions and w…
Continue reading The dirty dozen – 12 ways to destroy trust inside organisations...
Six days to go…
Next week features one of the undisputed highlights of the internal communication calendar, Melcrum’s SCM Summit in London. The line-up this year is first class and I’m really looking forward to two days of inspiration, good practice and interesting discussions and debates. There’s…
Six days to go…
Next week features one of the undisputed highlights of the internal communication calendar, Melcrum’s SCM Summit in London. The line-up this year is first class and I’m really looking forward to two days of inspiration, good practice and interesting discussions and debates. There’s CiB chair D…
Creating a cross-selling culture within the professional services firm – thoughts from the PM Forum Global Conference
Last week I had the honour of co-facilitating two 90 minute workshops on cross-selling as part of the PM Forum Global Conference in London. PM Forum is a 5,000 strong regionally-based members' association, formed in 1996, dedicated to raising the standards of professional services marketing and …
Creating a cross-selling culture within the professional services firm – thoughts from the PM Forum Global Conference
Last week I had the honour of co-facilitating two 90 minute workshops on cross-selling as part of the PM Forum Global Conference in London. PM Forum is a 5,000 strong regionally-based members’ association, formed in 1996, dedicated to raising the standards of professional services marketing an…
Demonstrating your value – input, output, out-take and outcome measures
At the CIPR internal communication conference earlier this week I facilitated a short workshop on demonstrating your value. One of the topics my group got discussing was the types of measure you can use to assess your effectiveness and evaluate your impact as an internal communicator. As part of thi…
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A thought-provoking day at the 2009 CIPR Internal Comms conference
Earlier this week I spent the day in London at the annual CIPR internal comms conference. The event was chaired by my CIPR Inside committee colleague, Hill & Knowlton’s Scott McKenzie, and was attended by around 60 communicators from a wide variety of sectors and organisations. I ran a br…
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Print channels in decline
I was reading a recent issue of Strategic Communication Management this morning – a piece on Melcrum’s latest ‘Key Benchmark Data for Communicators’ study – and one of the many useful statistics jumped out at me. According to the study, a whopping 45 per cent of the 1,3…
Print channels in decline
I was reading a recent issue of Strategic Communication Management this morning – a piece on Melcrum’s latest ‘Key Benchmark Data for Communicators’ study – and one of the many useful statistics jumped out at me. According to the study, a whopping 45 per cent of the 1,300 communicators who…
Research shows state of IC in professional services
At Gatehouse we recently undertook some basic research to look at the state of internal comms within the professional services sector, a world that remains close to our hearts as former senior communicators from one of the Big 4 accountancy firms. Undertaken in conjunction the Managing Partners’ F…
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Research shows state of IC in professional services
At Gatehouse we recently undertook some basic research to look at the state of internal comms within the professional services sector, a world that remains close to our hearts as former senior communicators from one of the Big 4 accountancy firms. Undertaken in conjunction the Managing Partners̵…
Continue reading Research shows state of IC in professional services...
CommsFlashMob – what on earth is it?!
It all started with an innocent throw-away comment a few weeks back… Anyone interested in social media and communications will know just how big Wikipedia is these days – a staggering 3 million entries and the seventh most popular website globally. But despite its huge reach and consider…
Sobering findings from latest Edelman Trust Barometer
The annual Edelman Trust Barometer report always makes enlightening – and sometimes rather depressing – bedtime reading. The last set of findings, delivered back in January 2009, were particularly sobering and found that 62% of 25-to-64-year-olds surveyed across 20 countries said they trusted co…
Continue reading Sobering findings from latest Edelman Trust Barometer...
Sobering findings from latest Edelman Trust Barometer
The annual Edelman Trust Barometer report always makes enlightening – and sometimes rather depressing – bedtime reading. The last set of findings, delivered back in January 2009, were particularly sobering and found that 62% of 25-to-64-year-olds surveyed across 20 countries said they tr…
Continue reading Sobering findings from latest Edelman Trust Barometer...
CIPR IC conference – 20% discount for bookings made this week
Admittedly there aren’t many good thinks to come out of a recession, but one of the unexpected and very welcome benefits is that some great events and conferences are occasionally available at discounted rates for short periods – helping stretch those valuable development budgets even fu…
Continue reading CIPR IC conference – 20% discount for bookings made this week...
CIPR IC conference – 20% discount for bookings made this week
Admittedly there aren’t many good thinks to come out of a recession, but one of the unexpected and very welcome benefits is that some great events and conferences are occasionally available at discounted rates for short periods – helping stretch those valuable development budgets even further. T…
Continue reading CIPR IC conference – 20% discount for bookings made this week...
SCM Summit – book now for Flip sake!
There are one or two industry conferences each year which I believe really are must-attend events. The CIPR one day internal comms conference is one and Melcrum’s annual SCM Summit is another. The former is coming up next month – Monday 14 September to be precise – and I’ll blog ab…
SCM Summit – book now for Flip sake!
There are one or two industry conferences each year which I believe really are must-attend events. The CIPR one day internal comms conference is one and Melcrum’s annual SCM Summit is another. The former is coming up next month – Monday 14 September to be precise – and I’ll b…
Gower Handbook of Internal Communication – exclusive discount for Talking IC readers
Both Simon Wright, my co-director at Gatehouse, and I have contributed chapters to the brand new Gower Handbook of Internal Communication. Publisher Gower and editor Marc Wright of Simply Communicate have done a sterling job on the publication which will, I’m sure, become a bookshelf favourite for…
The employee expo – a tactic with real potential
A couple of weeks ago I was invited by a large utility company to attend its annual employee exhibition. They’ve been doing one for years apparently – taking over an large exhibition hall for a few days and inviting their people (and suppliers) to come along for a few hours to see what&#…
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Gower Handbook of Internal Communication – exclusive discount for Talking IC readers
Both Simon Wright, my co-director at Gatehouse, and I have contributed chapters to the brand new Gower Handbook of Internal Communication. Publisher Gower and editor Marc Wright of Simply Communicate have done a sterling job on the publication which will, I’m sure, become a bookshelf favourite…
Happy birthday blog!
I just realised that, as of yesterday, I’ve been blogging (albeit on and off) for three whole years. During that time I’ve covered a wide range of subjects relating to internal communication, change and employee engagement – and a few others to boot. I like to think I’ve been a bit provocati…
Free article – making the case for renewed investment in IC
Here’s my latest press article, which appears in the current issue of the world’s leading employer branding journal, Universum Quarterly. Download Universum Quarterly – Lee Smith If you haven’t come across it before, Universum Quarterly is an excellent read and is well worth …
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MacLeod Review provides a timely reminder of the importance of employee engagement
Published today (16 July 2009), the MacLeod Review of employee engagement has recommended government support and more cooperation by UK businesses both large and small, to make sure the relationship between employees and employers is at the centre of successful business plans. Led by David MacLeod a…
Free article – making the case for renewed investment in IC
Here's my latest press article, which appears in the current issue of the world's leading employer branding journal, Universum Quarterly. Download Universum Quarterly – Lee Smith If you haven't come across it before, Universum Quarterly is an exc…
Continue reading Free article – making the case for renewed investment in IC...
Watson Helsby’s verdict on IC: there’s more to deliver
Having sat in my ‘must read’ pile for the past month or so, today I finally got around to reading the latest report on internal communication from specialist headhunters Watson Helsby. Entitled ‘Internal Communications – More to Deliver’ the report is the sequel to a si…
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Random thoughts on… Audience
Inspired by the popularity of the new Gatehouse A to Z of Internal Communication – a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the world of employee communication created by my colleague and consultancy co-founder Simon Wright – I thought I’d begin an occasional series of blog posts with my…
Happy birthday blog!
I just realised that, as of yesterday, I’ve been blogging (albeit on and off) for three whole years. During that time I’ve covered a wide range of subjects relating to internal communication, change and employee engagement – and a few others to boot. I like to think I’ve been…
Public sector engagement – useful US data
Stumbled upon this nice post from executive coach Scott Eblin in the US on leadership communication. What’s good about it is that it contains some interesting employee data from the bi-annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government study – which will be of particular interest to th…
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Public sector engagement – useful US data
Stumbled upon this nice post from executive coach Scott Eblin in the US on leadership communication. What’s good about it is that it contains some interesting employee data from the bi-annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government study – which will be of particular interest to those of y…
Continue reading Public sector engagement – useful US data...
Free CIPR Inside event – an evening with Viral Change author Leandro Herrero
Hot off the press… I’m delighted to announce the latest event from CIPR Inside – an audience with Leandro Herrero, who I rate one of the world’s leading thinkers on change. The session will take place at GAM (20 King Street, SW1) in London at 1800-2000 on Tuesday 16 June. During this special…
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Directory of Twitter tools for communicators
In line with my new found enthusiasm for Twitter (you can see my ramblings and follow me via the right hand column of this blog), here’s a really helpful post from Brian Solis in San Francisco – on the tool and the phenomenon. Better still, it’s written especially for comms people.…
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Free CIPR Inside event – an evening with Viral Change author Leandro Herrero
Hot off the press… I’m delighted to announce the latest event from CIPR Inside – an audience with Leandro Herrero, who I rate one of the world’s leading thinkers on change. The session will take place at GAM (20 King Street, SW1) in London at 1800-2000 on Tuesday 16 June. Dur…
Continue reading Free CIPR Inside event – an evening with Viral Change author Leandro Herrero...
Tweet tweet: desperately seeking followers
I’m now on Twitter. Properly on it I mean. I’ve been on there for ages, but I haven’t really used it. But I’ve resolved to try harder. So now I’m desperately looking for followers. If you’re remotely interested in my movements, my mumblings or my mini-musings, ple…
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Tweet tweet: desperately seeking followers
I’m now on Twitter. Properly on it I mean. I’ve been on there for ages, but I haven’t really used it. But I’ve resolved to try harder. So now I’m desperately looking for followers. If you’re remotely interested in my movements, my mumblings or my mini-musings, please walk this way… L…
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Diary date and special reader discount – Corporate Social Networking conference, London, 8 June 2009
Regular readers will know that I’m pretty passionate about the value of social networking inside organisations. So I’m delighted to be able to share details of an excellent forthcoming conference on the topic and, better still, to offer a whopping 25% discount on the standard conference …
Diary date and special reader discount – Corporate Social Networking conference, London, 8 June 2009
Regular readers will know that I’m pretty passionate about the value of social networking inside organisations. So I’m delighted to be able to share details of an excellent forthcoming conference on the topic and, better still, to offer a whopping 25% discount on the standard conference fee for …
The tragedy of poor communication
The tragic and horrific case of Baby Peter, the toddler who died in August 2007 after receiving sustained abuse from his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger, provides a stark reminder of the importance of communication at work and the potential consequences of getting it wrong. The Care Quality C…
Diary date: Pathways to Success, London, 3 June 2009
The next event from CIPR Inside takes place at HMRC, London on Wednesday 3 June (1545-1800 followed by networking drinks). Entitled ‘Pathways to Success: Developing your Career in Internal Communications"’ the session will focus on a topic that’s close to my heart – learning and d…
Continue reading Diary date: Pathways to Success, London, 3 June 2009...
Diary date: Pathways to Success, London, 3 June 2009
The next event from CIPR Inside takes place at HMRC, London on Wednesday 3 June (1545-1800 followed by networking drinks). Entitled ‘Pathways to Success: Developing your Career in Internal Communications”‘ the session will focus on a topic that’s close to my heart – lea…
Continue reading Diary date: Pathways to Success, London, 3 June 2009...
Crisis communication & social media
One of the areas I’m really interested in at the moment is the impact of social media on crisis communication. So I was delighted to stumble upon a great presentation given recently by the excellent Shel Holtz at the Society for New Communications Research New Communications Forum in the US. T…
Crisis communication & social media
One of the areas I’m really interested in at the moment is the impact of social media on crisis communication. So I was delighted to stumble upon a great presentation given recently by the excellent Shel Holtz at the Society for New Communications Research New Communications Forum in the US. The P…
CIPR Inside – hanging up my boots
Yesterday saw me formally hand over my responsibilities as Chair of CIPR Inside to a worthy and strong successor in the form of Hill & Knowlton’s Scott McKenzie. Having done a full 12 month stint as Chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ specialist group, and a furthe…
CIPR Inside – hanging up my boots
Yesterday saw me formally hand over my responsibilities as Chair of CIPR Inside to a worthy and strong successor in the form of Hill & Knowlton’s Scott McKenzie. Having done a full 12 month stint as Chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations' specialist group, and a further five …
Falling like Domino’s – another social media wake up call
How many more corporate embarrassments will it take to convince organisations to prepare properly for an employee and social media-fuelled crisis? The global pizza company Domino’s is the latest in a growing line of brands which have suffered serious reputation damage at the hands of employees…
Continue reading Falling like Domino’s – another social media wake up call...
Falling like Domino’s – another social media wake up call
How many more corporate embarrassments will it take to convince organisations to prepare properly for an employee and social media-fuelled crisis? The global pizza company Domino's is the latest in a growing line of brands which have suffered serious reputation damage at the hands of empl…
Continue reading Falling like Domino’s – another social media wake up call...
Singing the praises of corporate choirs
A few years ago Ernst & Young, the big 4 accountancy firm I used to work for, launched a corporate choir in London. It went down a storm as I remember, with employees signing up in droves to sing together in sweet harmony. Their occasional performances were also extremely popular with fellow em…
Glimpses into the history of IC
I’ve been doing a bit of digging around into the history of internal communication – and found a couple of interesting links I thought I’d share with you. The first is an excellent overview by a UK agency I haven’t come across before called 44 Communications. Their ‘qui…
Glimpses into the history of IC
I’ve been doing a bit of digging around into the history of internal communication – and found a couple of interesting links I thought I’d share with you. The first is an excellent overview by a UK agency I haven’t come across before called 44 Communications. Their ‘quick history of…
Reflecting on my year as chair of CIPR Inside
The CIPR Inside Annual General Meeting took place in London last week and, as part of the proceedings, I gave the following brief address. It contains some of my thoughts on the challenges of the past 12 months and where we currently stand as a profession, as well as touching on some of the things t…
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Online town halls – a tool for the times?
There’s a lot of chatter right now about online town hall meetings. One of the best recent examples is the ‘Open for Questions’ online town hall recently hosted by President Obama – check it out. A nice extension of the White House’s web 2.0 strategy, the President aske…
Continue reading Online town halls – a tool for the times?...
Online town halls – a tool for the times?
There’s a lot of chatter right now about online town hall meetings. One of the best recent examples is the ‘Open for Questions’ online town hall recently hosted by President Obama – check it out. A nice extension of the White House’s web 2.0 strategy, the President asked Americ…
Continue reading Online town halls – a tool for the times?...
Podcasting Perfection – a last minute bargain for internal communicators
CIPR Inside is running a special one-day interactive workshop this month on podcasting – and the good news is we’ve just slashed the price to a more recession-friendly £99+VAT for CIPR members, charities & NGOs (£125+ VAT for non members). I’m sure you’ll agree that…
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Playing to your leader’s style
There was an interesting article in PR Week last week, on the subject of leadership communication. Entitled ‘Get the best out of your boss’ it outlines six of the most common leadership styles and suggests how communicators can best play to the personalities of their leaders. It’s …
Employee spokespeople and the online conversation – free article to download
I was interviewed recently by Alex Blyth, a freelance journalist, for a piece he was researching for Personnel Today on the impact of social media inside and outside the workplace. I’ve just got around to checking the PT website and I noticed that the article was published a few weeks ago R…
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Insecurity on the rise amongst communicators
Touching on the same theme as my last post, I was interested to read about some research carried out recently by Communicators in Business (CiB) which shows that internal communicators are feeling increasingly insecure about their jobs. The poll, which ran on the CiB web site for two months, attract…
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