Over the last few years, we have had the distinct privilege of working with several leaders on driving organizational change. The pandemic has triggered massive growth in my change practice, and also a fundamental shift in direction – moving from traditional “managed change” to supporting executives in leading through ambiguity, chaos and disruption. The essential […]
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As the saying goes, fish perceive water last. When you’re swimming in the waters of your organization, you’re so immersed in its dysfunctions and idiosyncrasies that you might lose sight of what a really high performing communications function actually looks like. Let’s take a look at the five essential traits: The first is alignment. The […]
There has never been a more compelling time for communications teams to come together to help shape the future of work. More than two years into the pandemic, communications professionals are universally feeling both overwhelmed and underwhelmed. The pace of demands is relentless, technology and organizational change is constant and stakeholder expectations are sky high. […]
Let’s face it – nobody has a perfect communications team. There are always things we’d want to tweak – it would probably be better to have a bit more evaluation, tighter processes and a stronger planning culture. Fair enough. However, at what point do these areas for improvement turn into something more significant, and signal […]
One of the main occupational hazards for communications professionals is dealing with the frustrations of working with internal clients. The space between the communicator and the internal client is fraught with dangers, disconnects and delusional expectations. The first rule is this – do not accept the conditions that have you set up to fail. This […]
If you’re like most communications leaders I know, you’re probably paying a gigantic, recurring, and invisible tax bill on your communications shop. At best, this is vexing. At worst, it may well be what’s holding you and your team back from unleashing your talent and working at the top of your scope of practice and […]
No two strategic communications plans are the same. However, having written hundreds of them over the past 20 years, I have found that key elements of the process of communications planning consistently deliver a high-quality product of a solid communications plan. We have codified these core steps as part of our Results Map® process for […]
In the past few months, I’ve led dozens of executive workshops on employee communications and change leadership. It’s striking that while these sessions have differed vastly in context, there is a clear common denominator – leaders are urgently concerned about how to communicate the shift to a hybrid workplace. It’s a challenge that is accentuated […]
As the need to communicate change continues to permeate our work as communicators, here are our top tips to help you maximize your impact and minimize risk: DO simplify. Create a crisp, brief message on the intent behind the change and communicate it relentlessly. Find opportunities to create shared meaning using examples that are clearly understood […]
I recently wrote about the value of informal learning through newsletters, blogs, videos and podcasts. The post triggered several inquiries about podcasts I’d recommend, so without further ado: Pods to Nourish Your Mind Dare to Lead with Brene Brown Why I love it: Brene Brown has a top-tier list of guests and offers a master […]
Last week I presented a webinar on career planning to a national group of communications professionals. The topic seemed to strike a chord, and with good reason – after all, we’re in the midst of the largest disruption to the work world since the Industrial Revolution, and the balance of power is shifting from employers […]
I’m delighted to share that I’ll be presenting a webinar at the uOttawa Professional Development Institute as part of their ongoing events calendar. On October 5th (from 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST), I’ll be delivering a practical, informative session on Communicators as Change Makers in the Age of COVID. As the global communications community […]
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