One of the most powerful ways in which communicators can contribute unique, strategic value is by connecting the dots in our organizations. Connecting the dots is about cultivating the habit of seeing the inter-connections between issues, information and trends which may otherwise seem unrelated on the surface. This ability to connect the dots is what…
The fastest way to sharpen the strategic focus of communication is to clarify the “why” behind our activities and messages. It is essential that we be very focused on understanding what the driving need for communication is. Otherwise, we are doomed to a lack luster scattergun approach that tends to leave communicators exhausted and their…
This morning, I had the honour of presenting a workshop on Best Practices in Strategic Communications Planning: A Focus on Social Media to the Library of Parliament. The session was designed to explore opportunities for effectively integrating social media into strategic communication programs. We had a lively discussion about what happens when we look at…
I’ve had countless conversations with corporate leaders about social media, and usually, they go something like this: Me: “Social media is really important. You oughta check it out, if only because it’s completely and permanently changed the communications landscape we’re operating in.” Executive: “Yeah… I know the social media train has left the station, but…
A critical part of being a good manager or supervisor is being good at communications. Improving your own communications skills can help contribute to the overall performance of your team. We’re often asked about it, so we’ve put together our top 5 favourites: BE PROACTIVE. Take the initiative to reach out. If you don’t…
In my experience there are 5 key areas to avoid when developing a Crisis Communications Plan: Lack of Clarity: Communications can mean many different things to different people. It’s critical to clearly define the scope of communications – it can be useful to think in terms of two broad categories: the communications function as a…
When you’re developing an internal communications plan, it’s by no means easy to take the mandate of effective communication into the C-suite offices. But let’s face it: if you don’t take that mandate all the way to the top, there’s little hope for success in communicating effectively with employees. The principle I always stress to…
Not long ago, Melcrum published this valuable tool to help internal communicators choose the right channels to deliver their messages to employees. Check out the Communications Channel tool here.
No, this isn’t a slightly off-kilter blog post about the 1960’s folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. It’s about what happens when your internal communications strategy doesn’t include the vital element of making the case for the money and staff to meet your strategy’s operational needs. It’s a challenging fact that external communications almost always…
This morning I had the honour of presenting to the World Conference of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The theme of my session was consultative skills. More specifically, an introduction to the top 10 questions that can make us strategic communications rock stars. Here they are: What does success look like? Why this,…
