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Felicity Barber, founder of Thoughtful Communications, has penned speeches and spearheaded executive communications for some of the world's most prominent financial institutions, including BlackRock, the Federal Reserve and Lloyds of London. Through her extensive experience, Felicity has discovered that storytelling—or as she calls it, "spinning a good yarn"—is one of the most effective ways to convey complex topics.
In this episode, Felicity shares how humor and openness can transform executive communications. She emphasizes the power of authenticity in storytelling to deliver key messages.
"A story gives a speech a really nice sense of completeness," Felicity explains. "Adding an anecdote, or anything that humanizes the leader delivering the message, is a powerful way to connect with audiences."
This engaging conversation delves into the challenges of executive communication, such as building trust with leaders and delivering strategic feedback. Felicity's insights on honest communication and setting the right expectations offer valuable guidance for anyone looking to advance in their executive comms career.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #78: CRAFTING STORIES THAT RESONATE – FELICITY BARBER ON EXECUTIVE COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Let’s debunk a myth today: managing up isn't about sucking up. In our second installment of “In Your Corner,” our career coaching segment, Sharon and I dive deep into what it really means to "manage up" and why it's a critical skill for communicators. Managing up effectively is about making your indispensability known—creating a symbiotic relationship that helps support your career as well as enhances your team's success.
We discuss:
How understanding and aligning with your boss’s expectations and communication styles can dramatically improve your work relationshipPractical examples from our real-life scenarios where managing up influenced workplace dynamicsTips on how to be proactive, such as sending weekly recaps to your boss to outline achievements and upcoming goalsThink of managing up as more than a career skill – it’s an essential partnership strategy that boosts both your growth and that of your leaders. Curious to see how this can support your professional interactions? Tune in for a deeper dive.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #77: IN YOUR CORNER – MASTERING MANAGING UP appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Let's face it: The world of internal communications is anything but boring. If you're anything like us, the thrill of navigating through ever-changing landscapes -- like hybrid work, AI and channel management, to name a few -- is what gets you up in the morning. That's why we're diving into the big picture of what's shaking up our field and the cool trends that are shaping our work in 2024.
In this episode, we’ll replay a Poppulo webinar, “Employee Trends for 2024,” featuring insights from Mark Dollins, President of North Star Communications Consulting, Ashley Tobin, Poppulo's Director of Customer Success and Sharon McIntosh.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #76: POPPULO WEBINAR REPLAY – UNLOCKING 2024 IC TRENDS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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“Let’s be careful out there.”
The line made famous by Hill Street Blues’ Sgt. Phil Esterhaus holds up 40 years later – just ask crisis expert Andy Gilman. In addition to his formal title – President and CEO of CommCore Consulting Group – Andy is the standard-bearer for communicators tasked with navigating sensitive issues.
In his fifth appearance on EE Voice, Andy joins us to take a look at the state of things in 2024 and advises us to prepare, prepare, prepare for potential crises. He urges communicators to “get the checklist going” and identify the events that may impact businesses and their employees in the near-term future.
“I might take a whiteboard,” Andy suggests. “And put on the whiteboard, ‘What has happened to our organization in the past year?’ ‘What's happened to our sister and brother organizations?’ ‘What's happened to society at large?’ Then do the comparison and ask, ‘Okay, what are we ready for?’”
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #75: GETTING READY FOR 2024 — CRISIS EXPERT ANDY GILMAN RETURNS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Our work as communicators is always evolving – there’s no finish line to cross or book to close. And, because of that, many of us are guilty of forgetting to take time to reflect on lessons learned and consider how our work is changing.
This year felt especially frenetic. The evolution of generative AI may have been the first talking point in many of our conversations, but that doesn’t come close to telling the whole story. Luckily, Sharon and I were able to discuss many of the industry’s hot topics with a few of the best minds in comms – highlighted in this episode. Here are some of our favorite insights featured on EE Voice in 2023.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #74: OUR BEST EXPERT ADVICE FROM 2023 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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A year ago, many communicators were unsure if generative artificial intelligence was going to have staying power in our industry. There have been supporters, detractors and plenty of folks who simply haven’t been able to wrap their heads around the technology. So, with accessible and evolving AI a reality, we’re left asking, “Now what?”
“This is an opportunity to learn-and-lead versus wait-and-wonder,” our friend and colleague Mark Dollins says of AI in comms on this episode of EE Voice.
Mark and his team at North Star Communications Consulting recently collaborated with the University of Missouri School of Journalism to research and publish “Artificial Intelligence & the Communicator,” a fantastic whitepaper that delves into the big opportunity and bigger feelings tied to the use of AI within employee communications.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #73: “A MIX OF UTILITY AND FEAR” – MARK DOLLINS ON AI IN COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Introducing “In Your Corner”
In boxing, competitors head to their stools in the fighter’s corner for one-minute respites between rounds. They try to catch their breath, have cuts tended to and receive instruction from their trainers, or “cornermen.” A good cornerman builds relationships with their competitors; they are reliable, identify any changing variables and build strategies geared toward competitors’ strengths.
As an avid fan of boxing, my aim is to provide similar guidance to coaching clients looking to navigate their careers. During episodes of “In Your Corner,” Sharon Phillips and I will delve into some challenges suggested by their communications colleagues and discuss how we can respond positively.
This Episode: Navigating Imposter Syndrome
Whether you’re presenting on an unfamiliar topic, writing a speech for a demanding executive or issuing a statement on a hot-button issue, a little self-doubt can go a long way. Confidence may waver, but does that mean we don’t belong?
After recording and publishing more than 70 episodes of the EE Voice podcast, we have met some of the brightest, hardest working people in communications – and even the most accomplished industry leaders can experience something called imposter syndrome.
Continue Reading →The post #72: Introducing “in your corner”: Imposter Syndrome appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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The best communicators are versatile; they proactively seek out opportunities to meet audiences and develop creative ways to deliver messages. Some of our greatest successes come when we recognize that one-size may not fit-all, leading us to develop new methods to reach unique sets of stakeholders.
Few understand these challenges more than Kristi Munno, who leads a full slate of communications initiatives for Ozinga, a fifth-generation family-owned company in the construction materials industry. Here’s how Kristi and team transformed their Town Hall meetings to be sure that each of Ozinga’s employees had the chance to participate -- and how her team helped showcase frontline operations.
The challenge: More than half of Ozinga’s nearly 2,000 employees are considered frontline workers and do not have access to a company email addresses, creating obstacles when it comes to distributing internal communications.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #71: KRISTI MUNNO ON REACHING FRONTLINE BY REINVENTING OZINGA TOWN HALLS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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So much of our time as communicators is spent navigating uncharted territory – handling crises, adapting to emerging technology, etc. – that it’s easy to forget to take time to reflect.
We recently received a great reminder to do just that from our friend and former Sears colleague, Barbara Rozgonyi. A pioneer of digital communications and the leader of CoryWest Media, Barbara joined us to discuss the current popularity of retro culture and how lessons from the past can help shape how we work moving forward.
“It's just really gives you a feeling that what was cool is still cool,” Barbara said. “I was looking at some of the projects we worked on together – and the groundwork that we laid back then may seem nostalgic, but it's super relevant for today.”
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #70: WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN WITH BARBARA ROZGONYI appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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As communicators, we are often at our best while functioning as trusted advisors to executives, colleagues and other key business stakeholders. But trust isn’t gained overnight. How do you build trust for the long-term?
Enter Jason Anthoine, the managing founder and “head honcho” of Audacity, a communications consultancy that helps companies inform, involve and inspire their employees by immersing themselves in businesses and absorbing as much as possible, from balance sheets and organizational goals to day-to-day operations.
“We will never be able to understand what their world is like unless we insert ourselves into it,” Jason told us. “We're here to understand you better so we can give you more of what you want and, more importantly, less of what you don't want.”
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #69: JASON ANTHOINE ON BECOMING A COMMS TRUSTED ADVISOR appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is here, and no one is less surprised than Shel Holtz.
So many of us know Shel from his 40-plus years as a consultant, speaker, blogger, author, and co-founder of the FIR Podcast Network, but it is his fascination with emerging technologies that make him the ideal person to discuss AI models like ChatGPT.
“Mark my words,” Shel wrote in 2016, “Bots are coming to the workplace, to media relations, to public relations. They are coming just as surely as the web was going to completely disrupt the way communications was done a quarter century ago.”
Now, with his prediction a reality, Shel joins our podcast to urge communicators to embrace AI tools, rather than fear being replaced by them. To Shel, learning how to properly – and ethically – use AI is becoming an essential skill and can help us generate ideas, overcome writers block, teach writing, and save time.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #68: SHEL HOLTZ – EMBRACING CHATGPT FOR INTERNAL COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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In our first episode of the year, we look to unpack what’s going on and what lies ahead for communicators in 2023. To us, there’s no one better suited to discuss the present and future of executive communication than David Murray.
In addition to being an expert communicator and accomplished author, David is the Executive Director of the Executive Communication Council, the head of the Professional Speechwriters Association, and he also pens the popular communications blog, “Writing Boots.” We’re thrilled to have him back on EE Voice.
During our conversation, David jests that this is “the only interesting time” in executive communication and, while we’ll happily grant our friend some room for hyperbole, the reality is that we have absolutely reached an inflection point. Tune in as David discusses the unprecedented spotlight on – and access to – executives, an increasingly influential workforce, emerging AI technology, and how communicators can plan accordingly. (Tune in for the terrific storytelling; stay for the great advice.)
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #67: DAVID MURRAY – WHAT’S AHEAD FOR EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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As we prepare to take a brief pause for the holidays – and hope you do, too! – we’ll first take a moment to reflect on the challenges we faced this year: increasingly passionate employee bases; global, domestic, and online uncertainty; developing data and communication methods; and the many other factors that contributed to the year that was for internal communicators in 2022.
In looking back, we’re happy to continue our holiday tradition of a year-end roundup episode: one podcast with highlights from our 2022 conversations, in just a few minutes. Here are some of the top insights from this year’s slate of IC experts.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #66: OUR BEST IC EXPERT ADVICE FROM 2022 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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What is it they say about “the best laid plans?"
In this episode of the EE Voice podcast, we are joined by Caleb Gardner to discuss his new book – No Point B – and how leaders must embrace change and use effective communication in the face of developing technology, social activism, and other key elements in today’s tranformational world.
“All leadership has to be change leadership,” Caleb told us. “Because we just have so much inbound, so much new data, so much going on in the world that we're going to have to be constantly asking our people to think differently -- and we're not prepared to ask them to have that level of mental flexibility.”
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #65: AUTHOR CALEB GARDNER – ALL LEADERSHIP IS CHANGE LEADERSHIP appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Sometimes it pays to be a little paranoid. Crisis management expert and friend of the EE Voice podcast, Andy Gilman, returns to discuss the importance of preparedness and heightened awareness when it comes to cyber-attacks, the top potential crisis for almost any organization.
In our conversation, Andy illustrates the key role of communications in company-wide cybersecurity initiatives, which he calls “the ultimate cross-functional teamwork.”
“Figure out what resources are out there, then get smart yourself and get your employees smarter,” he says. “You want them to be aware and spot something. Again, we don't know we're doing a good job until something bad happens, so every day we're doing it is another day where the organization can function as normal.”
For helpful resources for communicators, visit the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
For more on Andy and CommCore Consulting Group, head to https://www.commcoreconsulting.com/.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #64: NOT IF, BUT WHEN – CRISIS EXPERT ANDY GILMAN ON PREPARING FOR A CYBERATTACK appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide.
Immediately following the announcement, several companies – including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Lyft, Dick’s Sporting Goods and JPMorgan Chase – announced that they were offering to cover travel costs for employees who must travel out of state for abortions. This clearly has implications for communicators who are facing the need to respond to their internal and external audiences.
We reached out to Robin Fretwell Wilson, a law professor at the University of Illinois and an expert on healthcare law. (You can read Robin’s full impressive bio here.)
“There’s a bramble of issues in [any] direction that you move,” says Robin.
Among the questions we discussed on this episode:
Possible legal implications for companies who are reimbursing travel costs for employees who must leave their home states for abortionsHow the ruling could set up a type of “arms race” between the red and blue statesWhat key messages communicators should keep in mind when advising their executivesSeveral legal issues that may arise down the road – and companies and communicators may not have even yet consideredSend this episode over to your legal partner – and begin that scenario planning. More is clearly to come on this issue.
Other resources:
Read the Reuters article, “Legal clashes await U.S. companies covering workers’ abortion costs,” where Robin was interviewed.Business Insider is keeping an updated list of company reactions to the ruling.The Society of Human Resources has pulled together a comprehensive resource on navigating Roe v Wade in the WorkplaceContinue Reading →
The post #63 – Roe v Wade: Communicators on alert for legal implications appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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We’re back after a brief hiatus and are ecstatic to be joined by author, internal communications leader, and our "welcome rebel” Mike Klein.
Principal of Changing the Terms and Senior Strategic Advisor for Sparrow Connected, Mike has made it his personal mission to challenge the status quo and advance the effectiveness of internal communications. His recently published e-book, “Employee Engagement or BUSINESS IMPACT? It's Time To Choose,” takes on the current state of employee engagement and identifies six levers to engage better performance.
Continue Reading →The post Episode #62: Mike Klein: Challenging Our Traditional Approach to Employee Engagement appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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How can we help? As the world reacts to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, companies must decide how their actions – or inactions – can answer that pivotal question. (Note: Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of the Yale School of Management updates a list of companies daily "that have curtailed operations as well as those that remain.")
In today’s abridged EE Voice clip, Sharon and I cover key points including employee safety in affected areas, corporate donations and the importance of proceeding together with empathy.
Take a listen, and please let us know if you'd like to share your experiences with our community. We welcome the conversation.
Continue Reading →The post Episode #61: Employee Communications on the Ukraine crisis appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Welcome Victoria Dew, SCMP, Founder and CEO of Dewpoint Communications back to this month’s EE Voice podcast. Victoria joined Sharon and me to discuss Dewpoint’s insights report, “The New Rules of Employee Experience & Communications in 2022.”
In speaking to dozens of business leaders, Victoria and her team captured and analyzed emerging trends – the themes and trends that will impact the way we work moving forward.
For more insights from Victoria, connect with her on LinkedIn.
Continue Reading →The post Episode #60: Victoria Dew on the new rules of employee experience appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Whew - what year 2021 was for internal communications. You were overworked but overdelivered - and you did it all (most of the time) with passion and enthusiasm. We hope all of you are getting some well-deserved rest and peace as we wind down these final few weeks.
We leave all of you with a final EE Voice gift -- one podcast with the best IC ideas and advice from our 2021 guests, in just 20 minutes. Here are highlights of the best insights from the year’s conversations:
David Murray on the evolving challenges of communications, heightened expectations faced by leaders in times of crisis and the highest purpose of internal communications.Roger D'Aprix – often called “the father of internal communications” – who spoke to guest host David Murray on the future of communication and the goal to help employees “understand the whole range of change that has gone on, and that will certainly continue to go on.”Tamara Rodman on how to use storytelling to increase vaccinations by building trust with employees.Victoria Dew on how employee experience and expectations are changing as a result of Covid.Andy Gilman on using communications to overcome vaccine hesitancy, drive compliance, and for senior leadership to show employees that they care.George Sutcliffe on how to begin building a communications measurement strategy.Kristen Garvey on how to take a measurement-focused approach when it’s time to bring employees back to the workplace.Sharon and I wish all of our listeners happy holidays!
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #59: OUR BEST IC EXPERT ADVICE FROM FROM 2021 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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