World Cup fever has well and truly set in at my house. The sticker book is almost complete, the wall chart is up and the relevant match times have been written on the calendar. There is much excitement and anticipation as we await kick-off of the first game. As usual, my thoughts are turning to … Read more
A few months ago I was asked by the Institute of Internal Communications (IoIC) to write a piece for a new series they were developing of practical guides for communicators. As regular readers of this blog will know, I have a passionate belief in the power of effective planning when it comes to communicating well … Read more
Every year, at about this point in the Spring term, my daughter’s school hosts a ‘Sharing Day’, where parents get to come into the classroom to share a lesson with their children. So today I found myself sitting on a small chair at a small table, surrounded by a gaggle of 5- and 6-year-olds making … Read more
I am the sort of person for whom values are important. Maybe that’s why I work in the not-for-profit and academic sectors. It certainly helps with running my own business – the values that frame my working life are now entirely my own, not something that has been dictated or developed by others in the … Read more
I attended a really inspiring meeting of my local voluntary sector forum this morning. We were talking about coproduction, the term for involving service users and their experiences in the design and commissioning of the services they need and want. This isn’t in itself a particularly new concept, but in these difficult financial times, when … Read more
“I wish they’d communicate directly with us and tell us what they’re doing,” said the volunteer in her high-vis jacket, desperately trying to co-ordinate the efforts to help the wretched residents of her village as they were flooded out of their homes. The ‘they’ in question were the Government and she was talking to the … Read more
One of the many places I go to work so that I’m not staring at the kitchen wall all day is my local library. It’s warm, quiet (except on nursery rhymes day and coffee mornings) and feels studious, which I find conducive to work. I have my favourite table to work at, tucked away in … Read more
Thank you to everyone who took a few minutes to complete my customer feedback survey late last year. The information you provided is really useful for informing the way in which I connect with current and future clients. I now know that: 88% of respondents heard about me and my work through a recommendation from … Read more
I’m currently in the middle of helping one of my clients to run focus groups with their employees and volunteers, which is a role I love. Being a facilitator and enabling the people in the group to articulate and present their views is really important. It’s great to be working with people who understand the … Read more
I hope that everyone has had an enjoyable festive season, whatever you have been doing. I have spent time with family and friends, laughed a lot, eaten a lot and generally recharged my batteries. Just what I hoped for, in fact. I shall be officially returning to my desk next week, but I’m already starting … Read more