Lessons in communication from a head teacher
During the unprecedented circumstances of this year, communication has been more important than ever and my daughter’s headteacher has been a shining light.
audience
Aligning communication with overall direction
2020, as we are all painfully aware, is a year like no other. Many business strategies and plans written in January have long since been abandoned or postponed. The ongoing uncertainty of where we are headed means many organisations are re-evaluating what they can realistically achieve in the short-term and what might need to change … Read more
Guest post: Communication is the real work of leadership
My guest this month, leadership comms manager Shalini Gupta, shares her top tips for being our leaders’ trusted partners and supporting them to communicate well. She also describes us as unofficial ‘key workers’. Wouldn’t it be easy if our leaders could just push a button and say the right thing in the right tone and … Read more
How to frame messages that work
Sometimes it seems as though messages are the part of communication that gets forgotten. There is often much focus on format – whether to use video or text, how to make an Insta-ready image, the best time of day to send the e-newsletter etc. But I rarely hear as much deliberation about the actual messages. … Read more
Who’s listening to your not-for-profit story?
To tell your not-for-profit’s story effectively you need to be clear about the audiences you want to reach and what is important to them
Take time to understand your colleagues
If you are making assumptions about your colleagues’ meanings and motivations, either consciously or not, chances are that the communication between you is not working very well. And while this isn’t great in any situation, it can be particularly problematic during a global pandemic (or any other time of pressure and uncertainty). Listen up A … Read more
How to avoid misunderstandings in times of uncertainty
One piece of communication can send many messages, some of which may not be immediately obvious to the person sending it. This is particularly true in situations of uncertainty, where your people are worried about the future. They may even be actively looking for hidden meaning behind your words. So as communicators we need to … Read more
Your perception is your reality
One day some time ago when my daughter was much younger, we were discussing colours on the school run – to be more precise, we were discussing the colours of the autumn leaves that we kicked through on our way to the playground. Soggy weather had really highlighted the bright colours of the leaves and … Read more
Beware content overwhelm
I would guess that I am not alone in finding that my brain has struggled with all the information and advice available currently, on all sorts of topics. After fighting the overwhelm for a while and telling myself that I needed to just get on with it, I realised that actually I need to be … Read more
How about some collaboration round here?
The unprecedented times that we are all facing right now undoubtedly have many dark, frightening aspects. But I have also noticed that there are some signs of hope for our uncertain future – communities coming together, creativity flourishing, a sense of taking actions for the greater good. Something that gives me hope is the examples … Read more