Who’s in the room?
TV programmes like It’s A Sin can teach us a lot about how important it is to include everyone’s views and perspectives in our communications
culture
5 ways to be kind to your colleagues
I believe in the power of kindness. Of doing things that make other people smile, that make them feel better. Even if that’s only for a brief while. And this year I’m making it my mission to talk more about kindness and to share stories of kindness as much as I can. Kindness in the … Read more
Diversity and inclusion for communicators
When I saw a Diversity and Inclusion for Communicators course advertised by the Institute of Internal Communication last year, I was really pleased. I knew this was an area I wanted to know more about, so I signed up straight away. I had previously worked with the Diversity and Inclusion Deans at the University of … Read more
The importance of links
Earlier today I was in my local supermarket, trying to decide which of the 3 fantastic charities I should give my green token to, when I suddenly remembered a recent conversation with a friend who was looking for an organisation to support her through a difficult emotional time. One of the charities I was reading … Read more
3 tips for communicating with your internal customers
The term internal communication means many things to many people. The specifics of what is involved, who is involved and the channels that are used can vary greatly between organisations. Factors such as the number of employees, the roles they do, where in the world they are based and so on can make a real … Read more
10 key points from the Strategic People conference
This was my second year at the Strategic People Conference from Agenda Consulting. This year’s theme was ‘Thoughtful leadership for a healthy culture’. Once again I came away with lots of new ideas and questions to consider in my work with my clients. Throughout the day there was ample opportunity to learn from different perspectives … Read more
Retro post: how to understand culture through tea
Since I work with a lot of different organisations, I get to work with many teams and in a variety of environments – the best way to understand their culture is to suss out the tea and coffee making facilities. Back in 2014 I wrote a blog about the things I’d learnt from the humble … Read more
Good reads on employee engagement
In a Wall Street Journal article about employee engagement that was published this summer, a senior leader from a retail organisation was quoted as saying: “We used to prioritize our stakeholders as shareholders first, customers second, and employees third. We now realize we had it backward. If we put employees first, they in turn take … Read more
Avoiding the pitfalls of misunderstood language
Recently I watched a feature film in German for the first time in about 20 years. And I understood it! And I laughed at the jokes! As a German graduate from the University of York, I really shouldn’t be so surprised, but when I left university I moved away from using my foreign languages and … Read more
Family communication lessons
Today is my dad’s 70th birthday. Yesterday, to celebrate, we held a party lunch for him at a local pub. The extended family – kids, grandkids, aunties, uncles, cousins – came together for Sunday lunch and birthday cake and to raise a glass to his good health. With 25 of us in the room, all … Read more