The comms blog

Writer’s block: 5 great ways to power through

Picture of an ink pen nib with the words 'The first draft is just you telling yourself the story'

Writer’s block. We all get it from time to time. Sometimes it lasts only 10 minutes. Other times it goes on for weeks. But what to do if you need to write something for your organisation? When the project timeline or newsletter deadline doesn’t allow you the luxury of writer’s block. When your colleague needs … Read more

Celebrating my birthday with 10 comms tips

I love working with organisations that are making the world a kinder place. I’ve been doing it for more than 10 years but it was in March 2011 that I took things to a more formal level by setting up a company. To end my month of ‘birthday’ celebrations, here are my top 10 communication … Read more

5 tips for communicating goals

At the end of March my business hits double figures. Yes, that’s right, this month I’m celebrating my 10th business birthday. It’s hard to believe that it’s a decade already, the time has flown by. In time-honoured fashion, I’m taking the birthday as a chance to look back at what I’ve achieved so far and … Read more

Use stories to demonstrate skills

Stories are a great way to demonstrate what you know or understand. Telling a story helps you to connect with other people too, showing what you can bring to the party. A story from my past Years ago when I was working at Cancer Research UK we produced a staff magazine which went out in … Read more

Back to square one?

With #lockdown2 about to start in England tomorrow, it’s hard not to feel that we’re right back where we started earlier this year. Personally and professionally, I’ve heard a lot of heart-sinking, sighing and here-we-go-again-ing. Many communications teams and individuals are gathering themselves and setting to work once again for their colleagues. Finding the best … Read more

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

10 quick and practical tips for communication that works

For this week’s blog I asked on my Twitter and LinkedIn pages for practical tips for communicators in a hurry. The results cover a wide range of areas, from planning and strategy to intranet and message suggestions. I particularly like the ideas in relation to sign-off, an area that can easily slow us down as … Read more