The comms blog

Carrying out an internal comms audit

Over the summer I am sharing examples of some of the projects I’ve been involved with over the years. I love the variety of clients I am lucky enough to work with and the ways in which I can help them communicate better in order to achieve their objectives. If you are taking the summer … Read more

Developing a strategic approach to diversity communications

Over the summer I am sharing examples of some of the projects I’ve been involved with over the years. I love the variety of clients I am lucky enough to work with and the ways in which I can help them communicate better in order to achieve their objectives. If you are taking the summer … Read more

How effective communication solves problems #1

I believe that effective communication solves problems by motivating people to take actions. But which problems? And which actions? To help my readers understand where communication can support them and their organisation, I have written a series of blog posts covering different problems you can solve by communicating well. This week I am looking at … Read more

Guest post: Growing a sales mindset in a charity

Building a sales mindset can be hugely powerful for your charity – but where should you start? This month’s guest post comes from sustainable income advisor, Ruth Dwight, who has provided some great ideas for how to discuss the need to grow income in new ways with your employees and volunteers. As the funding environment … Read more

5 great ways to improve case-study gathering

During a session on engaging content at a recent conference, the speaker talked about how to gather a case-study. Whatever your organisation does, you will have great stories of the work you do and the difference you make: used well, these will have a powerful effect on your intended audiences. But before you can start … Read more

What is effective communication?

I often talk about ‘effective communication’ in my presentations, comms strategy conversations and training workshops. But what does that phrase actually mean? A good friend asked me this question after reviewing some text for me. And I thought ‘If Pat wants to know what effective communication is, then other people will probably be wondering the same … 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

Guest post: Employee engagement in the workplace

Today is #WorldHappinessDay. This month’s guest, Alan Price, COO and Employment Law Director at Peninsula, gives us his thoughts on employee engagement, which is something that can help people to feel happy at work. Employee engagement is the approach within a workplace leading to the right working conditions for employees. It relates to an employee’s … 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

Organisational and personal values

Values are important to me. 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 entirely my own, not something that has been dictated or developed by others. This ensures that the work I choose to do … Read more