The comms blog

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

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

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

Guest post: Join up internally – one team, one mission

This month I am delighted to welcome Adeela Warley, CEO of CharityComms, as my guest blogger. She shares her thoughts on charities that are responding to the global pandemic by communicating and collaborating internally in new ways. This joined up approach helps them work together as one team. From reaction to reflection We’ve all dealt … 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

Guest post: Communication habits for life not just global pandemics

This month I’m delighted to be joined by internal communication specialist, Victoria Winter, who shares her tips for the communication habits that will stand you in good stead now and long into the future. Ronan Keating, the great philosopher, once said: ‘You say it best, when you say nothing at all’. Then again, Ronan Keating … Read more

How to communicate successfully

Before we get into the detail of how to create communication success, we need to talk about what success actually means in this context. According to the Collins dictionary, the definition is: So you might consider that you have succeeded in communicating when: You have sent something out You have sent something out without factual … Read more

20 pointers for communication in a crisis

Many organisations will face challenges from time to time that count as a crisis. When these situations arise, they will need both effective communication and appropriate actions to get through it. Often the comms effort will be focussed outside the organisation. But what part can – and should – internal communication play? That was the … Read more