The comms blog

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

4 Communication Lessons from the Football World Cup

Football fever has struck the Browning household again with the kick-off of the women’s World Cup in France. Watching the Lionesses play their first match from the stands in Nice, I was reminded once more of the importance of good (and bad) communication in determining the final score. Here are a few observations I wrote … Read more

Great communications from 2018

Whichever way you look at it, 2018 has been quite a year. There have been countless examples of communications, good and bad, that have influenced opinions and changed behaviours; helped people to live their lives and just plain entertained them; made them angry, made them laugh and made them cry. I asked some lovely people … Read more

Communicate what you love

Many years ago when the large charity I worked for was launching a particular employee initiative, I wanted to contact other organisations who had done something similar and ask for their advice and learning about the communications. Because I was in a junior role and felt inexperienced, I decided to ask a more senior colleague … Read more

10 great communications from 2017

I spend my working life helping my charity and education clients to improve their communications, solving their problems by motivating their audiences to take actions. To celebrate the end of another year where effective communication has again proved a powerful tool for many, I asked some lovely people I know to tell me which communications … Read more

Effective communicators listen to understand

One thing I have noticed coming through again and again in all the post-referendum Facebook posts, tweets and blog pieces is the sense that so many people don’t feel listened to. This has been picked up in newspaper articles and comment pieces too. It seems that many Leave voters were motivated to put their cross … Read more

Learning about leadership comms from #LCFC

I had planned to write today about leadership communication. That’s a big topic and I hadn’t quite decided which particular aspect I was going to focus on. Should it be the importance of harnessing your leaders’ personal style? Should it be the rise of ‘wonky comms’ and the need for comms professionals to facilitate leaders’ … Read more

My journey – Instow to Westward Ho!

Last week I joined my friend, Morwhenna, for a sponsored walk in North Devon. The days I spent with her were just part of a longer 3-week journey she is undertaking from Brecon in Wales to Morwenstow in Cornwall, raising funds and awareness for The Stroke Association. Having had a stroke herself at the age … Read more