The comms blog

top tips

3 ways to write a comms strategy quickly

I often work with clients who tell me they really want to work from a comms strategy but they don’t have time to write it. Because I am not (usually) involved in the day-to-day delivery of communications at their organisation, I have the time and space to do the strategic thinking. I can take a … Read more

3 key stages of an internal comms audit

Many organisations have now begun a hybrid working model. Some people are based at home, some are back in the office. Some people are working a mix of both. Effective internal communication is at the heart of employee wellbeing, motivation and understanding. As everyone gets used to these new ways of working, organisations will need … Read more

4 internal comms tips for high profile organisations

Yellow background and green speech bubble with 3 yellow dots in the middle

Over the years I have worked with several organisations that had a high profile with the public. Content about them regularly appeared in the traditional media, as well as on social media. This coverage could be mixed in terms of being positive and negative. Some was based on fact, some based on rumour and hearsay. … Read more

4 steps to reducing silo-working

Duplication. Inefficiency. Higher costs. Missed opportunities – for the organisation and for individuals. Bad feeling. Internal politics. Reputation issues. Loss of funding. If any of these problems sound familiar, your organisation may be suffering from silo-working patterns. There are a number of factors that can lead to this situation – such as conflicting priorities or … Read more

The perils of no project communication

I wrote this blog when a previous client asked me about what happens if you have no project communication at all. At a time when many organisations are faced with higher demand and lower income, there is a very real risk that effective communication could be missed for projects which go ahead. Smaller project teams … Read more

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

Communication from a volunteer’s point of view

The words thank you written in colourful script

It’s Volunteers Week 2021. The theme this year is ‘A time to say thanks’. Organisations will be thanking their volunteers in a variety of ways. They simply wouldn’t be able to do what they do, make the difference they make, without the people who voluntarily give up their time and skills to make things happen. … 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