This article has been quoted in the New York Times. Regardless of how well an organization formally communicates to its employees, people’s socialization needs will always lead employees to engage in informal conversations. Rumors often are one of the outcomes of such conversations. And if managers and supervisors don’t attend to the communication needs of their employees, the informal avenue of internal rumors definitely grows. A rumor may be mostly true, such as aspects ...
Read moreWhen you write a proposal to win approval from senior management or a client for a communication campaign, you will benefit from using this formula to persuade decision makers. It’s quite a simple, but effective way to make your writing more persuasive. The article is available to you in a special Kindle collection of 12 top articles on communication campaigns for only $11.99 including tax. Click here to buy.
Read moreWhat you say in a user experience matters. How you say it matters equally. Framing is a technique of focusing the attention of people within a field of meaning. It is a form of agenda-setting. Frames are story lines that make an issue relevant to a particular audience. Framing effects occur when a message frame alters someone’s opinion on an issue. Framing is not lying. It is putting a particular spin (a frame) on ...
Read moreWhen you are developing a large communication campaign, you need to form an overarching message as well as supporting messages and ‘proof points’ that offer backup and more detail. This article details how you can do this, listing helpful examples from real life. The article is available to you in a special Kindle collection of 12 top articles on communication campaigns for only $11.99 including tax. Click here to buy.
Read moreOne of the worst tasks in communication is to edit text contributed by a co-worker or client. The problem lies not in any difficulty in editing the words, but in dealing with people who don’t like their text changed. Whether it is a holiday article written for the staff newsletter, the draft text of a report or the body copy in a direct mail brochure, you change the words at your peril. Not so ...
Read moreHeadlines are the most important part of any written content. Advertising legend David Ogilvy pointed this out decades ago, and his words are still quoted. Ogilvy said in his classic book Confessions of an Advertising Man in 1963: "On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.” But Ogilvy’s often-quoted comment related only to advertising – and he died in 1999, before the internet really got going. ...
Read more"Are you telling stories again?", your parents probably said to you when you were young, suspecting you of not being totally truthful. But metaphorical stories and anecdotes as a form of communication in the adult world are powerful. Leadership is about communication, and one of the most effective ways to communicate is to use stories to illustrate key corporate themes. Why stories? Isn’t that rather simplistic and patronizing? Isn’t that talking down to educated ...
Read moreThe best way to write a headline is to first take the time and effort to learn about the subject so you gain enough perspective on the key elements of the content. This applies to press releases just as much to advertising and marketing material. Legendary copywriter and advertising guru, David Ogilvy, did exactly this, as he explained: I spend a long time studying the precedents. I look at every advertisement which has appeared ...
Read moreYou have probably heard this type of statement: “Effective personal communication is 55% body language, 38% tone of voice and only 7% content of the words you use.” However, these widely quoted figures (181,000 results from a Google search) are just an urban myth and represent a fundamental misinterpretation of limited experimental results. When you think about it, the words in personal communication logically should carry much more weight than a mere 7%. But ...
Read moreA vital role for communicators is to tell all stakeholders, especially staff, about the decisions and the planned outcomes from the strategic planning process. Key messages need to be passed on consistently and effectively throughout the organization in a tailored way, not as mass-communication, head-office gloss or propaganda. Link the 'big picture' with the 'little picture' for employees The messages should link the ‘big picture’ with the ‘little picture’ so that staff can see ...
Read moreImage: World Economic Forum 'COVID Action Platform.' More details in the 'Resources' section below. The effects of the catastrophic COVID-19
If you want a high performing organization, you need to engage and inspire your middle managers. They are the key
Employers want communications professionals who continue to develop key skills Recruiters are actively seeking to place internal communications professionals who