I am working on a project at the moment where I have reviewed a lot of communications plans from a lot of different government agencies. There was one thing in common. No one wrote measurable objectives. It made me think,…
Shifting the internal goal posts: from engagement to belonging
Employee engagement has long been “the goal” in internal communications. We want to give our people the chance to ‘have their say’ to ‘contribute to the conversation’. We want to create dialogue, not a one-way information flow. Then we got…
Learning to take risks
By nature, I am a pretty risk-averse person. I am methodical and planned, so I spend a lot of time thinking and researching before committing to anything from buying new sheets to a big work project. Recently, I have been…
Communication lessons from Zelensky
Last week, Ukraine’s President Zelensky gave the world a lesson in masterful communications. As he navigates the unimaginable destruction of his country and demonstrates strength as a leader, he has also shown how to engage your audience. While the horrors…
We want to do it all
Strategy, advice, content development, creative, campaigns, training, relationship building. We want to do it all. Communications professionals are often high achieving, high energy, perfectionists. We have to be, it’s part of the role. It means that we want to deliver…
Being part of my community
Last week, I officially became President of the Canberra Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. It wasn’t a position I sought out. I wasn’t sure I was the right person or had enough time while trying to run…
When you don’t start the year fresh
Here we are, at the end of January. We are all heading back to work after our “break”, but not everyone feels ready for 2022. Not everyone has that bounce in their step. Maybe you do, but I, for one,…
Managing the challenges of staff working from home
A few weeks ago, I shared the results of a survey I ran across my network, understanding current perceptions into working from home, the issues and the opportunities and what you need to be successful. If you missed it, you…
Chairs, screens and Teams… oh my
When we moved to working from home last year, it was the first time for many government departments and many people. There was a worldwide scramble for desks, chairs and computer equipment. Do you remember 2020 – you couldn’t find…
Working from home: the future of work
Over the past two years, as we moved in and out of lockdowns, many people have gotten used to working from home. COVID-19 was a game-changer for how we work and where we work. On a mass scale, we were…