How can we close the gap between what CEOs expect of us as communicators and what we expect for ourselves? One way is by learning more about how the business operates so that we can offer more substantive and informed counsel. Deborah Hinton and Neil Griffiths sat down with David Ferrabee of Able and How and Mark Dollins of North Star Communications in a panel discussion to offer ideas about how communicators can boost their business knowledge.

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Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post The future of the communication profession appeared first on Communication World.

In this video, Suzanne Salvo offers tips for directing your corporate video’s on-air talent. Salvo’s tips include coaching interviewees to address key points one at a time, encouraging enthusiasm and letting your talent know that do-overs are perfectly acceptable.

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Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post Tips for coaching corporate video interviewees appeared first on Communication World.

Earlier this year, marketing consultant and blogger Mark Schaefer wrote in a post that “content shock”—the idea that people can only process a finite amount of information before tuning out—will make content marketing an impractical exercise for most companies. Shel Holtz, ABC, IABC Fellow, disagrees. In fact, he says, media outlets are struggling to keep up with audience demands, and savvy communication professionals can still make targeted content marketing worth the effort. That doesn’t mean that getting your messages heard in today’s crowded online world is easy, though. In this CW Live video chat, Holtz shares tips for making your content as easy to find as possible.

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Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post Will “content shock” mean the end of content marketing? appeared first on Communication World.

IABC speaker Michael Lewis, senior managing director of strategy and insights at Teach for America; Sandra Lopez, marketing strategy director for new business at Intel; and Nick Shore, senior vice president, strategic insights and research at MTV, discuss how the millennial generation is affecting their organizations, including changes in structure and approaches to marketing and social media.

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Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post Effectively engaging millennials appeared first on Communication World.

CW Executive Editor Natasha Nicholson talks with Eric Bergman, ABC, APR, MC, about media training dos and dont’s. Bergman discusses the risks associated with the traditional advice given to spokespeople to “bridge” to their own talking points when asked a question by the media. This practice, says Bergman, actually increases the risk of being quoted out of context. Hear his suggestions about alternative approaches in this video interview.

The post The Consequences of Traditional Media Training appeared first on Communication World.

In this video, Rav Dhaliwal of Yammer discusses the new spirit of workplace collaboration. He also offers advice to communicators about how to convince leadership to implement social collaboration tools by focusing on the business value, rather than the technology.

The post Framing the Collaboration Conversation appeared first on Communication World.

CW Executive Editor Natasha Nicholson talks with Aaron Dignan, founding partner of the New York-based digital strategy firm Undercurrent, about the structure and values organizations need to embrace in order to be successful today.

Author of the book Game Frame: Using Games as a Strategy for Success, Dignan translates disruptive innovations at the fringe of the digital space into meaningful lessons for the mainstream.

The post Rethinking our ideas of structure, power and planning appeared first on Communication World.

Guy Kawasaki shares his top tips for cultivating a large, engaged following on social media. His No. 1 tip? Post more frequently.

The post How to attract a huge following on social media: Tips from Guy Kawasaki appeared first on Communication World.

Short, concise messages should no longer be limited to your social media platforms. In an interview with Natasha Nicholson, Jeff Herrington—editor, writer and consultant for Jeff Herrington Communications—tells us that it’s time business communication adapted to the reading habits of 21st-century readers.

From shorter attention spans to vertical mobile devices, Herrington shares why current changes in reading consumption habits can be viewed as revolutionary. Is your writing reaching today’s reader, or is it stuck in the past?

The post Writing for the 21st-century reader appeared first on Communication World.

The value of employee engagement may be clear, but what many companies still have trouble with is weaving engagement into the organization’s strategy. This, according to Priya Bates, ABC, MC, is key to ensuring engagement doesn’t become a one-off program that is quickly forgotten. Though these programs often generate a lot of buzz and excitement when they are first launched, they have the potential of doing more damage than good.

“When the organization doesn’t live up to the hype in the long term,” Bates shares in this interview with CW Executive Editor Natasha Nicholson, “you can actually create the opposite—disengaged employees versus engaged employees.”

Learn more employee engagement tips from Priya Bates in her upcoming IABC online workshop, happening 12 August–2 September 2015.

The post Why employee engagement is more than just a program appeared first on Communication World.

Jeff Corbin

Millennials are representing more and more of today’s workforce and with them comes new expectations of technology and communication in the workplace. However, are our employee communications shifting along with them?

According to Jeff Corbin, CEO of KCSA and APPrise Mobile, the answer is no. In the latest episode of CW Live, Natasha Nicholson talks with Corbin about the results of the 2015 Mobile Trends in the Workplace study and what they reveal about employee engagement and communication today.

A significant trend that the results show, Corbin shares, is the impact millennials are starting to have on employee communication. He says that there is somewhat of a disconnect happening right now in organizations: Millennials want instant, easy-to-access communication and content, but their employers are still predominately relying on older forms of communication.

“Current legacy systems (intranets, SharePoint systems) don’t work well in the mobile environment. Millennials aren’t able to get information quickly through these devices.”

Even email isn’t as effective as it once was due to problems of overload: The survey shows that though 89 percent of companies still rely on internal email, 30 percent of respondents ignore emails from their employers.

“Never before have we had such direct access to our employees…The question is, what to do about it?”—Jeff Corbin

Corbin suggests that communicators look at these trends as an opportunity to create a mobile strategy in their organizations.

“Never before have we had such direct access to our employees, to our other targeted audiences. The question is, what to do about it?”

The answer? Corbin recommends researching new methods of communication—like messaging apps and social collaboration tools—and start implementing them as soon as possible.

“Email isn’t going away anytime soon,” he says. However, because “millennials have these mobile devices and email is becoming somewhat of an issue, it might be a wake-up call for organizations and companies to start to think differently about how they communicate with their workers.”

Watch the complete interview below. To learn more about the 2015 Mobile Trends in the Workplace study, you can go to the EMPLOYEEapp’s website.

The post What millennials expect from employee communication—and how you can deliver it appeared first on Communication World.

Gamification has become another buzzword of late, but what is it exactly? And are companies effectively harnessing it in the workplace? In a recent conversation, gamification expert Yu-Kai Chou, he shares that there are still a lot of misconceptions about the field, and because of this, companies are either still skeptical about gamification’s business benefits, or they aren’t using it effectively.

Engagement benefits of gamification.

So, what is gamification exactly? Chou explains: “Gamification is essentially taking the motivating, fun aspects of games and applying it to something useful, like education, training, health care, or product design.”

He says that it’s more complex than merely playing games on the company’s dime, but instead is a way to make work fun. If a game is successful, it can be an extremely powerful tool for educating employees on the job, or encouraging their competitive spirit to achieve organizational goals.

“If you can create an environment where people not only take the desired actions, but they also do it joyfully…it will always be useful,” Chou shares.

Gamification requires an understanding of behavioral analysis and psychology.

Another misconception companies have, Chou shares, is that they can simply apply game elements—like points or badges—to a program and call it “gamification.” Instead, it requires a deeper understanding of human motivation.

“It’s not the visuals,” he says. “It’s really how [games] appeal to our core psychology.”

This is what Chou’s gamification framework, Octalysis, captures. The framework identifies eight core drives of engagement, which are essential for gamification success. By understanding what makes a game “fun,” companies can create long-term engagement.

Watch our interview below to learn more about the psychology behind gamification. To learn how to use gamification effectively in your organization, register for Yu-Kai’s IABC online workshop in October.

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Caroline Cornell

Caroline Cornell is associate editor for IABC’s content department.

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The post Why gamification is less about points and badges, and more about psychology appeared first on Communication World.

What makes someone a leader? In this video interview, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach Mary-Ellen Hynd says that a real leader is “someone who people follow willingly. It’s not about power and it’s not about position.” Which begs the question: How do you get people to follow you willingly?

Accountability and self-awareness

Given the lack of trust that’s rampant in many companies, Hynd says leaders need to show employees that they are accountable. That accountability includes looking not just at the financial bottom line, but at how the company treats its employees, the communities it works in, and the environment.

This kind of leadership requires deep self-awareness. It means knowing what your values are and being guided by those values. Perhaps most important, it also means adopting a mindset that allows you to see opportunities rather than obstacles.

Managing creative vs. reactive tendencies

According to Hynd, leaders (and all of us) are predisposed to respond to challenging situations in one of two ways:

• Reactive: When leaders make fear-based decisions as a result of experiencing anxiety. In this mode, leaders can be defensive, and feel a sense of powerlessness.
• Creative: When leaders’ decisions come from a place of possibility and compassion. In this mindset, leaders feel powerful and open to possibilities. This mode makes others want to follow you.

3 questions to ask yourself

Developing a leader’s mindset requires consistent self-reflection. In this interview, Hynd suggests asking yourself the following three questions to tap into your creative tendencies and identify what values guide you as a leader.

1. What keeps me up at night? This may reveal something that is holding you back.
2. Why do others follow me? This questions points to the values you need to honor as a leader.
3. How can I be creative vs. reactive? Hynd calls this the “power of the pause.” Allow yourself to reflect before making a reactive decision, and instead see the opportunities a situation might present. Ask yourself how you can be creative in this situation, and who else you can involve to solve the problem.

To learn more, join Mary-Ellen Hynd for her four-week online workshop “Coaching to Develop a Leadership Mindset,” starting Tuesday, 6 October.

Author information

Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post Develop the mindset of a leader–and help others do the same appeared first on Communication World.

Earlier this year, marketing consultant and blogger Mark Schaefer wrote in a post that “content shock”—the idea that people can only process a finite amount of information before tuning out—will make content marketing an impractical exercise for most companies. Shel Holtz, ABC, IABC Fellow, disagrees. In fact, he says, media outlets are struggling to keep up with audience demands, and savvy communication professionals can still make targeted content marketing worth the effort. That doesn’t mean that getting your messages heard in today’s crowded online world is easy, though. In this CW Live video chat, Holtz shares tips for making your content as easy to find as possible.

Author information

Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post Will “content shock” mean the end of content marketing? appeared first on Communication World.

When people hear the term “brand,” they usually think of a company’s visual identity – usually its logo – says Kevin Popović, head of creative communication consultancy Ideahaus. But a brand is, of course, so much more.

In this CW Live video interview, Popović talks with CW Executive Editor Natasha Nicholson about the complex process of identifying what your brand represents, and how to communicate that with the public, employees and customers.

Don’t start with the visuals

A brand reflects the full spectrum of an organization’s identity: how it is perceived by customers, how it operates, what values it represents, and how it is different from every other organization in today’s crowded marketplace.

Designing a new brand or refreshing and existing one is a deep process that involves extensive research, both inside and outside the company. The process should begin, says Popović, with a detailed plan and a candid evaluation of all aspects of the company–rather than jumping immediately to all of the cool visuals the new brand could include. Companies, he says, need to take an honest look at how they are perceived by a variety of internal departments as well as by customers and public, to identify what they do best and what needs improvement.

Choosing brand communication channels

The idea that companies can choose the channels through which they communicate is becoming obsolete, says Popović. These days, customers choose how and where they interact with your brand, and they have a huge array of choices. Knowing how to reach them means knowing where they are. If people are trying to reach out to your brand on Twitter, but you don’t have a well-maintained presence there, you’re missing out on untold opportunities.

Learn more from Kevin in his upcoming IABC Academy online workshop, “Building the Brand: How to plan, develop and manage a successful corporate branding campaign” starting 12 November.

Author information

Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post What it takes to build a brand appeared first on Communication World.

Five IABC Fellows engage in a wide-ranging discussion on the habits top communication leaders practice to stay relevant, manage their careers, and become trusted and valued advisers to other leaders.  They dive into topics such as creating a strategic company narrative that helps drive employee engagement, ways that executives can help employees figure out where they fit in, and an internal communication standpoint on ways to become a valued advisor and drive their company forward.

About the panel

Priya Bates is a senior communication executive who provides strategic internal communication counsel in order to ensure leaders, managers, and employees understand the strategy, believe in the vision, act in accordance to the values, and contribute to business results. She is president of Inner Strength Communications in Toronto, and previously served as senior director of Internal Communications at Loblaw Companies Limited.

Alice Brink is an internationally recognized communications consultant. Her firm, A Brink & Co., works with businesses and non-profits to clarify their messages and communicate them in ways that change people’s minds. Her clients have included Shell Oil Company, Sysco Foods, and Noble Energy. Prior to launching A Brink & Co. in Houston in 2004, Alice honed her craft both in corporate settings (including The Coca-Cola Company, Conoco, and First Interstate Bank) and in one of Texas’ largest public relations firms, where she led the agency’s energy and financial practices. Alice has been active in IABC for more than 30 years, including serving as chapter president, district director, and Gold Quill chair. She is the vice chair of the IABC Academy.

Sheri Rosen is vice president of Employee Communication at Frost Bank in San Antonio, Texas. Before assuming that role, Sheri spent 14 years as president of Rosen Communication Group. For 10 years before that, she was assistant vice president of Employee Communications for USAA, the financial services company. She is accredited by IABC.

Mark Schumann is the founder and principal of re-communicate. Most recently, he was VP of marketing and communications for Western Connecticut Health Network. He served as IABC’s chair in 2009-2010 and is currently IABC’s liaison to the Global Alliance. He was a managing principal and global communication practice leader at Towers Perrin for 26 years.

Facilitated by communication innovator Shel Holtz, Episode 11 of Circle of Fellows will explore the perils and payoffs of communicating a company’s position on social and environmental issues. The live broadcast is scheduled for noon Eastern on Wednesday, July 27.

Updated on 26 July 2016 by Khyla Flores

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Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post Career Building for Communicators: Circle of Fellows #10 appeared first on Communication World.

Three IABC Fellows—Jim Lukaszewski, Ned Lundquist, and George McGrath—join host (and Fellow) Shel Holtz to discuss the “social CEO” and the trend of CEOs and their companies taking positions on social issues that could polarize their employees, customers, and other stakeholders. What role do communicators play?

About the panel

James E. Lukaszewski, America’s Crisis Guru®, is a bestselling author, national speaker, and trusted strategic advisor to FPO and NPO business operators and leaders during crises, disasters, reputation attacks, contentiousness and when the boss’s future is at stake. Corporate Legal Times listed him as “one of 22 crisis counselors to have in your speed dial when all hell breaks loose.” For more than 30 years, he has confidentially guided hundreds of company leaders thru tough, touchy, sensitive situations. Lukaszewski’s strategies inspire constructive, ethical problem resolving management behavior. A powerful and inspirational speaker, he teaches executives and managers the lessons he has learned. A prolific author, he is quoted and interviewed often as one of the most recognizable leaders in his profession

Ned Lundquist served on active duty with the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and as a Public Affairs Officer. His last tour of duty was as commanding officer of the 450 men and women of the Naval Media Center in Washington, DC, where he published the Navy’s flagship magazine, produced the award-winning weekly TV show, and was responsible for Navy internal relations, video production, broadcasting and visual information. Today, he works for MCR Federal LLC as a senior science writer.   Heck, he’s the only science writer.  He supports clients such as the Office of Naval Research, NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation, and commercial companies serving the naval, maritime and defense sectors.

George McGrath is founder and managing principal of McGrath Business Communications, which helps clients build winning corporate reputations, promote their products and services, and advance their views on key issues. George brings more than 25 years in PR and public affairs to his firm. Over the course of his career, he has held senior management positions at leading strategic communications and integrated marketing agencies including Hill and Knowlton, Carl Byoir & Associates, and Brouillard Communications.

See other Circle of Fellows discussions.

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Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post When CEOs Take Sides on Social Issues: Circle of Fellows #11 appeared first on Communication World.

       Jim Shaffer, IABC Fellow

Many communication practitioners want to add measurable value but they don’t know where to start. In a recent interview, internationally recognized business adviser Jim Shaffer, IABC Fellow, shares key questions he believes communication professionals should ask themselves when searching for the best opportunities to improve performance and results by managing communication efforts within their organization.

“Where are the best opportunities to improve performance by better managing communication and what’s the size of the problem, what’s it going to cost to make the root causes go away, and is there efficient or acceptable return on investment?” says Shaffer. “If the answer is yes, go for it, if the answer is no, move on to something else.”

Anyone looking to add measurable valuable to their organization should be asking the right questions, identifying the right business measures and developing and executing plans that create real ROI.

As Shaffer goes on to explain, “It’s important I think that everybody in the organization is adding more than what they’re expending. I think particularly over the years the communication people have been a cost center and that can potentially be a drain on value. So what I’ve been saying to a lot of the communication people, and I’ve been working with clients in this area, is to help them start to create gains that are bigger than the cost of the gains. When we do that, we are adding value. But when we’re spending a dollar and only getting 50 cents back, we are not adding value. And I think a lot communication people, finance people, people in any discipline, are vulnerable if they are not contributing value as they can.”

In Shaffer’s upcoming IABC Academy workshop, he’ll use real client stories in an interactive presentation that offers a step-by-step approach to becoming a strategic adviser who helps drive measurable business results and value by connecting the communication strategy to the business strategy.

Author information

Khyla Flores

Khyla Flores is associate editor for IABC’s content department.

The post How to add measurable value as a strategic adviser appeared first on Communication World.

When you hear “brainstorming session,” you may think of joining your team in a big conference room, with a large brief to go over and a presentation to watch. But Marilyn Barefoot, president of Barefoot Brainstorming, emphasizes that if you want your brainstorming to be successful, you need to take a more creative approach to your team meetings.

“All of us who work in an organization know more than we think we know,” says Barefoot. “And when teams get together in a room to brainstorm with no phones, no computers and just have conversations,” it’s giving everyone to ability to unlock their inner creative potential. This type of meeting gives all team members ownership of their ideas towards solving a problem or coming up with a new innovative way of doing things. “The conversation allows for different perspectives to be considered,” says Barefoot.

Barefoot explains that creativity is key to today’s workplace. “Continuing to do the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” is certainly not the most effective way to come up with new, innovative ideas and solutions. Corporations get stuck, in other words, in the dialogue of “we’ve always done it this way, so let’s do it this way and let’s keep doing it this way, somehow thinking that the end result is going to be different when in fact it never could be and never will be,” explains Barefoot. Thinking outside the box and removing any distractions will help your brainstorming session draw out creativity and create more engagement from your employees.

Watch the complete interview below to learn how brainstorming promotes working creatively to support achieving business outcomes.

Join Marilyn Barefoot in her online workshop to evaluate how to serve and promote an organization most effectively through applying brainstorming techniques. 

Author information

Khyla Flores

Khyla Flores is associate editor for IABC’s content department.

The post Creativity in the workplace appeared first on Communication World.

Three IABC Fellows—Priya Bates, John Deveney and Mark Schumann—join host (and Fellow) Shel Holtz to discuss content marketing.

About the panel:

Priya Bates is a senior communication executive who provides strategic internal communication counsel in order to ensure leaders, managers, and employees understand the strategy, believe in the vision, act in accordance to the values, and contribute to business results. She is president of Inner Strength Communications in Toronto, and previously served as senior director of Internal Communications at Loblaw Companies Ltd.

In 1996, while on the fast track to a partnership in a growing PR agency, John Deveney opted to strike out on his own and form Deveney, a process and a practice that embraces the soundest principles, the newest media, and the most innovative technologies. Based in New Orleans, Deveney is particularly strong in the areas of crisis, healthcare, tourism, and hospitality. (After hurricanes Katrina and Rita, John led the only on-site communication operation and media center for both the City of New Orleans and the Louisiana Office of Tourism.)

Mark Schumann is the founder and principal of re-communicate. Most recently, he was VP of marketing and communications for Western Connecticut Health Network. He served as IABC’s chair in 2009-2010 and is currently IABC’s liaison to the Global Alliance. He was a managing principal and global communication practice leader at Towers Perrin for 26 years.

See other Circle of Fellows discussions.

Author information

Jessica Burnette-Lemon

Jessica Burnette-Lemon is CW’s senior editor.

The post Content marketing: Circle of Fellows discussion appeared first on Communication World.