Communications Speak

Weekly Communications Roundup: The AI Impact & Human Connection

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 May 2025 06:53:00 +0000

This week in the world of communications, the omnipresent influence of Artificial Intelligence continues to dominate discussions, shaping everything from internal workflows to public relations strategies. Amidst the technological revolution, however, there's a strong and consistent emphasis on the indispensable human element – authenticity, empathy, and meaningful connection.

Internal Communications: Bridging Gaps and Boosting Velocity

AI for Streamlining, Not Replacing: Businesses are increasingly leveraging AI to streamline internal communications. This means AI-powered tools are helping with tasks like content personalization, targeted notifications to reduce information overload, and summarizing vast amounts of data to provide actionable insights. The goal is to enhance efficiency and ensure the right information reaches the right people, whether they are desk-bound or frontline workers. However, a key takeaway is that AI should be a tool to assist, not a replacement for authentic human interaction.
Hyper-Personalized Employee Experience: The era of one-size-fits-all internal messaging is rapidly ending. The focus is on tailoring content not just to departments or teams, but to individual employee needs and preferences. This helps foster engagement and makes employees feel valued and heard.
Mobile-First Communication: With a significant portion of the workforce being "deskless" or on the go, organizations are prioritizing mobile-first communication strategies to ensure accessibility and engagement across all employee segments.
"Organizational Velocity" over "Employee Engagement": A new trend is shifting the focus from simply "employee engagement" to "organizational velocity." This concept emphasizes how quickly and effectively an organization can adapt, innovate, and execute. Internal communications plays a crucial role here by streamlining information flow, breaking down silos, and fostering faster decision-making.
The Rise of the "EX Super Team": There's a growing recognition that employee experience (EX) is a shared responsibility. HR, IT, and Internal Communications are increasingly working together as a unified "EX Super Team" to create seamless, human-centric experiences for employees.
Authentic Leadership and Two-Way Dialogue: Employees continue to crave transparency and authenticity from leadership. This involves leaders being more visible, genuine, and encouraging two-way communication channels where employees feel safe to provide feedback and share concerns. Overcoming email overload by using diverse channels for communication is also a priority.

Public Relations & Media Relations: Data-Driven Storytelling and Authenticity

AI as a PR Ally: AI is transforming PR and media relations by enhancing media monitoring (scanning news and social media in real-time), content generation (drafting pitches, press releases), and targeting for more personalized and effective campaigns. Data analytics, powered by AI, helps PR professionals measure campaign performance and refine strategies.
Authenticity and Transparency are Paramount: In an age of misinformation and AI-generated content, audiences are demanding greater authenticity and transparency from brands. PR strategies are focusing on genuine storytelling, open communication about challenges, and building trust through clear authorship and verification.
Visual and Interactive Content Dominates: The demand for engaging visual content (videos, infographics, interactive formats) continues to surge. Short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are vital for breaking down complex information and capturing instant attention.
Evolution of Influencer Marketing: The trend is towards more specialized influencer partnerships, with a growing emphasis on micro-influencers and subject-matter experts who can foster deeper, more authentic connections with niche communities.
ESG Reporting and Communication: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) priorities are taking center stage in investor relations and public communications, with a strong focus on transparent and detailed reporting to meet stakeholder expectations.

Key Takeaways for the Week:

Embrace AI strategically: AI is a powerful tool to enhance efficiency and personalization in communications, but it must be used with human oversight to maintain authenticity and emotional intelligence.
Prioritize the human element: Even with technological advancements, genuine connection, empathy, and two-way communication remain the bedrock of effective communication, both internally and externally.
Adaptability is crucial: The communications landscape is evolving rapidly. Staying agile, adopting new technologies, and continuously refining strategies are essential for success.

Mastering Clear Messaging in Asynchronous Work

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 May 2025 04:31:00 +0000

In our increasingly distributed and time-zone-spanning work environments, asynchronous communication has moved from a convenience to a cornerstone of productivity. But the beauty of "anytime, anywhere" can quickly turn into a tangled web of misunderstandings and delayed actions if our messages aren't clear and comprehensive.

Think about it: unlike a face-to-face chat or a quick phone call, your asynchronous message stands alone. It needs to be a self-contained unit of information, guiding your recipient effectively without the immediate back-and-forth for clarification. So, how do we conquer this communication void and become masters of the written (and sometimes recorded) word in the asynchronous realm?

Here is your guide to writing messages that cut through the noise and drive clarity:

1. Lay the Foundation: Planning for Clarity

Before you even type a single word, take a moment to strategize:

Know Your Crew: Who is on the receiving end? What is their background knowledge? Speak their language.
Pinpoint Your Purpose: What is the absolute must-know or must-do from your message? Be laser-focused on your objective.
Gather Your Arsenal: Collect all the necessary facts, figures, links, and context before you start writing. Incomplete messages are the enemy of efficient asynchronous work.
Blueprint Your Message: Think of it like building a mini-essay. What are your main points, and how will you structure them logically?

2. The First Impression: Writing a Crystal-Clear Subject Line

Your subject line is your message's headline. Make it count:

Be Specific, Be Informative: Ditch the vague. Tell them exactly what the message is about.
- Instead of: "Project Update"
- Try: "Project Phoenix - Phase 2 Completion Update (Your Input Needed by Monday)"
Keywords are Your Friends: Include relevant terms that will help recipients prioritize and easily find the message later.

3. The Grand Entrance: A Direct and Purposeful Opening

Don't bury the lead. Get straight to the point:

State Your "Why": In the first sentence or two, clearly explain the reason for your message.
- Example: "This message outlines the proposed changes to our team's workflow, effective June 1st."
- Example: "I'm writing to request your feedback on the attached design mockups."

4. Setting the Stage: Providing Essential Context

Help everyone get on the same page:

Brief Recap is Your Buddy: If it is a follow-up, quickly summarize previous discussions or decisions.
Don't Assume Knowledge: Provide enough background information so that anyone reading can understand the full picture, even if they weren't part of earlier conversations.

5. Guiding the Reader: Logical Structure and Formatting

Make your message easy to digest:

Headings and Subheadings are Your Signposts: Break down complex information into manageable sections.
Lists for the Win: Use bullet points or numbered lists for key information, action items, or sequential steps.
Highlight the Essentials: Use bold text, italics, or highlighting to draw attention to crucial details, deadlines, or calls to action. But use them sparingly!

6. The Call to Action: Making Expectations Crystal Clear

Leave no room for ambiguity about what needs to happen next:

Be Direct with Requests: Clearly state what you need the recipient to do.
- Instead of: "Thoughts?"
- Try: "Please review the attached document and let me know if you have any questions or concerns by the end of the week."
Assign Ownership: If multiple people are involved, clearly specify who is responsible for each task.
Deadlines in Bold: Make due dates prominent and unmistakable.

7. Anticipating the "Huh?": Proactive Problem Solving

Think like your reader:

Pre-empt the Questions: What are the likely follow-up questions? Try to answer them within your message.
Provide Supporting Materials: Attach relevant documents or links to additional resources.

8. The Language of Clarity: Simple and Direct

Avoid unnecessary complexity:

Ditch the Jargon (or Explain It): Be mindful of your audience's vocabulary. If you must use technical terms, define them.
Short and Sweet Sentences: Easier to read and understand.
Embrace Active Voice: Makes your writing more direct and less ambiguous.

9. The Final Polish: Proofreading is Your Superpower

Don't let typos derail your clear message:

Read it Twice (or Thrice!): Check for grammar and spelling errors.
Read it Out Loud: This helps catch awkward phrasing and flow issues.

10. Setting the Right Tone: Professional and Considerate

Remember, tone can be harder to gauge in writing:

Keep it Professional: Maintain a respectful and courteous tone.
Consider Emojis (Sparingly): In some contexts, a well-placed emoji can clarify intent, but use them judiciously.

Mastering clear and comprehensive asynchronous communication is an investment in efficiency, collaboration, and reducing unnecessary back-and-forth. By adopting these strategies, you can ensure your messages land effectively, empowering your team to work seamlessly, even when they're not working at the same time. So, embrace the void, and communicate with clarity and intention!

Weekly Content Roundup: How do supermarkets use on-site content marketing and other stories

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 11:51:00 +0000

Welcome to my collection of articles on writing and the art of communication I read during the course of the week. This is apart from what I tweet @ottayan.

How do supermarkets use on-site content marketing?

Retailers are discovering innovative ways to generate online traffic and in turn add new customers. This is particularly true in the fierce online food and recipe ideas universe.

For instance, supermarkets are past masters in keeping ahead of the competition, with the help of a content strategy.

As online shopping becomes increasingly popular, it is important for retailers to learn from giants such as Waitrose and Tesco to find ways of generating traffic and attracting new customers.

Catch what they’re doing right, here.

The Long Road to Self-Publishing

Why is it difficult for a self-publishing author to achieve commercial success? The answer is simple; very few of them have the ability to create a demand for their book.

It is difficult to have great commercial success with self-publishing because it is all up to you to create demand for your book, which is never as easy as people think. In the end, if you are making your book for your own reasons then self-publishing can be a rewarding (if not long) journey. If you want to be the next Wealthy Barber however, get yourself an agent and go the traditional route.

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How to Promote Your Content on Twitter
Organic reach is dwindling. So, how do marketers with limited budgets improve their reach?

To this end, Daniel, Content Writer at Search Engine People, has compiled a list of 7 awesome tips that will help you develop a hybrid paid/organic promotion strategy. Read on to learn more about how to promote your content on Twitter so that your content production efforts are not wasted.

Read more

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Weekly Content Round-Up: Behind every good headline is a stronger timeline & other stories

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Welcome to my collection of articles on writing and the art of communication I read during the course of the week. This is apart from what I tweet @ottayan.

Behind every good headline is a stronger timeline

As the nature of journalism changes and even the art of headline-writing is being transformed by search requirements and ‘clickbait’ descriptions, a new app is putting context into headlines and history into stories.

The dawn of marketing’s new golden age

Even as marketing reaches new heights with technology-enabled measurement, the importance of the story hasn’t diminished. But ways to tell it are morphing continually as the stuff of storytelling encompasses richer digital interactions, and mobile devices become more powerful communications tools. In this world, creativity is in greater demand than ever.

Google’s “Dear Sophie” advertisement is an example of the modern art form. It tells the story of a father writing to his daughter as she grows up, with the narrative demonstrating how Google search, Gmail, and YouTube can be new channels of human connectivity.

Get high Search rankings on Google, Yahoo and Bing: To learn how click here.

The troubled present and promising future of scholarly communication

AND there’s the rub: Capital is an outlier. Holding the odd bestseller aside, the digital disruption of the print world that is transforming commercial publishing also affects publishers of scholarly books and journals—and is changing structures for teaching, research, and hiring and promoting professors. Time-honored traditions appear vulnerable to overhaul or even extinction.

Ex-Presidents and the ‘Tweet of the Year’: In Conversation with P.J. Crowley, former State Department spokesman (Part 2 of 2)

So, it is about taking your big idea and then figuring out: What does that mean for the average person? How does that change the reality of one person, then a street block, then a community, then a city, then a state, then a country, then a world? It all gets down to finding the right lens through which to tell the story about the big idea. It’s converting an idea into a narrative to create the political support that you need to move from an idea to adoption to impact. The best politicians are the ones that find that story and then can tell it effectively. Organizations are the same way.

3 Social Media Thoughts to help you break away from the Herd

With so much content being created and shared online, you need to make sure you are creating quality content that engages with your customers. It doesn’t need to be pushy or “salesy”- but it should be content that creates interest and engagement. As marketer, Mark Schaefer puts it- it should be content that ignites.

Weekly Content Round-Up: Tips to Help Content Editors Create Better Content for SharePoint Pages

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 22:25:00 +0000

Welcome to my collection of articles on writing and the art of communication I read during the course of the week. This is apart from what I tweet @ottayan.

What does Facebook at Work tell us about the state of social in the enterprise?
Facebook at Work is the new kid on the enterprise social software block. But will the largest social media platform in the world with over 1.3-billion subscribers be able to replicate its success within businesses? Time will tell whether companies can trust Facebook with their proprietary data.

How social network addiction changes the brainIf you are a compulsive ‘liker’ on Facebook, or are forever trolling your ex-flames, it forms a pattern in your brain, almost similar to that of a drug addict, livescience.com claims.

But unlike drug users, Facebook addicts are sensitized to respond strongly to positive triggers associated with the site, said Ofir Turel, a psychologist at California State University, Fullerton.

Facebook's earnings: Internet do-gooderism and ad gobbledygookUnless you are exceedingly interested in the intricacies of advertising technology, there’s almost nothing interesting about how Facebook makes money. Listening to a discussion of its financial results is a forced march through the muddy fields of organic impressions, increasing velocity of advertising efficiency, right-hand rails, and the like.

5 Content Marketing Ideas for February 2015In February 2015, content marketers can connect with potential customers around holidays like Valentine’s Day or Groundhog Day, via sites like SlideShare, or even with inspirational quotes.

What follows is a list of five content marketing ideas to try in February.

Facebook Vs. YouTube: Why It's Like Comparing Apples to OrangesYouTube and Facebook advocates alike have been up in arms over a recent study declaring that Facebook should now be considered the superior platform for acquiring video views.

The report analyzed 180,000 videos across 20,000 Facebook pages and asserted that content marketers were uploading videos directly to Facebook at the expense of YouTube. But do we know which marketers, and what videos? Presumably, millions of content creators will pounce on this new 'data' and begin uploading their videos to Facebook without much concern for metrics that matter like ad revenue, sales, comments, and other KPIs. But accepting this study (or any study) at face value without putting it into context is a mistake. In this article, we’ll look at why comparing Facebook to YouTube is unfair when they are very different models.

Tips to Help Content Editors Create Better Content for SharePoint Pages

Some tips for content authors and organizers who are creating content for SharePoint sites (or really, for pretty much any website).

Google vs. Facebook: Which Platform Should You Really Care About?Facebook and Google were directly competing to see which service was more effective at surfacing a story and driving action because of it.

Recently, Parse.ly investigated data from around 8 billion page views of approximately 200 news sites with the results that 38% of referrals were generated by Google and 26% by Facebook.

3 Content Marketing Practices You Should Be FollowingAs Senior Manager of Content and Social at LinkedIn, Jason Miller puts it, "It's not that we need more content; we need more relevant content."

How Marketers can make Use of InboxOne of the great things about the new email client introduced by Google is that it is more visual. In the Inbox by Google, the sender of an email is displayed by an icon rather than a plain text From: address as in Gmail. And, it works by authenticating with SPF and DKIM, having a verified Google+ business account and registering with Google for email markup.

As a marketer or business owner, this something you can do now to prepare for a widespread rollout of the Inbox, and by doing this, your company icon will also appear in the Grid View of Gmail Classic for those that have it enabled.

The content must be visual myth
As digital marketers, many of us realize the need for visual content. There are more visually appealing social channels then we can count – but of course, you have the usual suspects such as Facebook, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest and more. Should you have visual content? Yes. Should it be your only content? Not necessarily.

Weekly Content Round-Up: 80 Percent of Americans Enjoy Purchase-Based Recommendations in Email and other stories

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 22:25:00 +0000

Welcome to my collection of articles on writing and the art of communication I read during the course of the week. This is apart from what I tweet @ottayan.

How to make every email heard loud and clear

A poorly written support email reads like a slapped together instruction manual. Unless you want customers floundering about like a fish out of water assembling an IKEA TV stand, it pays to get the “flow” right.

The Trouble with Harvard’s Email Culture

There are no official statistics that document how often the average Harvard student checks his or her inbox, but if three-quarters of U.S. employees surveyed by GFI Software reply within an hour of receiving an email, then the number on our campus is probably even higher. Even as I write this, despite the knowledge that my inbox has not been filled for weeks, I find my eyes drawn toward the tab that keeps it open. And it’s no secret that Harvard has an email-centric culture.

In many ways, it makes sense: It’s the fastest and easiest way to reach large groups of people, and it’s the go-to method for correspondence because it lets us avoid the intimacy of phone calls or face-to-face communication.

80 Percent of Americans Enjoy Purchase-Based Recommendations in Email

According to a recent study by digital marketing platform provider Listrak and market research company Harris Poll, 80% of Americans who read marketing emails find it helpful when retailers recommend products based on previous purchases. Likewise, 71% of promotional email readers value messages featuring items based on online browsing behaviors.

The study surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. adults but only focused on the 72% who read promotional emails. And it looks like these respondents enjoy experiencing personalization through other channels, as well. For instance, 69% of promotional email readers appreciate online retargeting ads that showcase products previously viewed on a brand's website. In addition, 67% of these respondents enjoy seeing product recommendations on a retailer's website while shopping.

Haruki Murakami gives readers further advice on writing, adultery and cats

Writing is like “chatting up a woman”, Japan’s superstar novelist Haruki Murakami has said: “You can get better with practice to a certain degree, but basically, you’re either born with it, or you’re not.”

C.R.E.A.M. – The One Thing That Would Have Saved My Client’s Website

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Business books describe this idea using the rather dry sounding “customer-centric philosophy,” but I find that undersells its importance. Instead, I borrowed a phrase from the Wu Tang Clan, C.R.E.A.M. – Customers Rule Everything Around Me.

Content Optimization with Web Analytics

For the majority of Fortune 1,000 websites, site content serves several goals in complex sales cycles. Often, content is meant to simultaneously acquire traffic, educate, persuade users about the superiority of an offering, and convert visitors to either e-commerce customers or qualified leads that are then nurtured by the content over several visits.

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We find that for complex sales cycles, the content needs to be graded on a wide variety of levels. We also find that most Web analytics platforms are not configured to have this level of content reporting out of the box.

4 Ways to Boost Your Content Strategy

Is a content strategist agnostic towards art and story, or just more concerned about content logistics? And, at what point do you make sure what is being published is human-centered, strategically minded, useful?

A First-page Checklist

• It begins connecting the reader with the protagonist
• Something is happening. On a first page, this does NOT include a character musing about whatever.
• What happens is dramatized in an immediate scene with action and description plus, if it works, dialogue.
• What happens moves the story forward?
• What happens has consequences for the protagonist.
• The protagonist desires something.
• The protagonist does something.
• There’s enough of a setting to orient the reader as to where things are happening.
• It happens in the NOW of the story.
• Backstory? What backstory? We’re in the NOW of the story.
• Set-up? What set-up? We’re in the NOW of the story.
• What happens raises a story question—what happens next? or why did that happen?

Making Sense of Owned Media

So what are the elements of an owned media strategy? Think content, community, and context.

Story of the Shopping Cart and the Secret to Spreading Ideas

What does the story of a shopping cart have to do with spreading ideas? A lot.

5 Tips for Writing Interesting Case Studies

Everything about case studies has probably made you run far away. They are often dry, generic, or pretty much just a high school pep rally (minus the cool letterman jackets) cheering on a company, product, or solution. But they don't have to be.

Ian McEwan's Advice for Aspiring Writers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 13:30:00 +0000

Ian McEwan works have earned him worldwide critical acclaim. He won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1976 for his first collection of short stories First Love, Last Rites; the Whitbread Novel Award (1987) and the Prix Fémina Etranger (1993) for The Child in Time; and Germany's Shakespeare Prize in 1999.

In this interview, he talks about the importance of reading. He says it will help writers become conscious of their writing.

Weekly Round-Up: First Draft, Writing Software, a Guide to Digital Marketing and EBooks as a Content Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 12:31:00 +0000

Welcome to my collection of articles on writing and the art of communication I read during the course of the week. This is apart from what I tweet @ottayan.

The First Draft Is Just a Beginning
You have written your research paper, your personal essay, and your book review – whatever your college class requires. You have provided good information in the needed number of words. You feel good because your work is finished. But, is it really done? It is just the beginning says the VOA Learning English Education Report.

Writing Software Creates Reports for Wall Street

Writing software, called Quill that was first put to work writing news reports has now found another career option: drafting reports for financial giants and U.S. intelligence agencies.

Workplace Writing- the Art of Delaying a Reader’s Comprehension

Interesting is not a criterion we need to concern ourselves with in the kind of writing we do in the workplace — the letters and emails, the memos and the reports, the assessments and announcements and analyses. Shouldn’t we try to make our writing interesting?

What College Professors Can Learn From Alan Alda

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But the point of this exchange is to teach professors how to avoid them. Here in a windowless office in the basement of a red brick classroom building near Harvard Square, the faculty member, Mandy Savitz-Romer, has teamed up with the consultant Mary Tamer to translate academic jargon into comprehensible English.

A Guide to Digital Marketing in the Form of a Tube Map

Hallam Internet’s Digital Marketing Tube Map shows the complexities of Internet Marketing and graphically represents Stations as individual campaigns or platforms and Stops as the areas that need to be considered in order for your online campaigns to be a success.

Digital Trends 2015: India Gears Up For Digital Metamorphosis

In India, an upward trend in digital and mobile spends has been observed. A joint IAMAI and IMRB study says that the digital advertising market is poised to reach Rs 3,575 crore by March 2015. Read more on why the India digital marketing landscape is unique here.

How to Use Ebooks to Improve Your Content Marketing Strategy
Fat content such as white papers, videos, ebooks, infographics … [and] content that can be broken up and used as the fuel for multi-channel campaigns will become the focus of marketers everywhere.

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4 quotes that capture the basics of communication

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Four quotes I revisit, when I find myself losing touch with the basics of communication.

“Great communication depends on two simple skills—context, which attunes a leader to the same frequency as his or her audience, and delivery, which allows a leader to phrase messages in a language the audience can understand”.” – John Maxwell

“Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite”. ― C.S. Lewis

“Proper words in proper places make the true definition of a style”. – Jonathan Swift

“If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack”. –Winston Churchill

#PRFail of 2014, Botched Autocorrect and others

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 15:19:00 +0000

Welcome to my collection of informative and influential articles I read during the course of the week. This is apart from what I tweet @ottayan.

The Biggest PR Disasters of 2014

Brand new head-slapping, groan-inducing communication misfires of 2014 beginning with the #CosbyMeme to mangled hashtags that led to #PRFail. Get the full article here.

Botched autocorrects

Autocorrect originated with word processing programs of the 1980s, in which the language used was checked against a dictionary to make sure the spelling was correct. (According to a 2012 study in Britain, two-thirds of adults would not be able to spell “necessary” and one-third “definitely” without the help of the feature.) Back then the point was simple: to make typing faster and more accurate. To help you, you know, not look like an idiot. Read on.

The 10 Best Infographics To Inspire Your Content Marketing

Science says yes: we process visual imagery 60,000 times faster than text, and this is part of the reason that infographics are so appealing in the age of the short attention span. The article can be read here.

The importance of storytelling in PR

The ultimate goal of many press releases is to win audience attention and influence specific behaviors. Continuously creating content such as press releases that incorporates storytelling helps customers develop long-term loyalty and appreciation of a brand. When a story connects to a reader emotionally, it can inspire journalists to write about it or consumers to share it with their networks. Get the insight here.

Brilliant screenplays of 2014

A brilliant screenplay does not always translate into a brilliant movie, as it’s only one part of the cog, but admittedly an important part of the cog. Therefore, outstanding screenplays are valuable learning tools for an aspiring screenwriter. Read more at the TheScriptLab .

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Maybe Digital Marketing Isn’t For You

They want to tie paid, owned, earned, and shared efforts together to tell a better story, they want to blog, vlog and create viral videos, they want social PR, user-generated content, and a strong brand following. The problem is that most companies want it overnight and they aren’t prepared to spend the time, money or resources it takes to do it right. The Millennial CEO believes, there is no magic button to push and I agree.

3 steps to effective employee communication

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 22:25:00 +0000

Actionable information for improving internal communications

Simplifying access to relevant information

Historical data reveal problem-solving knowledge is under-leveraged because employees did not know it existed. Additionally, they are uninformed about its relevance. Accessing relevant information during problem solving is also constrained by the amount of time available. To overcome the challenge, teach employees how to access explicit and tacit knowledge by making it a part of their induction/on-boarding process. Facilitate it by stocking the repositories with documents pertaining to best practices.

Encouraging collectivism

In global enterprises, employees understand organizational culture through strikingly different lens of beliefs and values. As communicators, we should acknowledge and understand its influence and facilitate dialogue by employing a bias free language. In addition, we should weave in the differing perspectives by highlighting the areas of commonality into employee communications. This will help in breaking-through the cultural silos and unifying over a shared understanding of the goals. Significantly, it encourages cohesion within the organization, thereby making communications between peers effortless and effective.

Facilitating Flow of Information

Engage employees by letting them access the tacit knowledge within the organization. Use newsletters, email campaigns, internal social networks, groups and importantly influencers to further the process. For example, in addition to discussion boards, create communities of practices. The key is to facilitate expertise brokerage in real-time, along with communication, collaboration and networking. The goal is to make employees part of the information flow, so that they will feel empowered to propagate it between themselves.

Discussion Question: How does your organization facilitate internal communication?

Do we always have to go after the next big thing?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 22:00:00 +0000

This is something I am forced to consider every time I conclude a campaign.

At the end of a successful email campaign, which saw an amazing 342% increase in downloads, my boss spelled out the dreaded question, How are we going to better it the next time?

Obviously, it meant, I have to research and find out the next shiny thing in marketing communications. While, the event was an annual one and there is a lot of time to plan a new strategy, I admit that I was actually exasperated. The calibrated campaign had yielded dramatic results and I really did not understand the need to go after something new.

So, going back to the original question do we always have to innovate, particularly when the tried and trusted methodology is still delivering stellar results.

To mind, there is no need to tinker with success. Having said that, I am not advocating that there is no place for innovation. All I am saying is that there is no reason to change just to prove that you are inventive.

Consider the facts as I see it. The just concluded email campaign was successful beyond expectations. Now look at how the world sees emails. According to the Radicati Group:

In 2014, the majority of email traffic comes from the business world, which accounts for over 108.7 billion emails sent and received per day. Email remains the most common form of communication in the business space. Email use is growing in the business sector and by 2018, business email will account for over 139.4 billion emails sent and received per day.

Granted other options are catching up, but I still believe that this does not call for jettisoning the old and embracing the new just because it is available. While an integrated approach to marketing is always the smart option, I am not ready yet to replace my database of email addresses with a phalanx of followers or anonymous visitors unless I am shown a substitute, which is platform and device agnostic, non-intrusive, and delivers far better sustainable results as an email. photo credit: Scolirk via photopin cc

Communications-the art of influencing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:00:00 +0000

Image Courtesy Shutterstock

Early in the game, thanks to my mentor, I realized that communication is all about influencing. However, with the advent of the Internet and the ensuing availability of hundreds of platforms and thousands of channels, the challenge is in ensuring that the message is heard and shared. Significantly, it has become more about minimizing noise.

Similarly, the business environment has evolved, along with it the dimensions of communication have changed—from trust and reputation management, to enabling transparency, change and crisis management. The lines that distinguished traditional communication disciplines have disappeared. It is replaced by a yet to tamed beast—integrated communication.

In fact, there is no B2B or B2C, it has become one mass—P2P (Peer-to-Peer) communication. Additionally, the seamless fusion of the real and the virtual worlds, namely the connectedness between people, data and objects (IoT) have quivered the pitch for communication practitioners.
Simply put ,the message is as important as the method by which it is communicated.

So, here are a few questions I wrestle with every day as a communication specialist:

How to reach the right people?
What are the tools to convey a message in the most cost-effective manner?
Is there a standard method that will help me leapfrog the hurdles?
What are the areas of communication that are changing and how responsive am I?
Finally, how to influence the influencers?

Through Communication Speak, I aim to share the result of my quest and maybe provide a few pointers for fellow practitioners to follow.