IABC Cafe2Go

Cafe2Go #81: Barbara Fagan-Smith on 2012 World Conference

Shel Holtz, ABC — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:45:09 +0000

IABC International Executive Board member Barbara Fagan-Smith talks about sponsoring the IABC World Conference — and how she marries her company’s sponsorship with her love of juggling — in this episode of Cafe2Go. In addition, Fagan-Smith — who is founder and CEO of ROI Communications — shares some insights into her conference presentation, which explores the heightened need for highly engaged employees in the age of transparency.

CW Radio #26: Use research to make your case to senior leaders, an interview with Alison Davis

Jessica Burnette-Lemon — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:48:32 +0000

CEOs and other executives might understand that communication is important, but they may not see what impact it is has on the business, or the value of their own communciation efforts. In this interview, author Alison Davis talks about her article in the May-June CW about how to use five kinds of research to make the case to executives about the value of communication, and how their own role in communicating with employees can make a difference.

Cafe2Go #80: The Executive Accreditation Seminar with Jennifer Wah, ABC, MC, and Ryan Williams, ABC

Neville Hobson, ABC — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:57:40 +0000

The Executive Accreditation Seminar (EAS) is an intensive learning program designed for senior-level communicators seeking IABC’s Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation, offered in partnership with Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC, Canada.

In a collaborative and interactive learning environment, participants can expect personal coaching that provides critical insight into the requirements of accreditation. The EAS program combines the elements of the traditional IABC accreditation process with a Leadership Development Challenge that leverages the experience, responsibilities and strategic planning skills of advanced practitioners.

Jennifer Wah, ABC, MC, Chair of IABC’s Accreditation Committee, and Ryan Williams, ABC, Chair of IABC’s Research Committee and successful EAS participant, discuss the EAS program including their assessment of the benefits for participants. Ryan also shares his thoughts as a participant including highlights from his experience and his overall rating of the program.

The next EAS at Royal Roads University will be from 30 September to 5 October, 2012. The deadline for applications is 18 May, 2012. A second program will take place in November 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. For detailed information, visit the EAS website.

Jennifer Wah, ABC, MC, is a professional storyteller. For the past 24 years, she has consulted to, found the stories within, and won numerous awards for, clients including the University of British Columbia, Vancity and TransCanada. Her company, Forwords Communication Inc., is based in Vancouver, Canada.

In 2009 she was recognized with IABC Canada’s highest honour, the Master Communicator designation.

Jennifer has been involved with IABC for 24 years, in chapter, regional and international leadership roles, including previously serving on the International Executive Board from 2001-2003. Jennifer became accredited in 1997, founded the Accreditation Completion Program model used in chapters around the world, and is currently serving as chair of the IABC Accreditation Committee.

Ryan Williams, ABC, specializes in internal communications, research and leadership development. He has a passion for servant leadership and shares the positive impact it can have on the lives of employees and organizational performance. His experience has involved strategy development, service improvements, communication audits, change management, and employee engagement. He facilitates planning, designs research, constructs effective questions, communicates results, and produces action.

Ryan was recognized by the International Public Relations Institute with the Golden Ruler Award of Excellence for Measurement in 2004 for his work with the Alberta Medical Association. He has won three IABC Gold Quill Awards. He is a member of the IABC international executive board and chairs the research committee. Ryan is a three-time Blue Ribbon Panel Judge for the Gold Quill Awards.

Ryan earned his Masters of Arts in Leadership from Trinity Western University in 2007, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration with a major in Community Development from The University of Alberta.

CW Radio # 25 Building an employee volunteer program, an interview with Ed Kamrin

Amanda Aiello — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:00:37 +0000

In this interview, Ed Kamrin, a client communication manager with Wordwright Communications, looks at the myriad benefits employee volunteer programs provide not only the employee and the wider community, but the organization as well. He also provides tips and resources to help you implement your own program.

Check out Ed’s three-part CW Bulletin series for more information about how to build an employee volunteer program. The first installment in the series offers tips for building a business case for your program.

Cafe2Go #79: 2012 World Conference Hospitality Committee Chair Tom Keefe, ABC

Shel Holtz, ABC — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:22:29 +0000

Tom Keefe, ABC, chairman of the hospitality committee for IABC’s 2012 World Conference in Chicago, explains the hospitality committee’s role and details some of the events — some finalized and some still in the planning stage — attendees can take advantage of while attending this year’s conference.

Cafe2Go #78: 2012 International Chapter of the Year, Kansas City/IABC

Shel Holtz, ABC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:47:51 +0000

Kansas City/IABC was recognized with multiple awards in IABC’s 2012 chapter management awards program. In addition to being named international chapter of the year, the 50-year-old chapter received Excellence awards for branding, community involvement and student involvement, and merit awards for communication, financial management and professional development. Chapter President Melanie Deardorff and Communications VP Donna Schwartze — who was named chapter leader of the year, talk about how the 200-member chapter achieved this noteworthy level of recognition.

Cafe2Go #77: World Conference Opening Speaker Kevin Carroll

Shel Holtz, ABC — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:03:40 +0000

Kevin Carroll is the founder of Kevin Carroll Katalyst/LLC and the author of three highly successful books published by ESPN, Disney Press and McGraw-Hill. As an author, speaker and agent for social change (a.k.a. the Katalyst), it is Kevin’s “job” to inspire businesses, organizations and individuals – from CEOs and employees of Fortune 500 companies to schoolchildren – to embrace their spirit of play and creativity to maximize their human potential and sustain more meaningful business and personal growth.

With his consulting endeavors, Kevin has helped turn creative ideas into reality for organizations such as The National Hockey League, ESPN, Nike, Starbucks (his words appeared on 17 million Grande cups), The National Basketball Association, The Walt Disney Company, Mattel, Hasbro, Procter & Gamble, The Discovery Channel, Capital One, and many others.

Watch Kevin’s Katalyst video series, read his blog, and follow him on Twitter at @kckatalyst

Kevin is delivering the keynote address at the Opening General Session of IABC’s 2012 World Conference in Chicago at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 24. For more information visit the IABC’s World Conference website.

CW Radio #24: Vibrant online communities, an interview with Kay Corry Aubrey

Jessica Burnette-Lemon — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:47:07 +0000

Collaborative online communities can transform the way people work, and the way they communicate. In this interview, researcher Kay Corry Aubrey, founder of Usability Resources, highlights the findings of the latest IABC Research Foundation study on how these communities work, what they can accomplish, and how to ensure their success. Her article in the March-April issue of CW, based on the Research Foundation study, outlines seven steps for creating online employee communities that thrive. Members can download for free the full IABC Research Foundation report, Creating Vibrant Online Collaborative Communities Within an Organization, in Discovery, IABC’s online library.

Conversations with CEOs – Interview with Greg Stewart, President and CEO of Farm Credit Canada

Amanda Aiello — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:19:07 +0000

In this interview, Greg Stewart, President and CEO of Farm Credit Canada, talks about how leaders need to create an environment for communication by listening. According to Stewart, the most important thing he does as CEO is meet with all FCC employees.

This interview is part of the IABC Research Foundation’s Conversations with CEOs: Communication Leadership in Modern Organizations study. The study, sponsored by Marketwire and conducted by Shugoll Research, examines the communication needs, challenges, expectations and best practices of CEOs as seen through their eyes.

Listen to the interview with Greg Stewart.

CW Radio # 23: Managing your career, an interview with Angee Linsey

Jessica Burnette-Lemon — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:29:55 +0000

What skills are organizations looking for in communication job candidates? In this interview with IABC’s Vice President of Publishing Natasha Nicholson, Angee Linsey, managing director of Linsey Careers, offers advice about how communicators can best position themselves, and their skills, to potential employers. Learn more about how to manage your next career move in Linsey’s article in the February issue of CW Bulletin: “Leadership, Creativity and Agility: 3 Skills to Help Build Your Career,” and in her free-to-IABC-members web seminar “Creating a Job Search Strategy for Communicators.”