the big speakeasy

Communication strategy – how do you view the big picture?

Susan — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Strategic planning means different things to different people. Are you a detailed planner, or more likely to hold a high level vision of strategic direction?

Less is more

Susan — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:25:13 +0000

A commentary on the necessity for brevity and clarity in writing good content

Care for the soul, fire extinguishers & Goldilocks: A story of change

Susan — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:08:24 +0000

A personal narrative of how a change in one area of your life has a domino-effect throughout.

Customer service: where is the love?

Susan — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:57:25 +0000

Why don't we get good customer service as a matter of course? ... it seems so easy - it's about empathy. And not settling for anything less than you'd want for yourself. It's about asking the right questions so you understand what you customer really wants - to 'get where they're coming from'. It's about putting yourself in the shoes - getting inside the head - of your customer, taking care of their needs, and if they don't get what they want - you make it right. It's also about giving a little bit more than expected.

Referrals – is there a downside?

Susan — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:13:12 +0000

Musings about the subtle disadvantages that recommendations can inadvertently have attached to them.

The productivity dilemma

Susan — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 14:17:42 +0000

I've always been a procrastinator. But I think I may have found a neat way to curb my propensity for self-distraction.

Ghostwriting executive blogs: a fact of life or a big fat lie?

Susan — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:19:52 +0000

A continuation of the ongoing debate about the validity of ghost writing blogs. Is it something we just have to accept as inevitable, or should we push back and insist on the pure truth and authenticity that form the cornerstone of new media?

Tendering for big business in the new media era

Susan — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:13:24 +0000

This blog post really started as a comment in response to PR Warrior, Trevor Young’s post, ‘Communicating in a Hyper-connected Marketplace,’ the topic of conversation to be addressed at next week’s IABC Queensland Be Heard® event. The facilitated discussion, led by Trevor, promises to bring some lively debate to the table as we explore how [...]

The journey of communication excellence – how do corporate communicators get on board?

Susan — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:31:00 +0000

The Conversation Evolution series started as a personal articulation of recent developments in corporate communication and what would now be considered best practice in the area. This third post is intended to discuss what the new rules, models, and new ways of thinking and conversing in a hyper-connected world might mean for corporate communicators.

Models of organisational communication: why do our businesses speak the way they do? (A chicken-or-egg discussion)

Susan — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:04:52 +0000

Do businesses communicate in the ways that they do due to the model or style of business they are based upon, or is the business model established due to the types of conversations that were taking place as the business was being built. Does the business grow out of the communication style or does the dialogue reflect the nature of the business?