EE Voice

In this episode, I’m joined by author,  communications expert and dear friend David Murray, who recently released his book, An Effort to Understand: Hearing One Another (and Ourselves) in a Nation Cracked in Half. David has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly and The Chicago Tribune and published several other books. He also leads the global Professional Speechwriters Association and the Executive Communication Council (ECC) and pens the daily blog “Writing Boots.”

In our conversation, we discuss how effective internal communications can foster empathy in oftentimes divided workplaces, as well as:

For more from David, head to: 

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As we strive to foster communities of collaboration and transparency between company executives and their employees, one question persists: How do we make our findings measurable and actionable? 

“I think communications in general is hard to measure. It’s not as cut and dry as the sales of a product or the financials of a company… it’s pretty hard across the board,” says our most recent guest, George Sutcliffe, Global Communications Insights & Analytics Lead at Raytheon Technologies. 

A former lawyer, librarian and writer, George uses his keen attention to detail to drive measurement strategy and uncover insights that impact business outcomes. In our conversation, George touches on a variety of subjects that all point back to one of Sharon and my favorite topics: How to marry quantitative and qualitative employee feedback, put it to use, and show your employees (and your executives) that their feedback is being put to use. 

“You should always aim to get employee feedback any way you can to judge employee sentiment,” George said. “I would say that an equally important thing is for the executive to acknowledge that they are looking at the comments.” 

In this episode, you’ll hear George discuss research methods ranging from surveys and LinkedIn analytics to more outside-the-box methods to measure — and improve — employee and executive measurement. 

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This week, we welcome Kristen Garvey, vice president of corporate communication at Waters Corporation, a specialty measurement company focused on improving human health and well-being through the application of high-value analytical technologies and scientific expertise.

In our conversation, Kristen expresses gratitude she feels for her team and notes that she has never received more emails of thanks for the transparency Waters achieved than she did over the past year and a half — so we are incredibly fortunate to have her perspective as we all strive for transparency and trust through this next phase of the pandemic.

We hear from Kristen about the common global return-to-workplace framework the company uses for decision-making, both to ensure decisions are made with consistency and to empower local teams to make decisions quickly. Created by a scientific advisory council, the framework looks at three things: local and global infection rates, site-specific vaccination rates and local government guidelines.

“We’ve been able to help employees understand the framework for how we as a company are going to make decisions,” Kristen says. “Even though it might look very different at our site in the UK or here in the US, people have a common understanding of how decisions are made and that helps give them confidence and trust in the overall process.”

She shares the Waters Corporation’s approach to measuring their communications strategies, using both leading and lagging indicators, and following through on the results to be sure employees have trust, clarity and confidence. The approach enables the communications team to adjust strategy and ensure they are communicating the right information at the right time.

Tune in to hear more of Kristen’s excellent, concrete advice, from holding popup communications meetings with managers to structuring the return to work so that management experiences the transition first.

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In this special episode, Sharon and I join you as listeners to a far-reaching conversation between two communication powerhouses on the evolution of employee comms – and the hard road ahead.

Guest Host David Murray heads up the global Professional Speechwriters Association and the Executive Communication Council and writes the popular daily blog “Writing Boots.” An award-winning journalist, he’s just published his must-read book, An Effort to Understand: Hearing One Another (and Ourselves) in a Nation Cracked in Half.

Roger D’Aprix, often called “the father of internal communications,” has served on ROI Communication’s Board of Advisors since 2005, is an internationally known consultant, lecturer and author, an IABC Fellow and recipient of the 2014 President’s Award from the Communication Leadership Exchange. He is a best-selling author whose most recent book is Bosses: True Stories of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

This probing interview covers the realities that leaders in the workplace face, as David notes they have “barely just begun to explain all the stuff that needs to get across” despite believing they’ve talked it all out.

At the other end of the spectrum – and the conversation – is today’s burden of being a “woke boss.” As Roger warns, “They’d better be damned well informed and very sincere in whatever they offer along these lines.”

The two also cover the complications of moving to a hybrid workforce including losing “high-touch” to “high-tech” and trying to get the cross-pollination you need across your organization. Tune in to hear why Roger worries that we continue to have an archaic view of leadership – and his advice for helping bosses to understand their true role. (One of his clients put it succinctly: “Don’t be a jerk.”)

For an even deeper dive, join fellow communicators for the first virtual Executive Communiction Council Employee Communications Summit June 22 and 23, 2021. Read the full agenda and register at prorhetoric.com.

The post SPECIAL EPISODE #55: DAVID MURRAY & ROGER D’APRIX ON THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF INTERNAL COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

2021 Edelman Trust Survey Demands Communicators’ Focus, CEO Action

According to the recently released 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, societies around the globe are facing an epidemic of misinformation and widespread mistrust.  For more than 20 years, the Edelman Trust Barometer has measured trust in businesses, government, NGOs and the media. According to Executive Vice President Tamara Rodman, who leads Edelman’s Employee Experience Team, this year’s report is an urgent call for communicators to work with business leaders on maintaining and rebuilding trust.

Tamara is a frequent and favorite guest of EE Voice, bringing 20 years of experience in organizational communications, culture, leadership development and employee engagement across a broad swath of industries. She points out that this moment in time presents an opportunity for executives and business leaders ― one that will require the deft and proactive guidance of internal communications professionals.

Her advice includes a warning to executives that staying silent on the crises of the moment – whether on racial justice, the pandemic’s impact, the future of the workplace, or vaccine hesitancy – leaves a void that employees themselves may fill with misinformation or negative talk about the company.

On the subject of vaccines, Tamara notes that while employers may not be public health experts, vaccinations are closely tied to our economic recovery. She provides a road map for communications experts and business leaders to “educate, enable and encourage” employee vaccination, while reiterating that it is a personal choice.

Tune in to hear Tamara’s insights on these points as she reminds us that employees have the power to enact change and discusses employers’ challenges in a moment when their actions can build – or risk losing – the trust they’ve built.

The post Episode #54 – Tamara Rodman on the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Over the past year, we’ve experienced a seismic shift in the way we work. Being in the midst of those changes can make them harder to see and understand. In this podcast, Victoria Dew, SCMP, Founder and CEO of Dewpoint Communications, walks us through these shifts while illustrating how communicators can reflect them in their strategic communications in the months ahead.

Victoria’s global business background includes 15 years as a trusted advisor to dozens of CEOs and executives. She tapped that network and beyond in her research into how we communicate and create experiences for people in the post-pandemic workplace.

Victoria joins us to discuss issues from the normalization of employees as messy, complicated humans to what can happen when we stop treating employees as robots. She emphasizes the high stakes involved, as the potential consequences of burnout can cost companies up to 34% of an employee’s salary.

“We are fragile humans and we are resilient humans ― and these same humans are the future of work,” Victoria says. In discussing how we approach the whole human, she talks about efforts and progress toward diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.  She notes that as we make real strides forward in achieving social justice and dismantling systemic racism, companies’ approaches to these issues can prove to be the solution to evolving employee experience and engagement challenges.

Victoria shares her thoughts on the future of the “hybrid” workplace where a confluence of three conditions — human, flexible and connection — will help define the new employee experience.

Hear Victoria share more of these “ah ha” moments with EE Voice, and learn more about Victoria’s work by connecting with her on LinkedIn and downloading the complete study results:  The New Rules of Employee Experience & Communications.

The post EPISODE #53 – DEFINING AND EMBRACING THE NEW EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE IN A POST-COVID WORLD appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

One of EE Voice’s most-played ― and most important ― past episodes featured crisis management expert Andy Gilman discussing communications in the face of COVID-19. Now, Andy joins the podcast to help listeners navigate the latest developments in our current COVID reality, using communications to overcome vaccine hesitancy and compliance. His team recently launched RESTART to help organizations navigate COVID-19 recovery, increase vaccine compliance and support public health.

These are complicated issues. But Andy explains how company leadership can view this challenge as an opportunity to strengthen company culture, improve morale and build trust.

Have a listen to learn more about confronting these challenges, and check out more about Andy’s team and work at CommCore Consulting.

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What a crazy year! For those working in internal comms, it’s been nothing short of a rollercoaster, personally and professionally. Yet, we had some silver linings – and for Sharon and me, it was about tapping into experts to guide us through these trying times.

At the end of every EE Voice podcast, we always ask our guests for their one piece of advice to leave with listeners. Here, we gather them all in one place, in less than 15 minutes. Our amazing guests this year included:

Sharon and I wish all our listeners happy holidays and look forward to even more engaging conversations in 2021!

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As we close out a year marked by upheaval, experts predict more disruption ahead―including an uptick in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). For our 50th (!) EE Voice podcast, we welcome Louis de Schorlemer of Corporate Diplomat, an agency dedicated to managing M&A, diverstitures or reorganizations. Louis is an international leader in managing M&A communications. He brings a valuable perspective on the importance of centering people in the processes around these transactions.

Louis discusses the sensitive nature of M&A activities, such as when a cash-rich business buys a struggling company, and he doesn’t look away from the discomfort but instead guides clients on how to communicate through it in a mindful way.  He lays out strategies for analytical mapping and putting people in the right mindset. And he asks challenging questions about transparency and preparedness―and shares the “Four Ps” he’s found to be instrumental for success.

If you’ve never supported M&A before — and even if you have — Louis offers a masterclass on communications strategy and execution. Listen in, and let us know what you think.

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In 2018, when comms pros Mark Dollins and Jon Stemmle were first wading into the research for their forthcoming book on internal communications, they couldn’t have anticipated the seismic change we would all soon experience. Their timing will serve us well as we move forward in a post-COVID-19 world.

Drawing from their ongoing research and their careers in the field and in the classroom, Mark and Jon joined us for the latest episode of EE Voice to discuss the foundational and emerging core competencies of internal comms, the personal stories behind the successes, and the thru-line of those who are charting a new course in an altered landscape.

A paradox of the Covid crisis is that it presents the opportunity of a lifetime for those who understand this moment’s impact on internal communications. Hear these experts’ insights about this moment in time, the potential advantages it offers, and how to make the most of those opportunities.

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