Talking Comms

Here we are... the last ever Talking Comms podcast. BUT WAIT!

We're not sad it's over, in fact we're evolving Talking Comms - as you'll hear in the episode - into a full bespoke workshop for comms pros. Hit us up at [email protected] if you want to make podcasts for your organisation.

As for the episode, we get a bit wistful about previous episodes, discuss why now is the right time to stop, and have a lovely old time.

THANK YOU to the thousands of people who downloaded our episodes over the last seven years - and THANK YOU to our brilliant guests over the years.

Goodbye (for now...)

In this episode, we talk to Sally Northeast from the NHS about the comms challenges of embarking on a massive vaccination programme.

We also chat to Dawn Reeves who's masterminded a new free book and resource called One Story - Councils, covid and better futures.

Come to the virtual book launch on Wednesday 17th February, 4-5pm on Zoom. Register here.

And there's the usual waffle at the end including TV recommendations (And yes, I now know Bridgerton was set in the Regency period not the Victorian era). If you want to get in touch, email us at [email protected].

In this episode, we're honoured to have a couple of NHS comms titans onboard for a chat: Ross Wigham and Jude Tipper.

They're very honest about how the last few weeks have been for them, their colleagues and families.

We cover why video calls are exhausting, share some lessons learned and, of course, get some top distractions from them if all this coronavirus stuff is getting too much.

Get in touch with us at @talkingcommspod!

In this internal comms special, we talk to Kevin McDougall and Andy Macleod from Gatehouse, who surveyed practitioners worldwide on the huge impact the pandemic is having on the industry - and what the future looks like for IC.

And there's a bit of business about the sorts of things we're doing that the pre-virus us would never have done!

We've also got a few more recommendations for stuff to watch, and there's a 'sweet' little Easter egg right at the very end.

Just what you need right now – another podcast recorded over Zoom!

We were delighted to be joined by fab comms consultants Shavaun Glen and Ben Capper who share fascinating insights on how they’re coping with the Current SituationTM.

There is also some advice on how to liven up that boring video conference call, and we give you some TV recommendations for after you log off for the day.

Tell us what you want to hear @TalkingCommsPod or at [email protected]

(And there’s a little musical treat right at the very very end)

Recorded at the 2019 LGComms Academy in Manchester, we have highlights from a panel discussion on comms and mental wellbeing, featuring Jane Fordham, Leanne Ehren, Helena Hornby and our very own Darren Caveney.

We also chat to comms legend Peter Holt about how the digital organisational tool Trello has helped relieve the pressure on his comms team. Here’s the article Peter mentioned.

At the end, we chat about elections and donning our gay apparel. And there’s a tiny little post-script at the very end!

Why not give the gift of generosity this Christmas? A lovely five star review would be nice!

OR COME TO OUR PODCAST TRAINING IN FEBRUARY 2020!

We're back! And at The Ashes!

In this short and sweet episode, LGcomms chair Simon Jones tells us why we should go to this year's LGcomms Public Sector Academy event in Manchester. In the discussion, we talk about maintaining standards and how we can better engage with our communities.

We also speak to change consultant Amanda Buchanan to get her perspective on how comms pros can speak up and have potentially difficult conversation with senior leaders. We also chat about the language of change.

And, as always, there's a little hidden gem at the end...

Get in touch: [email protected] and @talkingcommspod.

Some lovely ratings and reviews would be lush too!

This episode is crammed with everything you expect from a cutting-edge comms podcast.

We cover how to build a successful comms teams in quite a lot of detail, hearing from four industry leaders followed by Darren’s top tips.

The fabulous Helen Reynolds shares some of her creativity secrets (*contains Bob Monkhouse*). And we finish with an impromptu pub discussion that starts off about comms and disinformation… and degenerates into whether we can use Kickstarter to buy a camper van.

The podcast is ONE YEAR OLD! Thanks to everyone who’s downloaded, rated and reviewed. Why not tell someone about us today?

As ever, we are @TalkingCommsPod on the Twitter.

This special episode is a snapshot of this year's Comms Unplugged, recorded on location in a field in Dorset.

Adrian was ill so Darren spoke to attendees ('Unpluggers'), sponsors and the organising team of Sally Northeast, Georgia Turner and, er, Darren.

Stay tuned (or not) for the last rambly bit recorded real-time in Darren's VW camper van as he drove Adrian from the field to the nearest station on the last day.

AND we explain why we call our podcast recorder Don King!

It’s conference season so we’ve got details of two must-attend events coming up in October: Intranet Now and the LGCommunications Public Sector Academy. We also catch up with Rob Jefferson from Doncaster on ace-ing social media and how simple changes in tone and content can engage with your audience. And do listen to the very end for a nugget involving an 80s music star! 

Big thanks to Simon Jones (@SimonDJones, @LGcomms), Rob Jefferson (@RobJefferson), Wedge (@Wedge) and Lisa Riemers (@Lisariemers).

Useful links:

• LGcommunications Public Sector Academy
• Intranet Now
• Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council’s Twitter