Sharon McIntosh, Author at FIR Podcast Network

Episode #47 – Laura Field on how to beat burnout

June 23, 2020 by Sharon McIntosh Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:56 — 21.7MB) | Embed

Laura Field, a colleague, friend and fellow communicator, joined the Sharons to discuss how vital it is that we listen to our internal beings—particularly given all we are dealing with in this moment.

Laura has an intriguing background — being both a communications expert and a spiritual director — and offers us intriguing insights about self-care and burnout.

Laura distills the reasons communicators are more susceptible to burnout, from our natures as thoughtful, nuanced and sensitive people to the oftentimes difficult reality of the environments where we operate. Sound familiar? Hang in for the second half of the broadcast when Laura outlines concrete practices we can put in place, beginning today, that will help us care for ourselves, humanize each other, and be in a better place to share our gifts and talents.

You can learn more about Laura at Soul Play Online.
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Episode #46 – Stephanie Bickel on creating engaging virtual internal events (and speakers)

June 11, 2020 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:48 — 21.6MB) | Embed

Amid health, economic and social crises, our leaders are being asked communicate like never before…. and almost all virtually.

For today’s comms pros, creating and facilitating engaging virtual town halls, conferences and important meetings is possible – and even culturally rewarding. Plus, you’re also helping your leaders communicate from their home offices.

Need some solid tips and advice? Enter virtual virtuoso Stephanie Bickel of Speak by Design. She shares her expertise on delivering compelling content with strategies that cover everything from engaging attendees in the virtual waiting room to closing on a note that will have people clapping at their computers.

Other resources:

Follow Speak by Design on LinkedIn.
Speak by Design is adds daily tips on Instagram. Please follow, comment, and let us know what you think
Download this whitepaper – Own the Zoom – for tips on virtual meeting excellence.

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Episode #45: EE Voice CLIP – Broadening your leadership listening channels

May 4, 2020 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:04 — 8.1MB) | Embed

[Today’s episode: 7 minutes]

Can you hear them now?

For a solid eight weeks, we’ve been working with managers on how best to communicate with their teams remotely during the COVID-19 crisis. This week—at your request—we turn that question on its head: How can leadership teams make sure they’re really hearing from staff and directing feedback effectively?

In today’s episode, we talk through our best strategies for expanding listening channels to make space for all this new traffic and keep it moving in the right directions. From surveys and focus groups to informal listening sessions, we cover approaches to soliciting feedback ― and offer you ideas on how to execute.

Give it a listen, and then let us know what questions are keeping you up at night. We’re listening.

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Episode #44 – (Special edition) THE VALUE OF EMPLOYEE COMMS DURING COVID-19

March 29, 2020 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:05 — 31.0MB) | Embed

Today we have a special episode of EE Voice: Mark Dollins (friend, comms pro and a former EE Voice guest) and I recently conducted a webinar to discuss the value of employee communications during COVID-19 — as well as share best practices and helpful hints during this crisis. We wanted to offer another way for you to access this information, so this is the slimmed-down audio of the main presentation. You can view the full webinar — including slides and audience polling — at biznology.com.

The webinar was hosted by Consultants Collective and moderated by its manager director, Jen McClure.

Please let us know if Sharon and I can provide any additional help or advice during this challenging time.

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Episode #43 – Andy Gilman on Coronavirus Crisis Communications

March 3, 2020 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:37 — 15.6MB) | Embed

Talk of COVID-19, or Coronavirus, is dominating the headlines, your timeline ― and probably your headspace. On top of your own family’s health and wellbeing, you have your business, customers and employees to worry about.

As you navigate the fine line between information-sharing and fear mongering, what’s the right message to send? Andy Gilman – a well-known crisis comms expert — has the answers in today’s episode of EE Voice – in less than 15 minutes. (As anyone can now tell you, that’s equivalent to time spent on about 45 hand-washings).

Whether you are adapting an existing crisis communications plan or starting from scratch, you’ll want to tune in for Andy’s expertise. You can learn more about Andy and his company at CommCore Consulting.

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Episode #42: EE Voice Clip – How can I create the best videos with my iPhone?

February 28, 2020 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:57 — 9.1MB) | Embed

If you’re like most people, you have a high-tech video camera right at your fingertips ― and you’re not making the most of it. Why let that potential go to waste?

Grab your smartphone and take in these recording tips from our video maestro, EE production manager Ed Gilbert, who shares his deep audio/visual expertise for our latest EE Voice Clip.

In less time than it takes to download the typical iPhone update, Ed covers advice from how to hold your phone to improving lighting and audio. It’s like an eight-minute master class in smartphone recording.

Whether you’re considering video as a way to capture that employee interview or you want to feature an executive, this EE Voice Clip is well worth a listen.
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Episode #41: EE Voice CLIP – How can I create an effective 2020 employee comms strategy?

January 15, 2020 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:36 — 6.4MB) | Embed

Welcome to our second EE Voice CLIP – our Quora for communicators — where we answer a listener’s question in less than 8 minutes.

Today’s question is: How can I create an effective 2020 employee comms strategy?

Sharon and I are always surprised how many companies we speak to don’t have a full year communications plan – and it’s critical. A solid strategy gives you the journey map to success – both personally as a leader and for your employees — and done right – ultimately to drive business success.

So here are some quick tips and tricks to start or improve upon your 2020 comms plan … wrapped up in just 5 minutes.
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Episode #40: Go global (and local) with employee comms in 2020

December 17, 2019 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:22 — 25.6MB) | Embed

Strengthening relationships with employees in global settings is a topic near and dear to my heart, as I spent many years at PepsiCo working with our regional teams. For communicators, launching a global initiative can be an exciting career opportunity. Yet, despite advances in technology, significant gaps still exist that can hinder your success.

To help us better understand some of these challenges and get real-world solutions—we (well, Sharon did, since I was with a client) hosted Ray Walsh, a communications consultant for multinational companies, on the latest episode of the EE Voice Podcast. Based in Prague, Ray has deep expertise in helping global organizations with communications and content. In addition, Ray’s experience living and working in Europe both in-house and as a consultant provides valuable insight and perspective for communicators looking to increase their global acumen in 2020.
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Episode #39: EE Voice CLIP – How can I spice up my CEO’s end-of-year letter?

December 4, 2019 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:34 — 7.5MB) | Embed

We thought we’d end the year with a little twist – a new, abbreviated format which we hope you’ll find easy to fit into your busy day. With EE Voice Clip we aim to answer — in under 8 minutes – a question that employee comms pros have on their minds. Sort of like a Quora for Comms.

Our first question we answer is: How can I spice up my CEO’s end-of-year letter. Sharon and I offer some ideas to consider – some creative, some more traditional. And all in six minutes.
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Episode #38: The future of employee advocacy (with Glenn Gaudet)

November 2, 2019 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:43 — 42.1MB) | Embed

“What you’re trying to do is not just have employees be an amplification for the company. You’re trying to help them engage with people digitally. And you’re trying to create an engagement – so they can create a relationship.” – Glenn Gaudet

After a long summer break (which somehow eked into fall), Sharon and I are back! And we’re delighted to welcome a friend and employee advocacy expert Glenn Gaudet.

As CEO of GaggleAMP, Glenn leads a team that helps companies transform their workforce into a social media powerhouse. Sharon and I worked with Glenn when we launched PepsiCo’s award-winning ambassador program, and we learned much from him then. And of course, in this conversation, we learn more, including:

How employee advocacy has evolved in the past 10 years – and where it’s headed next (pssst: It’s about employee engagement)
Why employee advocacy is so powerful for brand building
Hot-off-the-press findings from a new survey, “Building the Case for an Employee Advocacy Program,” which showcases what makes for a successful program – and how communicators can help. Some survey findings that surprised even Glenn
And so much more.

Glenn pulled together the following resource for our EE Voice listeners, which includes links and downloads to the survey, how to get started with employee advocacy and a great case study about Carbon Black.
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Episode #47 – Laura Field on how to beat burnout

Episode #46 – Stephanie Bickel on creating engaging virtual internal events (and speakers)

Episode #45: EE Voice CLIP – Broadening your leadership listening channels

Episode #44 – (Special edition) THE VALUE OF EMPLOYEE COMMS DURING COVID-19

Episode #43 – Andy Gilman on Coronavirus Crisis Communications

Episode #42: EE Voice Clip – How can I create the best videos with my iPhone?

Episode #41: EE Voice CLIP – How can I create an effective 2020 employee comms strategy?

Episode #40: Go global (and local) with employee comms in 2020

Episode #39: EE Voice CLIP – How can I spice up my CEO’s end-of-year letter?

Episode #38: The future of employee advocacy (with Glenn Gaudet)

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