Sharon McIntosh, Author at FIR Podcast Network

Episode #33: SHEL HOLTZ ON THE SEVEN KEY FORCES SHAPING INTERNAL COMMS

January 30, 2019 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Shel Holtz knows internal communications, and he knows where it’s headed.

A 40-year industry veteran, communications director for Allergan and Mattel, consultant, speaker, blogger, author, fellow of three of the world’s most prominent communications industry associations and, if that weren’t enough, co-founder of the FIR Podcast Network, Shel is something of an expert on the topic.

Who better to kick off our first podcast of 2019? If anyone can predict the future of internal communications, it’s Shel. His crystal ball is one of the most accurate we know.
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Episode #32: STORYTELLING: A CONVERSATION WITH ERIC SCHNURE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPEECHWRITER

December 15, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Eric Schnure is the consummate storyteller. A former White House speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore with 20 years of experience counseling executives on messaging, Eric knows how to tell a great story. He also knows what makes storytelling such a powerful internal comms tool.

We’d gladly spend an afternoon sipping tea (or something stronger) on the porch with Eric, but we settled for a visit to the EE Voice virtual HQ for our last podcast of 2018. Of course, he launched right in with two stories from his White House days (okay, we asked), then reminded us that storytelling is “not just spinning a yarn.”

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Episode #31: Helping leaders connect (via video) in an impossibly connected world

November 13, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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What’s a leader to do in the age of distraction? How does the C-suite stay connected when they’re competing with Twitter for their team’s attention? How do leaders provide authenticity, transparency and directness that employees crave? One word: video.

It’s one of our most provocative topics in internal comms these days, mainly because of the anxiety it often provokes in even the most seasoned leaders. So to explore it, we sat down with Sonia Fiorenza of SocialChorus, a workforce communications platform we’re proud to call a sponsor.
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Episode #30: Keeping calm in the storm: Employee comms during natural disasters

October 10, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters can wreak havoc on business. They can keep employees out of work, customers and clients in the dark and offices closed for days on end. That’s why it’s so important to have a solid crisis response plan. And the time to start one is now.

With Hurricane Michael and another superstorm season upon us, we wanted to share some lessons learned from a past one – Hurricane Sandy. Because beyond its epic size and cost, Sandy was also an object lesson in crisis communications.
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How to complete a global internal audit in 60 days

July 27, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Picture this: You work for a US-based Fortune 100 corporation with more employees than the population of Buffalo, N.Y. You’re responsible for communications to hundreds of thousands of employees across the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Your assignment (should you have any choice but to accept it): Complete a global internal communications audit in 60 days.

In this episode of EE Voice, Sharon Phillips and Sharon McIntosh reflect on how they not only survived a high-pressure global IC audit for PepsiCo (23 focus groups and in-person visits to six countries!) but walked away with valuable new insights into the very thing they were auditing – internal communications. Tune in to hear them relive the journey and the lessons they learned along the way.
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Episode #28: Taking the Crisis out of Crisis Communications

June 6, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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In this era of hyper-alertness about everything from data security to natural disasters, it’s no longer a question of whether you need to develop a crisis communication plan. It’s how to develop one that works. As an employee communication professional, you’re key to this process. So are employees, as is – no surprise here – social media.

The latest episode of EE Voice, Sharon Phillips explores these murky waters with internal comms consultant and author Paul Barton.

Tune in to hear why Paul advocates a proactive approach to crisis communications that includes employees, social media and something he calls “the five Ps.” Tune in to hear more.
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Episode #27: 9 Steps to Coty’s Effective Intranet Strategy: A Beautiful Thing

May 6, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Change is a given in our global corporate marketplace. As internal communications leaders, it’s our job to keep employees informed and engaged amid a constant state of organizational change. But how do you do that when you’re up against outdated internal infrastructure and a loud, ticking deadline?

In the latest episode of our EE Voice podcast, Sharon Phillips and I spoke with Jim Smith, VP of Internal Communications and Engagement at Coty. In October 2016, Coty merged with Proctor & Gamble, forming the third largest beauty company in the world, with a combined workforce of 20,000 and two very different cultures. Jim joined Coty a week after the merger.
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Episode #26: Are You Ready for the Employee Activist?

April 24, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh Leave a Comment

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https://traffic.libsyn.com/fir/EE_Voice_episode_26.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:32 — 25.8MB) | EmbedSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | RSS | Subscription Options Here’s a new topic that Sharon Phillips and I have been exploring: employee activists. In this podcast, we defined employee activists as those who vigorously advocate for their… Continue Reading →

EPISODE #25: BRING ON THE STRATEGY

March 26, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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It’s spring, and the Sharons are finally on the same continent. Fresh from a month in Southeast Asia, my co-host Sharon Phillips was struck by the warmth and grace of the people she met in Thailand and Cambodia. Their ability to slow down and thoughtfully engage her in a conversation was a refreshing change of pace.

It’s also a good reminder of how often we Americans fall into the trap of “seat-of-the-pants” communication. Yes, we’re communicating, but are we also listening?

In this episode, we explore this topic, delving into:
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Episode #24: Three Trends to Watch (or watch out for) in 2018

January 23, 2018 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Talk about pressure.

Our guest this month, Jeff Herrington, has written two murder mystery books, conducted countless writing workshops and served as a consultant for 20+ years to companies worldwide. Plus, he’s a good friend. So I wanted to get this podcast right.

Fortunately, Jeff and I had a great conversation about upcoming trends that communicators should either watch – or watch out for – in 2018.
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Episode #33: SHEL HOLTZ ON THE SEVEN KEY FORCES SHAPING INTERNAL COMMS

Episode #32: STORYTELLING: A CONVERSATION WITH ERIC SCHNURE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPEECHWRITER

Episode #31: Helping leaders connect (via video) in an impossibly connected world

Episode #30: Keeping calm in the storm: Employee comms during natural disasters

How to complete a global internal audit in 60 days

Episode #28: Taking the Crisis out of Crisis Communications

Episode #27: 9 Steps to Coty’s Effective Intranet Strategy: A Beautiful Thing

Episode #26: Are You Ready for the Employee Activist?

EPISODE #25: BRING ON THE STRATEGY

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