Sharon McIntosh, Author at FIR Podcast Network

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

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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

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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

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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

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“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 #37: Employee activism: A new labor movement on the rise?

July 14, 2019 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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In our April 2018 EE Voice podcast, Sharon and I asked our listeners: Are you ready for the employee activist?

Because if you weren’t prepared last year, you better brace yourself for what’s coming. In the last year, we’ve seen #GoogleWalkout, #WayfairWalkout and most recently, #AmazonWalkout.

In this episode of EE Voice, we dive back into the fascinating topic of employee activism with two comms experts:

Terry Hart, a corporate comms expert in B2B marketing, corporate communications and change management and
Mike Klein, principal of Changing the Terms and a well-known voice on employee communications based in the Netherlands.

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EPISODE #36: CEO ACTIVISM AND THE ACTIVE ROLE OF COMMUNICATORS

June 1, 2019 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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In today’s highly charged sociopolitical environment, corporate leaders can feel the impulse to take a stand just like any of us. They’re only human, after all.

As communicators, it’s our job to help them understand when and how to speak out on issues that live outside the business realm. What are the expectations around CEO activism? What are the ramifications of taking a stand on a highly charged issue? Which CEOs are doing it right?

In this episode of EE Voice, we’ll explore this sensitive topic and the critical role internal communications teams play in keeping their leaders on point, on brand and on a path toward making a truly positive impact.
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Episode #35: Hey, Internal Comms: Marketing needs you

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

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Douglas Spencer knows brand strategy. The former VP Global Brand Management for Thomson Reuters and founder of Boston-based consultancy Spencer Brenneman has spent two decades traversing the globe to work with brands in every sector from financial services to nonprofits.

He has the same advice for all of them: Embrace brand strategy as “your business’ very best friend – part coach, conscience, parent, partner, judge, jury, conductor and station agent.”

The same advice applies to internal communicators. And in this episode of EE Voice, you’ll hear why.

Tune in as we talk with Douglas about the many ways internal comms can support the brand.
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Episode #34: 2019 EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER: WHY THE EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE CONTRACT MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

March 11, 2019 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Since 2000, the Edelman Trust Barometer^® has measured attitudes about the state of trust and credibility in business, government, NGOs and the media worldwide.

The annual Edelman survey’s results often confirm, sometimes surprise and always motivate us as internal communicators – and this year is no different. The 2019 report shows profound changes in the perception of employer-employee contracts, a finding that holds special significance for internal communicators.

In this episode of EE Voice, we talk with Tamara Snyder, who heads up Edelman’s Employee Experience Team, about the shift in employee mindsets revealed in their latest report. (Tamara’s a bit of a rock star in our EE Voice podcast world, as this was the third time she’s been on the show.)
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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.”