Sharon McIntosh, Author at FIR Podcast Network

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 #23: The best of EE Voice: Looking back (and ahead) on our top six IC tips

December 22, 2017 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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Our listener and friend Laura Field had a terrific suggestion: Pull our top guest tips into one podcast.

So here it is.

It was tough choosing since Sharon and I had so many edifying interviews over our past 22 episodes. But looking back, these were our favorites. Just some of the tips we discuss:
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Episode #22 – Should We Stop Measuring Internal Comms? – With Bloomberg’s Ethan McCarty

November 12, 2017 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips 2 Comments

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Ethan McCarty can freak you out, particularly if you’re an internal communications professional. For example, he recently wrote a blog entitled, “Don’t Measure Internal Communications.” Wait … what?

And when I heard him speak at a Poppulo conference last summer, I knew he’d be a terrific EE Voice guest. Because he’s doing some unexpected – and successful – work in his job as Global Head of Employee and Innovation Communications for Bloomberg. He didn’t disappoint.
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Episode #21 – Your change management playbook – with DuPont’s Mark Dollins

September 18, 2017 by Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips Leave a Comment

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If you work in employee communications, chances are you’re experiencing and communicating change in your organization. Want a master playbook on change management – in less than 30 minutes of your time? Well, here it is.

This month, we are delighted to welcome Mark Dollins, our former boss and now head of Executive and Global Employee Communications for DuPont, where among other duties he is tasked with driving change management communications for the enterprise. This year his team earned IABC Gold Quills and a PRSA Silver Anvil award for change management, employee engagement and employee communications.
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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

Episode #23: The best of EE Voice: Looking back (and ahead) on our top six IC tips

Episode #22 – Should We Stop Measuring Internal Comms? – With Bloomberg’s Ethan McCarty

Episode #21 – Your change management playbook – with DuPont’s Mark Dollins

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