The challenges and complexities of communicating increase with the size and scope of the employee population. It’s one thing to communicate when all your employees are in one city or state. When employees span the country, it gets harder, with the expectations and perceptions of employees in Ohio (for example) not necessarily aligning with those… Continue Reading →

The Customer Experience (CX) is defined loosely as the cumulative impact of every interaction a customer has with a company, from first becoming aware of the organization or its product/service through post-purchase touch-points (including using the product and getting support). CX usually is housed in the Marketing Department with ample opportunities for communication input. Other… Continue Reading →

Does advancing to the ranks of senior management really require you to win the battle for a coveted “seat at the table?” To make the transition to a top leadership position requires a change in behavior to advance your career and the role of communication. The June installment of “Circle of Fellows” will examine the communicator as facilitator in the boardroom, as a leader of innovation, and a unifier and ground-breaker in transformative collaboration. At noon EDT on Thursday, June 21, four IABC Fellows will participate in a live online conversation about leadership skill-building for communicators. The panel includes James Lukaszewski, Mary Ann McCauley, Barbara Puffer, and Angela Sinickas. FIR podcast host Shel Holtz (also a Fellow) will moderate.
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According to a recent New York Times article, “Chief executives across the business world are increasingly wading into political issues that were once considered off limits — like gun control and climate change — but they might not be moving fast enough.” The Edelman Trust Barometer (cited in the article) backs up that assertion. Sixty-four… Continue Reading →

For some time, Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz have been using a YouTube Hangout on Air to record their monthly podcast, “The Hobson & Holtz Report.” It has always been a restricted Hangout that only Shel and Neville could see. While recording the April installment, they wondered, “Why not make it public?” And so the… Continue Reading →

Are you positioned to succeed in the next five years? The next 10? The competencies and skills required for communicating on behalf of employers or clients are not static. Not that long ago, communicators traded in press releases, media pitches, and printed employee newsletters. While these tactics have not vanished, the technologies that serve as… Continue Reading →

At noon Eastern on Thursday, March 15, four Fellows of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) will spend an hour discussing the communication angle of creating a corporate culture that attracts and retains employees. The panelists for this live conversation include Amanda Hamilton-Attwell, Kellie Garrett, Sheri Rosen, and Mark Schumann.
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Trust in media is at an all-time low, as is global trust in the United States (while global trust in China is soaring). Meanwhile, peers — who have been a top credible source for several years — are waning as people once again turn to subject matter experts, technical experts, and CEOs, all of whom have been trailing in prior years’ Trust Barometers, the annual survey released every January by Edelman. Where trust is in decline, communication professionals can help turn the tide. Where it is rising, communicators can help maintain that growth. In the February installment of “Circle of Fellows,” five IABC Fellows (and moderator Shel Holtz) will discuss (among other things) how to make the case for allocating resources to trust-building and how to combat false narratives, including fact-checking in the social media age. Participating in the real-time conversation are Priya Bates, Roger D’Aprix, John Deveney, James Lukaszewski, and Ned Lundquist. The panel will take place at noon EST on Thursday, February 15, 2018.
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Everyone at the FIR Podcast Network wishes listeners a happy holiday and a prosperous 2018! The “For Immediate Release” podcast — which is taking a break for the holidays — returns on January 8 with a new format. The show will be shorter and instead of guest co-hosts, host Shel Holtz will share brief conversations… Continue Reading →