Communications — internal and external — are cost centers. Other cost centers, like Human Resources, have transformed themselves from bureaucratic necessary expenses to vital business partners whose work directly affects business performance. Communications can (and does) have a direct effect on business when managed and measured strategically, but far too many communication functions still focus on message outputs than on improving productivity or other business elements that matter to the company’s leadership.

In episode 54 of Circle of Fellows, four IABC Fellows will discuss how communicators can make this transition from cost center to vital business partner. Shel Holtz will moderate the panel that includes Priya Bates, Neil Griffiths, Ned Lundquist, and Jim Shaffer.
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A lot of organizations talk a good game about transparency but when push comes to shove, they can still seem secretive and opaque. Clearly, transparency doesn’t mean making every scrap of information available. Share your employees’ health records and you’ll be subject to penalties under HIPAA (in the U.S.). Reveal plans for product launches and you could be giving the competition a leg up. And will you engage in salary transparency, letting every employee know how much every employee makes? (Some companies do!)

In episode 53 of the “Circle of Fellows” broadcast, Shel Holtz will moderate a conversation with four IABC Fellows to discuss transparency, how to be strategic about it, and how communicators can keep their organizations (or clients) consistent about what and how they implement a transparent culture.
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We want to hear from you: What were the most significant, interesting, or important trends, innovations, or advances to affect communications in the last decade?

Send us a comment in our Facebook group, an email to fircomments@gmail.com, or a post to the last episode of FIR. We’d love to play your audio recordings, which you can attach to an email or record directly from the FIR website (click the “Send Voicemail” tab on the right side of the page).
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For many communicators, work is all about the craft of producing articles, posts, videos, and other content. Moving into the leadership ranks, however, requires more than great tactical skills and, in fact, more than great strategic planning capabilities. Senior-level communicators regularly advise and coach the company’s executives (and others) on how to communicate effectively, both in general and about specific issues.
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The news is full of cyber-attacks on organizations large and small, exposing sensitive customer and other information, forcing companies to pay ransoms to retrieve locked data, and creating public relations nightmares. In episode 51 of IABC’s Circle of Fellows broadcast, five IABC Fellows will discuss the PR and internal communication aspects of cyber-attacks, including the steps to prepare for a data breach; understanding your IT leaders and keeping the lines of communication open and clear; educating your employees about cybersecurity: What they need to know and do; and recovering trust following a cyberattack.

IABC Fellows participating in the discussion include Priya Bates, John Deveney, Martha Muzychka, Sheri Rosen, and Mark Schumann. Shel Holtz, SCMP, IABC Fellow, will moderate.
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Communicators who lack specific expertise and/or resources inside the organization often turn to external consultants to help with everything from strategic planning to project execution. That relationship can be amazing, delivering exceptional results. It can also be a minefield, causing sleepless nights, unsatisfying results, and even diminished trust in the communicator from company leadership.

In episode 50 of Circle of Fellows, four IABC Fellows will discuss the consultant/client relationship, including…

• How to hire and manage an array of consultants in a gig economy
• How to build and maintain a corporate client base as an independent consultant
• Top five ways for consultants to build loyalty with their clients, and keep them coming back

IABC Fellows participating in the broadcast will include Jim Lukaszewski, George McGrath, Jim Shaffer, and Jennifer Wah — all practicing consultants. Shel Holtz (a former consultant who has returned to the client-side) will moderate.
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With dramatic, unpredictable change as a constant in business and technology, how can communication professionals help build resilient organizations and increase the resilience of employees in enterprise transformations? On episode 49 of Circle of Fellows, four IABC Fellows will discuss the role of communication in facilitating change. IABC Fellows participating in the broadcast will include Amanda Hamilton-Attwell, Jim Shaffer, Mark Schumann, and Brad Whitworth. Shel Holtz will moderate.

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Four IABC Fellows will discuss the challenges of aligning communication strategies to an ever-changing media environment as it relates to both internal and external communication on episode 48 of Circle of Fellows, the monthly panel discussion broadcast live (and then made available as a video replay and an audio podcast.) ABC Fellows participating in the broadcast at noon ET on Thursday, August 15, will include John Deveney, Cindy Schmieg, Brad Whitworth, and Stacy Wilson. Shel Holtz will moderate.
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With so much data available, it can be difficult to determine what information is actually useful to track to measure the success of your communication activities.  What and how to measure in order to best inform your work and demonstrate communication impact is the next topic for discussion on Circle of Fellows. Episode #47 of the broadcast will explore measurement for both internal and external communication activities. IABC Fellows participating in the broadcast at noon ET on Thursday, July 18, will include Neil Griffiths, Jim Shaffer, Angela Sinickas, and Stacy Wilson. Shel Holtz will moderate.
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According to a study conducted by MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group, three-quarters of executives believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will enable their companies to move into new businesses, and roughly 85% believe AI will allow their companies to obtain or sustain a competitive advantage. At noon ET on Thursday, June 20,… Continue Reading →