simply-blogging

Back in the UK

After a long flight from the States and a memorable airport experience, I finally made my way into the country for a simply full-on couple of weeks.

It's good to be back in London - a city which mirrors New York in its culture, energy and wide range of culinary options, especially in Soho - home of the Simply offices. Of course, I managed to find my way to a couple of pubs and am now up-to-date on my English bitters. I am happy to report that I did not get simply trashed. I did partake in a proper tea and cake at the offices yesterday, thank you Liam!

Thursday saw a bang-on masterclass presented by Simply and Steve Crescenzo who offered a number of case studies of companies who are shaking up their internal comms by using more social media and creative communication. Stay tuned for some video of Mr. Crescenzo (and the lovely Mrs. Cindy Crescenzo) in action...

Of course, what would another trip to the UK be without picking up a bit more English slang? I picked up a particularly amusing expression just yesterday when Marc apologized for acting like "a bear with a sore ass." I have got to remember that one.

And now, on this overcast Saturday with the rain "spitting" down, I am busy at work in the Hughenden Valley putting together this week's edition of simply-communicate - with a little help from my "purr-fect" friends (sorry Liam, I just couldn't resist the pun!)...

-Kelly

Public sector comms have a great resource

I've been doing a bit of training in Government and have been preparing by doing some research on the Engage site of the UK Government Communication Network.

Because I'm doing some teaching I've been shown around the site and was gob-smacked by some of the resources up there.  If you know anyone in the Civil Service with access you must get them to show it to you.

Two things in particular are striking.

Firstly, there is a heavy emphasis on connecting with audiences.  The philosophy is very clear - you can't expect to be an effective communicator if you don't invest time understanding how the receiver might respond or want to hear it.  This is such a dramatic sea-change from the way many of us are used to being communicated with by the state.

Secondly, external and internal communications seem interchangeable.  How many organisations really think of both types of stakeholders with the same care?  True integration in the underlying theme.

Now, both of these features may be an aspiration rather than reality - but well done GCN for drawing a line in the sand.

And...if you get a chance - look at some of the case studies on there...excellent stuff, especially on the use of research.

And no mention of tea drinking anywhere....

Liam

Loved this from David Ferrabee

Check out this posting from David Ferrabee - some food for thought in here about how you can have a society that is simultaneously obsessed with Christianity and sex.  Or is it our cultural views on when it is appropriate to discuss sex that is a bit odd - and there is no inconsistency in Christians and rumpy pumpy?

Read the post - very funny

Liam

The Reluctant Webutante!

OK - so here I am! Not exactly an early adopter I agree - more of a reluctant webutante but none the less I am now officially a 'player'.

Of course I enter the Blogosphere just as the 'uber cool' are flocking - starling like - to the Twittersphere where all the action seems to be right now - whether your pulling up in an NYC ferry boat to rescue passengers from the frozen waters of the Hudson or simply being smug about your access all areas pass at the Brits.

I am amazed at how communications has become such a minute by minute experience for so many people - it has become part of life.

But then - hey - you get those bad moments.

I was lucky enough to be in New York for Inauguration Day last month and thought I would join 'my fellow Americans' in Time Square to watch the ceremony. It was -5C in the Square but the crowd gathering and the sheer sense of excitement was extraordinary. 

There were the big screens vying for attention with the neon advertising. There was the packed Washington Mall. There was Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin looking like the Queen Mother on this historic occasion. But there was - no sound!

Now Time Square has at least four major news studios within a pastrami slice of the centre - yet not one of them has bothered to provide us with speakers to fully experience and enjoy the moment! Hello!

So - faced with the weird option of watching Aretha sing 'My Country Tis of Thee' mute (accompanied by subtitles) - I fled instead to the nearest Deli to watch and hear it all from there.

We may blog and twitter away but some of our communications bretheren don't appear to be on first base yet when it comes to providing good communications....

... don't get me started...

Gerard

Not everyone loves a blogger

Thanks to PR blogger Simon Collister for drawing my attention to this blog.  Simple blog posting asking questions about the attitudes of the British National Union of Journalists results in hurt feelings all round.

Liam

How creative are people?

Last night I did my duty as a doting father and went to see my daughter's school compete in the Regional Rock Challenge - it's an evening of dance when teams stage an eight minute performance on a subject of their choosing.  The idea is to get kids involved in performance rather than sitting around bus shelters spitting or whatever it is they do before they are old enough to get served in the pub.

I'm not normally a big fan of dance - the modern stuff is all rolling around on the floor or else it's Hip Hop and I just want to make the performers pull their trousers up.  Where's the art in showing off your pants eh?

But this stuff was really sensational.  We had a piece about Orpheus and Eurydice (lovers separated), a modern take on Cinderella (there was a fairy Gok Father) and a couple of disturbing pieces about knife crime and domestic violence.  Really powerful stuff.

This morning I was reading about how people are getting shorter attention spans and generally how we're getting more stupid (OK It was the Daily Mail so it doesn't count) but I can't square what I saw last night with what we're constantly being told about the population.

I witnessed large numbers of teenagers coming up with witty and stylish performances which spoke eloquently about their world and their concerns.  I saw people putting in long hours to make it happen and I saw very little cynicism (which is unusual when a large group of brits get together...).

So I've had a bit of sunshine this week..

(and our kids won as well... which always helps).

Liam

Who ARE these people???

I've just started using Twitter - and finding it strangely addictive.  But seeing this posting has got me worried...

Liam 

Who ARE these people???

I've just started using Twitter - and finding it strangely addictive.  But seeing this posting has got me worried...

Liam 

Controlling the message a little too hard?

I was at the excellent EuroComm conference in Lugano last week. It's where Switzerland melts into Italy and you get the unique combination of food that seduces, views that drip with romance, yet the taxis turn up on time.  Not just on time - but to the second..
Anyhow - it wasn't all Chianti and cuckoo clocks - I did participate at some interesting sessions.
One was from Prof Cees van Riel of Rotterdam's Erasmus University.  He claims that the best way to communicate strategy is to constrain all senior executives to a tight script which they recorded and distributed on DVD throughout the organisation.  The idea is that when the senior execs hear their voices on screens around the organisation for days on end they start to use the same language in their everyday utterances.
Some in the audience bridled at this return to the less than liberal days of command and control.  But the Prof was adamant the practice worked wonders at Philips.  Can't see it catching on at Google...

Marc

Lessons in employee recognition

Yesterday Captain Chesley Sullenberger and his US Airways Flight #1549 crew were awarded keys to the city at a ceremony at New York's City Hall.

During his speech, Capt. Sullenberger was quick to point out that his heroic efforts were not alone, setting the record straight by saying that it was a crew effort that made the dramatic rescue possible.

While some might say he was just being modest, I think his words are something that every company manager or leader should live by, demonstrating the importance of giving praise and recognition to your team.

During these difficult economic times when people are seeing colleagues being made redundant or are perhaps taking on a greater workload while pay rises and bonuses are a distant memory, it is important to keep the morale up of the employees who do remain in a company.

If someone is doing a great job, tell them. Or even if a project needs improving, by taking a few minutes to provide thorough feedback, it shows that you care about their work and are supporting their endeavors.

In the middle of churning out report after report or document after document, try not to neglect the human aspect of communication. A quick exchange of 'how was your weekend' or 'how are the kids doing?' can be a nice respite from the daily grind and help lighten the mood around an office. Try to show you value your employees as people, rather than as 'machines' just cranking out the work.

Upon completion of a project, why not take five to congratulate the key participants rather than immediately delve into the next phase?

Having recently completed three successful videos in a week, a Producer friend of mine was thrilled to receive kudos around the company. She said it made the hard work and long hours pay off in a situation where she had to do most of the work herself on an extremely tight budget. And after the praise, she's now more motivated than I've ever seen her.

As Editor of simply-communicate, I frequently dole out praise and express gratitude to our contributors who have taken the time to write us some really good pieces. Whether the articles are 800 words or 1200 words, their efforts must always be noted and appreciated especially since they are providing useful advice for our 16,000 readers around the world.

-Kelly