Human Resources

Five ways to encourage workforce feedback on the intranet

January 20, 2012

In considering ways to get more employees to provide feedback on an internal corporate site, as a client recently asked, it’s good to remember that feedback is provided when there is an assurance that the worker’s voice will be heard, considered and acted upon. This is a cultural issue, really. Companies modeling a consensual decision-making [...]

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Six Variables of Social Intranet Adoption

August 19, 2011

This is part two of a discussion about the factors affecting workforce adoption of social intranets (see Key drivers of social intranet adoption), answering the question so often heard: “Hey, wait… how come no one’s using our new social intranet?” 1/ The Importance of Culture can not be overstated when it comes to variables affecting [...]

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Leader as Communicator—Five Engagement Competencies Every Leader Must Have

October 25, 2010

What are the engagement and communication competencies every organizational leader should possess during times of change? We counsel senior leaders, saying communication content must roll up to the strategic goals of the organization. But what does that mean, exactly? Does this corporate-speak belie the fact that a leader must be good with people? A look [...]

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Insert here: Using social media to align messages with existing workplace dialogue

May 7, 2010

The essential value of social media channels in the workplace is two-way conversation. Beyond the strictured medium of the employee (engagement) survey, social media channels allow the corporate communicator to listen in new ways, keeping an ear to the ground and driving engagement. Using tools like Digg we can learn which messages resonate most with [...]

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Eight good ways to break bad news

April 6, 2010

A client asked about the best way to share bad news, so I tried to share some useful guidelines. Much of this could apply to a manager sharing difficult news with a direct report, as it could to a corporate communicator with change management communication responsibilities. Be empathetic: Stating the facts simply and directly is [...]

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Part 2-Corporate Zombies: Coming to a Cubicle Near You (A Tale of Innovation and Near-Misses)

November 11, 2009

How do you feel about near-misses? Ok for horseshoes and hand grenades, eh? Well, in part two of our discussion about the cost of failing to keep employees engaged during an economic downturn—the cost of creating corporate zombies—I’d like to discuss one simple premise of employee motivation that applies to our present environment where so [...]

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The Cost Of Creating Corporate Zombies In A Down Economy

November 5, 2009

Is anyone talking about this? In looking for ways to innovate and grow their business right now have any companies thought of placing a renewed emphasis on employee engagement? Along with profit-to-earning-ratio calculations and the slashing of expenses are businesses calculating the total cost of owning a disengaged talent pool? The opportunity cost of failing [...]

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Does Your Communication Plan Promote Interactive Listening and Innovation?

September 3, 2009

The promise of the new Beatles-inspired video game, Rock Band, is that it will transform the way we listen to music through interactive listening and participation. Writing in the The NY Times Magazine last week, Daniel Radosh said that the promise of “interactive music” is that listeners (participants) will be able to add their own [...]

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Weigh In: Should corporate communicators (internal and/or external) be using social media tools in their response to the swine flu?

May 1, 2009

Join In:  Should corporate communicators be using social media tools in their response to the swine flu –  if so, which ones, and how? Are they appropriate for internal as well as external (PR) communications? Which are best practice for this crisis, and for crisis communication in general? Please share your thoughts and comments — [...]

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