EE Voice

Felicity Barber, founder of Thoughtful Communications , has penned speeches and spearheaded executive communications for some of the world's most prominent financial institutions, including BlackRock, the Federal Reserve and Lloyds of London. Through her extensive experience, Felicity has discovered that storytelling—or as she calls it, "spinning a good yarn"—is one of the most effective ways to c...

Let’s debunk a myth today: managing up isn't about sucking up. In our second installment of “In Your Corner,” our career coaching segment, Sharon and I dive deep into what it really means to "manage up" and why it's a critical skill for communicators. Managing up effectively is about making your indispensability known—creating a symbiotic relationship that helps support your career as well as enha...

Let's face it: The world of internal communications is anything but boring. If you're anything like us, the thrill of navigating through ever-changing landscapes -- like hybrid work, AI and channel management, to name a few -- is what gets you up in the morning. That's why we're diving into the big picture of what's shaking up our field and the cool trends that are shaping our work in 2024. In thi...

“Let’s be careful out there.”   The line made famous by Hill Street Blues ’ Sgt. Phil Esterhaus holds up 40 years later – just ask crisis expert Andy Gilman.  In addition to his formal title – President and CEO of CommCore Consulting Group – Andy is the standard-bearer for communicators tasked with navigating sensitive issues.  In his fifth appearance on EE Voice, Andy joins us to take a look at t...

Our work as communicators is always evolving – there’s no finish line to cross or book to close. And, because of that, many of us are guilty of forgetting to take time to reflect on lessons learned and consider how our work is changing. This year felt especially frenetic. The evolution of generative AI may have been the first talking point in many of our conversations, but that doesn’t come close...

A year ago, many communicators were unsure if generative artificial intelligence was going to have staying power in our industry. There have been supporters, detractors and plenty of folks who simply haven’t been able to wrap their heads around the technology. So, with accessible and evolving AI a reality, we’re left asking, “Now what?” “This is an opportunity to learn-and-lead versus wait-and-won...

Introducing “In Your Corner” In boxing, competitors head to their stools in the fighter’s corner for one-minute respites between rounds. They try to catch their breath, have cuts tended to and receive instruction from their trainers, or “cornermen.” A good cornerman builds relationships with their competitors; they are reliable, identify any changing variables and build strategies geared toward co...

The best communicators are versatile; they proactively seek out opportunities to meet audiences and develop creative ways to deliver messages. Some of our greatest successes come when we recognize that one-size may not fit-all, leading us to develop new methods to reach unique sets of stakeholders. Few understand these challenges more than Kristi Munno , who leads a full slate of communications in...

So much of our time as communicators is spent navigating uncharted territory – handling crises, adapting to emerging technology, etc. – that it’s easy to forget to take time to reflect. We recently received a great reminder to do just that from our friend and former Sears colleague, Barbara Rozgonyi . A pioneer of digital communications and the leader of CoryWest Media , Barbara joined us to discu...

As communicators, we are often at our best while functioning as trusted advisors to executives, colleagues and other key business stakeholders. But trust isn’t gained overnight. How do you build trust for the long-term? Enter Jason Anthoine , the managing founder and “head honcho” of Audacity , a communications consultancy that helps companies inform, involve and inspire their employees by immersi...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is here, and no one is less surprised than Shel Holtz. So many of us know Shel from his 40-plus years as a consultant, speaker, blogger, author, and co-founder of the FIR Podcast Network , but it is his fascination with emerging technologies that make him the ideal person to discuss AI models like ChatGPT. “Mark my words,” Shel wrote in 2016 , “Bots are coming to the w...

In our first episode of the year, we look to unpack what’s going on and what lies ahead for communicators in 2023. To us, there’s no one better suited to discuss the present and future of executive communication than David Murray. In addition to being an expert communicator and accomplished author, David is the Executive Director of the Executive Communication Council , the head of the Professiona...

As we prepare to take a brief pause for the holidays – and hope you do, too! – we’ll first take a moment to reflect on the challenges we faced this year: increasingly passionate employee bases; global, domestic, and online uncertainty; developing data and communication methods; and the many other factors that contributed to the year that was for internal communicators in 2022. In looking back, we’...

What is it they say about “the best laid plans?" In this episode of the EE Voice podcast, we are joined by Caleb Gardner to discuss his new book – No Point B – and how leaders must embrace change and use effective communication in the face of developing technology, social activism, and other key elements in today’s tranformational world. “All leadership has to be change leadership,” Caleb told us....

Sometimes it pays to be a little paranoid. Crisis management expert and friend of the EE Voice podcast, Andy Gilman, returns to discuss the importance of preparedness and heightened awareness when it comes to cyber-attacks, the top potential crisis for almost any organization. In our conversation, Andy illustrates the key role of communications in company-wide cybersecurity initiatives, which he c...

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide. Immediately following the announcement, several companies – including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Lyft, Dick’s Sporting Goods and JPMorgan Chase – announced that they were offering to cover travel costs for employees who must travel out of state for abortions. This clearly has implicatio...

We’re back after a brief hiatus and are ecstatic to be joined by author, internal communications leader, and our "welcome rebel” Mike Klein. Principal of Changing the Terms and Senior Strategic Advisor for Sparrow Connected , Mike has made it his personal mission to challenge the status quo and advance the effectiveness of internal communications. His recently published e-book, “ Employee Engageme...

How can we help? As the world reacts to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, companies must decide how their actions – or inactions – can answer that pivotal question. (Note: Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of the Yale School of Management updates a list of companies daily "that have curtailed operations as well as those that remain .")  In today’s abridged EE Voice clip, Sharon and I cover key points including em...

Welcome Victoria Dew, SCMP, Founder and CEO of Dewpoint Communications back to this month’s EE Voice podcast. Victoria joined Sharon and me to discuss Dewpoint’s insights report, “ The New Rules of Employee Experience & Communications in 2022 .”  In speaking to dozens of business leaders, Victoria and her team captured and analyzed emerging trends – the themes and trends that will impact the w...

Whew - what year 2021 was for internal communications. You were overworked but overdelivered - and you did it all (most of the time) with passion and enthusiasm. We hope all of you are getting some well-deserved rest and peace as we wind down these final few weeks. We leave all of you with a final EE Voice gift -- one podcast with the best IC ideas and advice from our 2021 guests, in just 20 minut...

In this episode, I’m joined by author,  communications expert and dear friend David Murray, who recently released his book, An Effort to Un derstand: Hearing One Another (and Ourselves) in a Nation Cracked in Half . David has written for The New York Times, The Atla ntic Monthly and The Chicago Tribune and published several other books. He also leads the global Professional Speechwriters Associati...

As we strive to foster communities of collaboration and transparency between company executives and their employees, one question persists: How do we make our findings measurable and actionable?  “I think communications in general is hard to measure. It's not as cut and dry as the sales of a product or the financials of a company… it's pretty hard across the board,” says our most recent guest, Geo...

This week, Sharon and I welcome Kristen Garvey , vice president of corporate communication at Waters Corporation, a specialty measurement company focused on improving human health and well-being through the application of high-value analytical technologies and scientific expertise. In our conversation, Kristen expresses gratitude she feels for her team and notes that she has never received more em...

In this special episode, Sharon and I join you as listeners to a far-reaching conversation between two communication powerhouses on the evolution of employee comms – and the hard road ahead. Guest Host David Murray heads up the global Professional Speechwriters Association and the Executive Communication Council and writes the popular daily blog “ Writing Boots. ” An award-winning journalist, he's...

2021 Edelman Trust Survey Demands Communicators’ Focus, CEO Action According to the recently released 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer , societies around the globe are facing an epidemic of misinformation and widespread mistrust.  For more than 20 years, the Edelman Trust Barometer has measured trust in businesses, government, NGOs and the media. According to Executive Vice President Tamara Rodman , w...