by admin | Apr 28, 2014 | Communication strategy
A recent survey by Continuity Insights showed that 60% of respondents do not have a social media strategy to respond to a disaster. This avoidance of social media is mainly driven by the fear of exposure to reputational risk … witness the US Airways “Tweet from Hell” that rocked the Twitter world earlier in April. And, that tweet was just the latest of the mega-mistakes tweeted by corporate America. But think about it from a business continuity standpoint: social media has the power to move information faster than traditional news outlets and is available on nearly all internet-connected devices. As such, it has the opportunity to aid your organization during a crisis to communicate quickly and effectively. Many enabling technologies in business carry inherent risks, but given appropriate mitigation strategies, you can avoid most of them. Here are five steps you can take now to improve your communications strategy using social media. Read more about these five tips for integrating social media...
by admin | Apr 8, 2014 | Communication strategy
In this, the second of a three-part series on interpersonal communication in your job hunt, I’ll share more tips for improving how you come across to others. Remember, only 7 percent of communication is the actual wording you use. More weight is given to your voice (38 percent) — meaning your tone, pitch, volume and rate of speech. Even more weight (55 percent) lies in what others observe — meaning posture, body language, eye contact, etc. Observing body language is most critical as we form opinions, so what can you do when a phone interview removes that variable? Read more about why nonverbal communication is important as well as how you can master nonverbal communication when searching for a great...
by admin | Apr 3, 2014 | Communication strategy
1. Plan ahead and be prepared A successful response to a business crisis typically demands making and effectively communicating far-reaching and emotionally difficult decisions while under pressure and perhaps lacking complete or fully accurate information. Proper crisis preparedness planning therefore inevitably calls for putting the necessary organizational structure, processes and tools in place before a crisis hits. Develop, implement and continuously improve a crisis communication strategy and matching crisis communication plan tailored to the company’s needs. Assign responsibilities and thoroughly train the designated employees and their back-ups. Put communicators on the corporate and, if applicable, the regional and local crisis management teams. Conduct vulnerability audits and use the findings to build realistic crisis scenarios upon which recurring media training and crisis management drills are based. Remember that effective employee communication is a crucial component of any comprehensive crisis management strategy and indispensable to minimizing crisis-related damage, seizing the opportunities a crisis may present and converting resulting organizational change into competitive advantages. Learn about the remaining nine points in this guide to effective employee communication during a company crisis...
by admin | Apr 3, 2014 | Communication strategy
No one is a perfect communicator. Throughout our lives, we all develop little habits and patterns. Some of these habits are helpful, while some create challenges when working with others. We don’t usually intend to cloud our objectives or make others feel like they weren’t heard. In most cases, it’s just these little habits that get in the way of solid teamwork and accountability. Here are 8 simple tips that will solve most communication issues in the workplace. You will learn a lot about how to improve your communication by reading that...
by admin | Mar 19, 2014 | Communication strategy
In today’s tech-saturated world, people receive a constant flood of information from emails, social media and news websites. When you share an important story or idea with someone, you’re likely competing with hundreds of other pieces of information he or she is trying to process. So what’s the secret to making an impact? Author and speaker Joe McCormack says it’s brevity. Find out more about how brevity is a secret to effective communication...
by admin | Mar 11, 2014 | Communication strategy
There are lots of ways that the good use of technology can help boost the levels and quality of communication and collaboration in your business. Read on for our handy tips on how to do just that… Twitter: If you’re not already on Twitter, you really should be. Start up a Twitter account for all your business updates and invite your associates to subscribe. This will let you contact the whole team from wherever you are via your mobile. Don’t fear IM: Instant messaging is an efficient method for getting answers quickly, and cuts down on distracting chatter. Encourage your employees to use IM – but remind them not to use it for anything confidential (conversations are saved on servers, and the messages are very easy to intercept). Refrain from email flames: Never send an email in the heat of anger – write your screed and save it as a draft, telling yourself that you’ll send it later when you’ve settled on your course of action. (You’ll probably never send it). This will result in fewer burnt bridges that could hurt your business in the long run. Read more about these communication tips...
