April 27th, 2007
By Renn Vara
This is going to sound a bit weird: after doing this work for almost 20 years, I’ve only recently noticed how our customers use corporate broadcast tools to manage their people and processes. Of course, communication has always been an essential tool of leadership. But with the advent of instant messaging (IMs), email, blogs and emerging tools like Twitter, leaders now face the possibility of over-communicating vs. consistently communicating. So, using all these tools as complimentary vehicles rather than overkill is the challenge of the day.
Thinking about management vs. just communicating, here are a few of my observations that you might find true or useful in your business: (more…)
Filed under All, Corporate Media.
April 23rd, 2007
How important is leadership truthfulness in today’s business world? According to authors Art Bell and Richard Cohn, the cost of a lack of truth is in the billions. In this podcast, Bell and Cohn discuss the key elements of their book Winning With Truth in Business.
Click here to listen to the podcast
Host Renn Vara also covers a CommTip - you’ve been asked to be interviewed for a blog or a podcast. What do you do? How do you manage that interview to stay on message? Renn covers the tips of “bridging,” “blocking” and “breaking.”
Full transcript after the jump
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Filed under All, MoreThanTalk Podcast.
April 23rd, 2007
By Scott Sigler
The name of the game is executive communication - letting your people know what’s going on, in real-time, no matter where they are in the world. Online video is a key step in this direction, but what’s next?
What’s next are services like Kyte.tv. The service offered by Kite.tv, in its current form, has little use for internal communications and partner communications. It’s another one of those crazy “social media” technologies that doesn’t really apply just yet. What matters is the potential of a system like this. (more…)
Filed under All.
April 21st, 2007
By Renn Vara
Can I vent a bit? First let me apologize for the inherent self-indulgence required to do this. But after more than 10 years hearing myself say the same thing again and again, it gets a bit old, particularly to me. So let me first own the problem. I have an idea that could help large enterprises save money and increase the effectiveness of their communication, but no one’s listening.
Here’s the deal. Multiple divisions within any enterprise often produce hundreds if not thousands of video, audio, training and web communications each year; from portals to flash demos to marketing videos to monthly podcasts. Some even develop social networking backbones for blogging. All useful and all developed with good intensions.
(more…)
Filed under All, Corporate Media.
April 20th, 2007
By Maureen Taylor
Trust is paramount in anything you do. On the flip side, a lack of trust in a work environment is especially problematic for both employees and management.
- What will happen when people don’t trust the information they receive?
- Motivation without trust is difficult - so how do you get your team to trust you?
One big problem is that distrust self perpetuates – when employees distrust management, management becomes less trusting of employees. (more…)
Filed under All, CommTips.
April 9th, 2007
By Renn Vara
We have a new blog coming to SNP called Digital Natives (note previous blog, Digital Natives vs. Immigrants). Its impending launch and two young authors remind me of my ongoing personal battle with pets peeves. Things like people driving slow in the fast lane, or not being congenial when I pass by during my morning run, or my wife and teenage kids failing to pick up their dirty laundry.
Through the years, one of my biggest peeves has been 20-something males who think they are smarter and wiser than the rest of us, adorned with artsy eye wear and hip, shiny shoes. These “kids” think that their genetic intelligence is blessed by insights from the god of technology. (more…)
Filed under All, Corporate Media.
April 4th, 2007
by Renn Vara
One of my older brothers is a teacher of entrepreneurial studies at the University of Florida. He is also an avid reader of business books. Through the years, I’ve counted on him to read most everything I’m interested in before I do giving the thumbs up or down. It has saved me an untold amount of time and money.
Just this week he sent me, with his thumb up, a copy of the Frank Luntz book called Words That Work: It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear. You might know Dr. Luntz from his many TV appearances during national elections.
In his book, Dr. Luntz takes a look at language and how its proper use can create emotion in both political and business environments. He even gets into the effective use of words in personal matters. Interesting stuff. As a teaser, here are his ten rules for successful (more…)
Filed under All, Corporate Media.
