EE Voice Sharon McIntosh and Sharon Phillips

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 convey complex topics.

In this episode, Felicity shares how humor and openness can transform executive communications. She emphasizes the power of authenticity in storytelling to deliver key messages.

"A story gives a speech a really nice sense of completeness," Felicity explains. "Adding an anecdote, or anything that humanizes the leader delivering the message, is a powerful way to connect with audiences."

This engaging conversation delves into the challenges of executive communication, such as building trust with leaders and delivering strategic feedback. Felicity's insights on honest communication and setting the right expectations offer valuable guidance for anyone looking to advance in their executive comms career.
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The post EPISODE #78: CRAFTING STORIES THAT RESONATE – FELICITY BARBER ON EXECUTIVE COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

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 enhances your team's success.

We discuss:


How understanding and aligning with your boss’s expectations and communication styles can dramatically improve your work relationship
Practical examples from our real-life scenarios where managing up influenced workplace dynamics
Tips on how to be proactive, such as sending weekly recaps to your boss to outline achievements and upcoming goals

Think of managing up as more than a career skill – it’s an essential partnership strategy that boosts both your growth and that of your leaders. Curious to see how this can support your professional interactions? Tune in for a deeper dive.
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The post EPISODE #77: IN YOUR CORNER – MASTERING MANAGING UP appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

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 this episode, we’ll replay a Poppulo webinar, “Employee Trends for 2024,” featuring insights from Mark Dollins, President of North Star Communications Consulting, Ashley Tobin, Poppulo's Director of Customer Success and Sharon McIntosh. 
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The post EPISODE #76: POPPULO WEBINAR REPLAY – UNLOCKING 2024 IC TRENDS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

“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 the state of things in 2024 and advises us to prepare, prepare, prepare for potential crises. He urges communicators to “get the checklist going” and identify the events that may impact businesses and their employees in the near-term future. 

“I might take a whiteboard,” Andy suggests. “And put on the whiteboard, ‘What has happened to our organization in the past year?’ ‘What's happened to our sister and brother organizations?’ ‘What's happened to society at large?’ Then do the comparison and ask, ‘Okay, what are we ready for?’” 
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The post EPISODE #75: GETTING READY FOR 2024 — CRISIS EXPERT ANDY GILMAN RETURNS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

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 to telling the whole story. Luckily, Sharon and I were able to discuss many of the industry’s hot topics with a few of the best minds in comms – highlighted in this episode. Here are some of our favorite insights featured on EE Voice in 2023.
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The post EPISODE #74: OUR BEST EXPERT ADVICE FROM 2023 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

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-wonder,” our friend and colleague Mark Dollins says of AI in comms on this episode of EE Voice.

Mark and his team at North Star Communications Consulting recently collaborated with the University of Missouri  School of Journalism to research and publish “Artificial Intelligence & the Communicator,” a fantastic whitepaper that delves into the big opportunity and bigger feelings tied to the use of AI within employee communications.
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The post EPISODE #73: “A MIX OF UTILITY AND FEAR” – MARK DOLLINS ON AI IN COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.