Why do we always celebrate the firefighter… but not the fire prevention officer?
You know what I mean. The person who comes in during a crisis, rallies everyone, fixes the mess and saves the day. They get the recognition, the praise and the visibility….and they should. But what about the person who made sure the fire didn’t happen in the first place? The one who saw the risks […]
A Little Friday Fun
Ask Chatgpt, “Please write an unhinged bio about me and add an unhinged photo.” I uploaded a few headshots. Here’s what I got: She didn’t enter the world of internal communication… she rewired it from the inside out while everyone else was still drafting key messages in Arial 11. By day, she’s a strategist.By night, […]
Transforming Internal Communication: How CustomGPTs Are Bringing Employee Insights to Life
I’ve started doing something new in my internal communication consulting work… and honestly, it’s changing how results live inside organizations.Instead of reports sitting on a shelf (or in a folder no one opens again), I’m building CustomGPTs for my clients. Here’s how it works:I upload the real data: survey results, focus group summaries, themes, insights, […]
Building Trust Through Leadership: The Power of Conviction Over Perfection
You can’t ask employees to commit emotionally to:• a strategy leaders won’t defend• values leaders won’t model• priorities leaders constantly change• or a culture leaders won’t invest in People connect to conviction. Not perfection. Not certainty. Conviction. Employees can feel when leaders are testing reactions instead of leading, delaying difficult decisions, or communicating in circles […]
Stop giving away your power.
There are absolutely unfair systems in this world. There is discrimination, bias,trauma, inequity. Real barriers that impact real people every single day. We should acknowledge that honestly. But I worry about something else happening right now too. I worry that we are teaching people to see themselves only through the lens of powerlessness. Because once […]
The Power of Exit Conversations: How Honest Dialogues with Leaders Shape Confidence and Career Growth
This week, I found myself reflecting on the exit conversations I had with top executives of the companies I was leaving throughout my career. First, I was realizing my privilege of having that access to those leaders and I think what struck me was that as difficult as those conversations were, they helped build my […]
Communication that Connects Creates Culture
I was trying to describe how I see the role of Internal Communication to a client the other day. After we have created our vision, mission, values and strategy…how do they live in words and actions? For me, the visual that always comes to mind is the thread that starts with the plans and then […]
Language Shapes Culture
It’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally decided to proactively change my language. For years, I’ve used the word “stakeholder” without thinking twice. It’s deeply embedded in business, strategy, communication, and leadership language. I teach it. I write it. I’ve said it thousands of times. But the more I’ve listened, learned, and reflected, the […]
Words. Actions. Impact.
I was at a networking event recently and got into a really interesting conversation with a Human Rights Lawyer who now trains executives. I asked her whether she felt she had more credibility with leaders because of her experience in litigation and she immediately said yes. Then she said something that really stuck with me. […]
I always get really excited about the publishing of Gallagher State of the Sector/Employee Experience
I always get really excited about the publishing of Gallagher State of the Sector/Employee Experience. Last year, I have to admit that the results fell a little flat for me and I questioned whether it would continue to be my go-to report on the State of Internal Communication. I’m happy to report that they have […]
I’m a boring Internal Communication Professional.
I’m a boring Internal Communication Professional. Not the clever one with the viral campaigns. Not the flashy one with cinematic launch videos.Not the one who turns every message into a meme. Not the one looking for a laugh. Boring. Now don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the creative stuff. There is a rush that comes […]
Have you heard of the Empty Boat theory?
The empty boat theory, originating from a Daoist parable by Zhuangzi, teaches that most frustrations and personal slights are like being hit by an empty, drifting boat: there is no malicious intent behind them. It made me think about where this happens in organizations when employees are quick to assign motive: But often…it’s an empty boat. Perhaps […]