Ee Voice

“What you’re trying to do is not just have employees be an amplification for the company. You’re trying to help them engage with people digitally. And you’re trying to create an engagement – so they can create a relationship.” – Glenn Gaudet After a long summer break (which somehow eked into fall), Sharon and I are back! And we’re delighted to welcome a friend and employee advocacy expert Glenn Gaudet. As CEO of GaggleAMP, Glenn leads a team that helps companies transform their workforce into a social media powerhouse. Sharon and I worked with Glenn when we launched PepsiCo’s award-winning ambassador program, and we learned much from him then. And of course, in this conversation, we learn more, including: How employee advocacy has evolved in the past 10 years – and where it’s headed next (pssst: It’s about employee engagement) Why employee advocacy is so powerful for brand building Hot-off-the-press findings from a new survey, “Building the Case for an Employee Advocacy Program,” which showcases what makes

In our April 2018 EE Voice podcast, Sharon and I asked our listeners: Are you ready for the employee activist? Because if you weren’t prepared last year, you better brace yourself for what’s coming. In the last year, we’ve seen #GoogleWalkout,  #WayfairWalkout and most recently, #AmazonWalkout. In this episode of EE Voice, we dive back into the fascinating topic of employee activism with two comms experts:  Terry Hart, a corporate comms expert in B2B marketing, corporate communications and change management and Mike Klein, principal of Changing the Terms and a well-known voice on employee communications based in the Netherlands. Continue Reading → The post Episode #37: Employee activism: A new labor movement on the rise? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In today’s highly charged sociopolitical environment, corporate leaders can feel the impulse to take a stand just like any of us. They’re only human, after all. As communicators, it’s our job to help them understand when and how to speak out on issues that live outside the business realm. What are the expectations around CEO activism? What are the ramifications of taking a stand on a highly charged issue? Which CEOs are doing it right? In this episode of EE Voice, we’ll explore this sensitive topic and the critical role internal communications teams play in keeping their leaders on point, on brand and on a path toward making a truly positive impact.Continue Reading → The post EPISODE #36: CEO ACTIVISM AND THE ACTIVE ROLE OF COMMUNICATORS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Douglas Spencer knows brand strategy. The former VP Global Brand Management for Thomson Reuters and founder of Boston-based consultancy Spencer Brenneman has spent two decades traversing the globe to work with brands in every sector from financial services to nonprofits. He has the same advice for all of them: Embrace brand strategy as “your business’ very best friend – part coach, conscience, parent, partner, judge, jury, conductor and station agent.” The same advice applies to internal communicators. And in this episode of EE Voice, you’ll hear why. Tune in as we talk with Douglas about the many ways internal comms can support the brand.Continue Reading → The post Episode #35: Hey, Internal Comms: Marketing needs you appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Since 2000, the Edelman Trust Barometer® has measured attitudes about the state of trust and credibility in business, government, NGOs and the media worldwide. The annual Edelman survey’s results often confirm, sometimes surprise and always motivate us as internal communicators – and this year is no different. The 2019 report shows profound changes in the perception of employer-employee contracts, a finding that holds special significance for internal communicators. In this episode of EE Voice, we talk with Tamara Snyder, who heads up Edelman’s Employee Experience Team, about the shift in employee mindsets revealed in their latest report. (Tamara's a bit of a rock star in our EE Voice podcast world, as this was the third time she's been on the show.)Continue Reading → The post Episode #34: 2019 EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER: WHY THE EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE CONTRACT MATTERS MORE THAN EVER appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Shel Holtz knows internal communications, and he knows where it’s headed. A 40-year industry veteran, communications director for Allergan and Mattel, consultant, speaker, blogger, author, fellow of three of the world’s most prominent communications industry associations and, if that weren’t enough, co-founder of the FIR Podcast Network, Shel is something of an expert on the topic. Who better to kick off our first podcast of 2019? If anyone can predict the future of internal communications, it’s Shel. His crystal ball is one of the most accurate we know.Continue Reading → The post Episode #33: SHEL HOLTZ ON THE SEVEN KEY FORCES SHAPING INTERNAL COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Eric Schnure is the consummate storyteller. A former White House speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore with 20 years of experience counseling executives on messaging, Eric knows how to tell a great story. He also knows what makes storytelling such a powerful internal comms tool. We’d gladly spend an afternoon sipping tea (or something stronger) on the porch with Eric, but we settled for a visit to the EE Voice virtual HQ for our last podcast of 2018. Of course, he launched right in with two stories from his White House days (okay, we asked), then reminded us that storytelling is “not just spinning a yarn.”  Continue Reading → The post Episode #32: STORYTELLING: A CONVERSATION WITH ERIC SCHNURE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPEECHWRITER appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

What’s a leader to do in the age of distraction? How does the C-suite stay connected when they’re competing with Twitter for their team’s attention? How do leaders provide authenticity, transparency and directness that employees crave? One word: video. It’s one of our most provocative topics in internal comms these days, mainly because of the anxiety it often provokes in even the most seasoned leaders. So to explore it, we sat down with Sonia Fiorenza of SocialChorus, a workforce communications platform we’re proud to call a sponsor.Continue Reading → The post Episode #31: Helping leaders connect (via video) in an impossibly connected world appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters can wreak havoc on business. They can keep employees out of work, customers and clients in the dark and offices closed for days on end. That’s why it’s so important to have a solid crisis response plan. And the time to start one is now. With Hurricane Michael and another superstorm season upon us, we wanted to share some lessons learned from a past one – Hurricane Sandy. Because beyond its epic size and cost, Sandy was also an object lesson in crisis communications.Continue Reading → The post Episode #30: Keeping calm in the storm: Employee comms during natural disasters appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Picture this: You work for a US-based Fortune 100 corporation with more employees than the population of Buffalo, N.Y. You’re responsible for communications to hundreds of thousands of employees across the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Your assignment (should you have any choice but to accept it): Complete a global internal communications audit in 60 days. In this episode of EE Voice, Sharon Phillips and Sharon McIntosh reflect on how they not only survived a high-pressure global IC audit for PepsiCo (23 focus groups and in-person visits to six countries!) but walked away with valuable new insights into the very thing they were auditing – internal communications. Tune in to hear them relive the journey and the lessons they learned along the way.Continue Reading → The post How to complete a global internal audit in 60 days appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this era of hyper-alertness about everything from data security to natural disasters, it’s no longer a question of whether you need to develop a crisis communication plan. It’s how to develop one that works. As an employee communication professional, you’re key to this process. So are employees, as is – no surprise here – social media. The latest episode of EE Voice, Sharon Phillips explores these murky waters with internal comms consultant and author Paul Barton. Tune in to hear why Paul advocates a proactive approach to crisis communications that includes employees, social media and something he calls “the five Ps.” Tune in to hear more.Continue Reading → The post Episode #28: Taking the Crisis out of Crisis Communications appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Change is a given in our global corporate marketplace. As internal communications leaders, it’s our job to keep employees informed and engaged amid a constant state of organizational change. But how do you do that when you’re up against outdated internal infrastructure and a loud, ticking deadline? In the latest episode of our EE Voice podcast, Sharon Phillips and I spoke with Jim Smith, VP of Internal Communications and Engagement at Coty. In October 2016, Coty merged with Proctor & Gamble, forming the third largest beauty company in the world, with a combined workforce of 20,000 and two very different cultures. Jim joined Coty a week after the merger.Continue Reading → The post Episode #27: 9 Steps to Coty’s Effective Intranet Strategy: A Beautiful Thing appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Here’s a new topic that Sharon Phillips and I have been exploring: employee activists. In this podcast, we defined employee activists as those who vigorously advocate for their companies and leadership to support or oppose a cause or issue. After learning that Google’s employees sent a petition to their CEO, I recently wrote a blog... Continue Reading → The post Episode #26: Are You Ready for the Employee Activist? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It’s spring, and the Sharons are finally on the same continent. Fresh from a month in Southeast Asia, my co-host Sharon Phillips was struck by the warmth and grace of the people she met in Thailand and Cambodia. Their ability to slow down and thoughtfully engage her in a conversation was a refreshing change of pace. It’s also a good reminder of how often we Americans fall into the trap of “seat-of-the-pants” communication. Yes, we're communicating, but are we also listening? In this episode, we explore this topic, delving into:Continue Reading → The post EPISODE #25: BRING ON THE STRATEGY appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Talk about pressure. Our guest this month, Jeff Herrington, has written two murder mystery books, conducted countless writing workshops and served as a consultant for 20+ years to companies worldwide. Plus, he’s a good friend. So I wanted to get this podcast right. Fortunately, Jeff and I had a great conversation about upcoming trends that communicators should either watch – or watch out for – in 2018.Continue Reading → The post Episode #24: Three Trends to Watch (or watch out for) in 2018 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Our listener and friend Laura Field had a terrific suggestion: Pull our top guest tips into one podcast. So here it is. It was tough choosing since Sharon and I had so many edifying interviews over our past 22 episodes. But looking back, these were our favorites. Just some of the tips we discuss:Continue Reading → The post Episode #23: The best of EE Voice: Looking back (and ahead) on our top six IC tips appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Ethan McCarty can freak you out, particularly if you’re an internal communications professional. For example, he recently wrote a blog entitled, “Don’t Measure Internal Communications.” Wait … what? And when I heard him speak at a Poppulo conference last summer, I knew he’d be a terrific EE Voice guest. Because he’s doing some unexpected – and successful – work in his job as Global Head of Employee and Innovation Communications for Bloomberg. He didn’t disappoint.Continue Reading → The post Episode #22 – Should We Stop Measuring Internal Comms? – With Bloomberg’s Ethan McCarty appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

If you work in employee communications, chances are you’re experiencing and communicating change in your organization. Want a master playbook on change management – in less than 30 minutes of your time? Well, here it is. This month, we are delighted to welcome Mark Dollins, our former boss and now head of Executive and Global Employee Communications for DuPont, where among other duties he is tasked with driving change management communications for the enterprise. This year his team earned IABC Gold Quills and a PRSA Silver Anvil award for change management, employee engagement and employee communications.Continue Reading → The post Episode #21 – Your change management playbook – with DuPont’s Mark Dollins appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Hard to believe, but we made it to podcast #20! (Sharon and I want to thank all of our listeners for sticking with us this far.) In this episode, we talk to David Cronin, chief technology officer of DevFacto, about how we can better measure our digital communications.Continue Reading → The post Episode #20: Taking the Mystery Out of Digital Measurement appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

This month, we handed the podcast reins over to Selbe Dittman, And Then Communications summer intern. Selbe talks to Professor Holly Hill about internal social media and aspects within it. Holly is the director of Web and New Media Services as well as an adjunct professor in communications for Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.Continue Reading → The post Episode #19: How Flagler College uses internal social media appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.