Julia Anderson, MBA’s Post

Lovely to see lots of familiar faces - and some new ones - at the Comms Cymru conference yesterday, with fantastic talks from Tim Rutter Lowri Joyce and Zino Onokaye-Akaka . Chris Marshall and I took part in a bit of speed mentoring at lunch and the main question we received was 'how do you ensure your approach to inclusive communications is authentic?' We've found that people usually mean: "Why do we have the right to make inclusive campaigns if we, at our organisation, all look the same and come from similar backgrounds?" Every organisation is on their own journey when it comes to improving the diversity of their organisation - and make no mistake, it's a long game. So it's really important that your organisation is working towards this, or any shred of authenticity goes out of the window. But while there's always more work to do to get our houses in order, as comms or marketing professionals, our job is to influence and shape how the world is viewed and heard. So we have a genuine responsibility to ensure that our communications represent and portray the world as it should be. That means not shying away from amplifying underrepresented voices - even if your own organisation has room for improvement and even if you fear being called out by the anti-woke brigade for being tokenistic. In these instances, the best way to ensure your communications are authentic is to co-create with different people and communities to demonstrate that you do truly understand (and care). Lots of other ways, too, but we'd be here all day! Hopefully this will reassure others facing similar challenges to be brave and do the right thing.

How do you ensure your approach to inclusive communications is authentic? One of the big questions asked of Sheri & Chris during speed mentoring (dating 😜) at Comms Cymru. Check out how they responded.

This week, our team at Staffbase will hold our annual North American / International Voices conference (https://lnkd.in/esiH2Qrw). Two weeks ago, I returned from Berlin, where we did the same with our German speaking audience. Both events got oversubscribed. Whilst Berlin was an in-person conference, we made the decision to host the English speaking one virtually, to allow communicators and those who care about communications, to attend from wherever they are. We will have audience joining from all parts of the world. This is super exciting! Apart from having lined up amazing speakers, including one of my favourite business book authors, Adam Grant, I feel that the numbers of registrations, that far exceeded our original plan, tell even a bigger story. As a former consultant at Accenture, I was fortunate to see change programmes delivered from the first intent all the way to implementation and measurable business outcomes. Accenture is great at this! We always knew and appreciated the value of behavioural change management, which we nowadays talk about as an organisational change management, business transformation, or many other terms you surely hear in various business meetings. To do this well, our programmes would have always come with a strong foundation and a well thought out communication strategy. But why do it at only a project level? Why wouldn’t we be thinking about the right comms, at the right time, to the right audience, all the time? There is surely more we can do! It’s apparently many of us out there who care about this and who have been thinking that way all along. At Staffbase we are here to partner with this community to help elevate communications as a strategic business function strongly aligned to business goals. After all, according to Gallagher’s State of the sector 2023/2024, the biggest increase in the communication professionals’ priorities was the need of strategic alignment of their function to their business, by a whopping 9% increase year-on-year. Let’s discuss how we can deliver this ambition this week. I look forward to seeing you at Voices! 

So I did a thing... I joined a board!! But not just any board...this one ⬇️ The Impact Communications Institute (ICI). Stories can shape behavior, so how do we ensure they're told through an impact lens? And what does that mean? In 2019, I was speaking in Vancouver at the Dress for Success International Conference and met up with a friend of mine and the Founder of Yulu Public Relations, Melissa Orozco // Social Impact PR. As she poured us a glass of red, we sat down on her couch and she said, "I have to show you something." On her TV, she pulled up a presentation explaining the beginnings of ICI. Immediately I saw the importance and need. When I was in college and navigating my career in communications, no class or even a seminar existed on "Impact Communications." Now "impact" has become a buzzword but what does it mean in practice? ICI is a nonprofit organization created to legitimize, govern, educate, and scale the practice of Impact Communications. When Melissa and I reconnected recently, she shared all the updates on ICI and I knew I wanted to get involved! I'm so honored to sit alongside and learn from incredible fellow board members who have been so welcoming - Tessa Danelesko, Jennifer Shapiro, Michael Kaye 🎗️, DJ Koessler, Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers), Adam Lake, Brad MacAfee, Brandon Wilson, APR, Fellow PRSA, & Jenna Kuchinsky, just to name a few! If you're interested in learning what we're all about, please join a live workshop on "How to Craft an Impact Communications Game Plan" *tomorrow* on May 15. (It will be recorded!) We’ll be diving in using a real-life case study: Lauren Coape-Arnold, Executive Director of the Apollo Opportunity Foundation (AOF), will share the communications challenges and opportunities facing the AOF and invite you to join in a live, collaborative discussion about: ➡️ What to avoid when seeking to stand up new internal initiatives within our organizations ➡️ Lessons you’ve learned from taking bold action at your company ➡️ Best practices for Impact Communications RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eSqHn8hY

What a fab session Rachel Miller! I can't wait to get stuck into your new book...and I will be adding my own sticky notes as I go for future reference 😊 I really liked how this session played out as a conversation between presenters and would encourage people to check out the recording. Thanks CIPR Inside! My 3 quick (and simplified) tips for IC strategy from the session: - Being strategic: have a plan, measure progress and keep on track. - Format your IC strategy based on the culture of your organisation. - Establish a quarterly review cycle; asking 'has anything changed?'.

You will never hear another person’s voice more than you hear your own. This is one of my favorite discussion points from my breakout at this week’s PR & Comms Summit. I had the opportunity to host a session about all-things-Executive Presence, and the room full of engaging, curious and supportive comms leaders blew me away (as did the Florida humidity). Among other powerful topics, we talked about being obsessively intentional about the way we speak to ourselves and about ourselves, because… well, we’re listening! If you wouldn’t say it about your best friend, don’t say it about yourself. Here’s an example: Let’s say, you make a mistake. Your first reaction is to say: 🗣️“Gosh, I’m so stupid!” The problem is… Your mind doesn’t know you’re being facetious. What you teach your brain when you say that: “You’re not smart. You’re not capable. You’re an imposter.” Instead, speak about the reality of the situation without talking down to yourself. Say things like: 💬“I messed up!” 💬“Well, there’s a learning opportunity.” 💬“I’ll figure out how to avoid that next time.” What you teach your brain when you say things like that: “This situation isn’t ideal. You are capable of learning and growing. You got this.” This takes practice and accountability. Ask a friend or colleague to help you break the habit of negative self-talk, and offer to do the same for them! You got this. #PRCommsSummit #FPRA #FocusForward2024 Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA)

Happy Friday, everyone! As we head into the weekend, I wanted to share some insights from the latest industry news. This month is "World PR & Communications Month," and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) just released their 2024 State of the Profession report. One of the key takeaways? The increasing role of artificial intelligence and the pressing need for more transparent and ethical communications across organizations. It's a great moment to pause and think: how are we engaging with our teams and stakeholders? Sometimes, it’s not about the big campaigns, but the everyday moments that build trust and shape culture. In a world where transparency isn't just a choice but an expectation, our challenge as communicators is to connect more deeply and authentically with everyone, from our colleagues to our customers (see below). After all, every great story begins with a genuine conversation… and maybe a good cup of coffee!

Tomorrow, my newsletter will answer this question from a follower: "Hi Joanna, the comms team in my organisation are a bunch of exceptionally talented, creative, emotionally intelligent, fabulous people but the company doesn’t really see the value in the team and our colleagues don’t really understand how our team can truly make a difference. I love, love reading your LinkedIn posts and getting your insights as my only goal is to be the best at IC as a I can and make some bloody good impact wherever I’m working! How can we help the organisation understand the value of internal comms?" Brilliant question and one that comes up all the time. Want my advice? Join the 2,112 people on my mailing list to see the practical, actionable advice I give tomorrow to help you demonstrate the value of internal comms. ➡️ Subscribe now using the link on my page.

Effective public relations starts with a focused and strategic mindset, so it might be time to get your head out of the clouds! Clear thinking leads to clear communication, and that’s the foundation for success. By fostering a balanced approach to both work and wellness, you create an environment where creativity thrives, solutions are sharper, and results are more impactful. #swc #shirleywilliamscommunications #clearthinking #foundationsforsuccess #publicrelations #publicrelationsstrategy #communications #creativity #creativemindset

Dezenhall CEO Anne Marie Malecha shares an important piece of advice in how to handle internal communications when your company is expanding globally. Cultural differences in how people communicate and perceive information can vary greatly from country to country.    Check out her full advice in Forbes: https://lnkd.in/e3dbh7UZ