Topic: communication
Our bookmarks on this topic are also at pinboard.in/u:unison/t:communication/
My Communications Director is an idiot
Sunday, August 5, 2012 · Topics: communication, leadership-development, marketing, public-relations
From Kivi Leroux Miller: I’m friends with many nonprofit program and research directors who confide in me about their various scuffles with communications or fundraising staff in their organizations. Nothing strange there.
What I do find a little surprising is how often I will meet a program or policy director, or even an executive director, for the first time, and upon learning what I do for a living, they will say, “Ugh. Our communications director is a complete idiot.” · Go to My Communications Director is an idiot →
Why storytelling is the ultimate weapon
Wednesday, June 20, 2012 · Topics: communication, storytelling
From FastCompany: Jonathan Gottschall, author of The Storytelling Animal, says science backs up the long-held belief that story is the most powerful means of communicating a message. · Go to Why storytelling is the ultimate weapon →
Are your messages being heard?
Friday, January 7, 2011 · Topics: brand-strategy, communication, interpersonal-communication, marketing
From M.P. Mueller at NY Times: nother year — that time when we turn a critical eye to what worked and what didn’t last year. So let’s give some attention to the foundation of all good marketing efforts: interpersonal communication. Think of traditional marketing as air cover but personal communications as the sales maker that wins customers and keeps clients happy and loyal. · Go to Are your messages being heard? →
The power of online video (and presentation) to change the world
Thursday, September 16, 2010 · Topics: communication, innovation, presentations, presentations-examples
From Garr Reynolds at Presentation Zen: “This new talk by TED curator Chris Anderson is a great example of a naked talk given with the support of technology. This is one of my favorite talks ever, in part because of the content, and in part because of the way it was delivered. Anderson is not slick or over rehearsed, he speaks in a human voice, imperfections and all. He speaks from the heart. His embedded video and visuals help but do not get in the way. The visual amplifies his narrative and helps him take people on a little journey. Anderson states that the rise of web video created a growing worldwide phenomenon called Crowd Accelerated Innovation.” · Go to The power of online video (and presentation) to change the world →
Surprise! Four Strategies for Coping with Disruptions
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 · Topics: communication, innovation, leadership, productivity
From Rosabeth Moss Kanter: Coping with the unexpected is a leadership imperative. In every endeavor, the ability to recover quickly separates winners from losers, whether they are reacting to fumbles in a sports match or curve balls thrown by external events. I summarize the challenge of managing volatility in a simple equation: MTBS = or < MTMD. MTBS is the mean time between surprises, which is shrinking. MTMD is the mean time to make a decision, which better be fast. · Go to Surprise! Four Strategies for Coping with Disruptions →
The Best Communicator in the World by Jon Wortmann
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 · Topics: authenticity, communication, interpersonal-communication
From ChangeThis: I hear people every day offer very valid excuses why they don’t try to improve how they communicate. Some people think it’s too hard. Others don’t know where to go for help. The most repeated excuse from people at work and in their personal lives that could be so much happier with some focused, intentional new habits: ‘I don’t have time.’ Every single one of us can communicate in a way that makes it easier for people to like spending time with us. If you feel shy, nervous, or afraid, you’re not crazy, you’re not alone, and today is the day you stop letting ugly communication damage your relationships. Authentic communication can become as natural as breathing — when you pay attention to a few essential aspects of what connects people. · Go to The Best Communicator in the World by Jon Wortmann →
The 15 Laws of Meeting Power
Thursday, October 22, 2009 · Topics: communication, group-effectiveness, meetings
From Venkatesh Rao: We humans are simpler in collectives than we are as individuals. We like to think there is a “whole greater than the sum of the parts” dynamic to human collectives, but there really isn’t. The larger the meeting, the dumber it is. If you find a large deliberative body that is acting in ways that are smarter than its size should permit, you can be sure its workings are being subverted by, say, Karl Rove. I’ll argue that larger thesis in a future article, but for now, I’ll just use that element of my personal doctrine to explain why I’ve been fascinated by meetings for years — they are simpler to study, understand and influence than individuals (in particular that most stubborn individual, yourself). When introspection gets to be too tiring, I turn to thinking about groups. · Go to The 15 Laws of Meeting Power →
Why Groups Fail to Share Information Effectively
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 · Topics: communication, group-effectiveness, groupthink
In 1985 Stasser and Titus published the best sort of psychology study. Not only does it shine a new light on how groups communicate and make decisions, it also surprises, confuses and intrigues. Oddly, the results first look as if they can’t be right, then later it seems obvious they are right, then attention turns to what can be done about it. · Go to Why Groups Fail to Share Information Effectively →
