Our thoughts
Cyber Security
With millions of people around the UK working from home it’s no surprise that we’ve been online more than normal. According to infosecurity magazine in April, there was an overall Internet usage increase of 17%. From Zoom calls for work to FaceTime with friends, people are getting better acquainted with the virtual world.
We see IC Allison Cary
In the second of our series, we caught up with Allison Cary, Internal Communications Lead at Voyage Care, about the ever-evolving role of internal communications in Social Care.
Tone of Voice
COVID-19 has highlighted many things. The British public love banana bread, toilet rolls don’t grow on trees, and how you say something is as important as what you’re saying.
We See IC
Welcome to the first in a series where we grab a cuppa and settle in for a virtual chat with some amazing IC experts.
We caught up with Jen Lock, Senior Internal Communications Manager at Direct Line Group, on all things communications and COVID-19.
Return to the workplace
Internal comms teams will be pivotal in the gradual move back to some sort of workplace ‘normality’. Here are our key points to consider as you start that journey.
That’s the spirit!
Maybe it’s a particular British thing, but we love a good wartime metaphor. When our ‘backs are against the wall’, facing ‘our darkest hour’ us plucky Brits come out fighting.
As we battle with this horrible virus the tone of the national conversation is full of 1940’s references, harking back to a time when we collectively stood together, shoulder to shoulder to beat the forces of evil by keeping calm and carrying on.
World Sleep Day
Friday 13 March is World Sleep Day – yes, it’s a thing.
With the average person spending a third of their lives asleep, it’s fair to say that sleep is instrumental for our overall wellbeing – physically and mentally.
Love what you do
Work is about so much more than just the job you do On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more...
Banish Blue Monday
The third Monday in January has been officially dubbed ‘Blue Monday’. It’s classed as the most depressing day of the year. Many people’s resolutions have fallen off a cliff, the longer month is taking its toll on people’s finances and the weather is dreary. On top of that, there’s work.
January is the time that people often take stock of their careers and the job-hopping begins. Here are a few ideas to engage your employees right from the off this year…
Hello 2020
Happy New Year! On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than just an accolade. Measure for...
Have a cracker of a Christmas!
Christmas parties are a chance to come together to celebrate the team and give a little something back to the people who make your organisation great.
Going green for the planet – and your business
According to Government statistics, in Britain almost a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions come from businesses. Couple this with the amount of materials used and waste produced, and one thing becomes very clear – all businesses have a responsibility to become more sustainable.
Thinking ahead to 2020
The last months of the year are often the most manic for many businesses. By extension, that means that internal communications teams all over the UK are managing multiple messages and juggling priorities.
In the midst of this, planning a communications strategy for next year can fall behind. However, the last thing you want to do is start the new year playing catch-up.
Halloween horror stories
The spookiest day of the year is upon us – but it’s not just ghosts and ghouls that can give you a fright. Sometimes, the most shocking stories can happen at work.
Here are a few scary stories of employees being viewed as commodities not assets, and how to stop them becoming a reality in your workplace.
Time to talk
When Ant and Dec paused the Britain’s Got Talent final on primetime TV on Saturday to introduce a new Get Britain Talking campaign, they firmly put mental health issues in the spotlight. Making a stand to break the stigma, they actively encouraged viewers to talk and listen to one another more, in a pledge to improve the nation’s mental wellbeing. We can each do something to tackle the stigma in the workplace too!
The storytelling power of podcasts
To celebrate International Podcast Day, we take a look at why they are such a popular and powerful tool.
Is September the new January?
None of us are strangers to the prospect of the fresh start that, like clockwork, arrives on January 1st, amid the post-Christmas guilt of over-indulgence and over-spending.
We start the year full of drive, plans and new ideas, which often dwindle.
Making your photos matter
In an increasingly visual world, the images you share can have a real impact on the people around you. Our Head of Photography, Alan Barton, explains…
…It’s World Photography Day on 19 August and the event’s focus (no pun intended) is on inspiring positive global change and connecting people through photography.
Creating a great work environment
Is your office space exciting? Does it promote your company values or reflect your brand? How do your employees feel within this space?
Here are five things to consider about EBD that help to create an engaging workspace…
Connecting employee experience and customer experience
Have you ever had conflicting opinions on a brand because you love their products, but never have a great experience shopping with them?
Us too.
Making meetings matter
Over the years, the humble meeting has gotten something of a bad reputation.
Days of back to back meetings, and meetings that discuss other meetings (the joys!), mean that people can find them painful, sometimes egotistical, and often, a waste of time.
It’s a shame, because bringing people together and allowing conversation to flow is an amazing communication tool.
Men’s talk
It’s Men’s Health Week, a reminder that the health problems faced by men are not just physical, but mental too.
It’s widely recognised that men find it especially difficult to discuss their mental health, with many people suffering and going undiagnosed. The good news is that times are changing, both in the workplace and socially.
Eurovision blues: Why vanilla is no longer an option…
As we know, we came last (again)! In the post-Eurovision analysis, what can we learn about our dismal showing in this pan-European musical camp fest?
Was it really a two-fingered salute from our European buddies, tired of our Brexit shenanigans? Opinion seems divided on this.
The art of comic books
Superhero storytellling On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than just an accolade. Measure...
Address your stress
“Oh, this is really stressing me out!”
We’ve all said it, but do we really know what it means?
More than 20% of us have called in sick because of workplace stress and less than half of UK employers feel they have the tools to improve staff wellbeing. Stress can be costly…
Spring clean your communications
Spring is just around the corner and Mother Nature is bursting back into life. With lighter, warmer days ahead, many of us are thinking about making a fresh start, from brushing away the cobwebs at home, to starting a new exercise regime…
Why entering awards is good for business
So much more than a pat on the back. On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than just an...
Balance for better – IWD at work, and every day.
2019 has already been a great year for women at work. Take Olivia Colman’s Oscar winning speech, or Emma Thompson’s open letter to Skydance studios, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s takedown of US campaign finance laws.
But there’s still plenty of work to be done…
The art of kindness
Kindness. It’s a small word, but kindness can have a huge impact on the wellbeing of people around us.
So much so that 17th February has been officially designated Random Acts of Kindness Day…
The creative power of character communication
Most people will recognise the above quote… from a computer animated, plastic toy named Buzz Lightyear. Buzz and his ragtag gang of toys have entertained and delighted us since Pixar created them way back in 1995…
Banish the blues
Don't worry, be happy On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than just an accolade. Measure...
2019 – A look ahead
Looking ahead at 2019 On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than just an accolade. Measure...
2018 Round Up
Looking back on a wonderful 2018 On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than just an...
A picture of engagement
Capturing the employee experience On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than just an...
Brexit
Lots of noise but why the IC silence on Brexit? On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on many levels. Here’s why it’s more than...
Making space for difference
Think you have the measure of diversity and inclusion? Step back and take a broader view.On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on...
Classic lessons in creepy communication…
Halloween is upon us, and so it’s time for a dubiously crafted comparison between horror films and internal communications On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning...
World Values Day
Your values are more than just words, they have the power to attract, inspire and engage On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for business on...
World Mental Health Day
Creating a great employee experience means reviewing every aspect of the workplace, including how you support wellbeing and mental health On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering...
What a week
Two wonderful wins, a shiny new website, all against the backdrop of 25 years of Words&Pictures On the face of it, entering awards can cost both time and money, so it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. But in reality, entering – and winning – awards is great for...
