Be a Confident & Competent Communicator
Professional training and FREE RESOURCES for professionals in every industry - created and delivered by communication and crisis response professionals with over 5 decades of experience.
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Every person in a position of senior management should be very adept at communication and public affairs. In fact, effective leadership starts and ends with effective communication.
It is critical for information and engagement to flow effectively within every organization – from the senior leadership to the new hire. All staff must communicate effectively with colleagues and external stakeholders.
Effective communication and engagement should be a primary skill for every teacher, school administrator, and school system official. It is important to instill trust and engagement in your communities - particularly during a crisis.
Every organization must have multiple people adept at handling media relations. They should be trained to properly prepare for interviews and leverage media to benefit your organization and message your stakeholders.
Your organization must be prepared to handle any type of emergency or event that results in media or public interest. Proper planning is essential to execute your crisis communication plan at a moment's notice.
Who Is On My Organization’s Crisis Communications Team?
Your organization’s crisis communications team is possibly the most important collection of people who will navigate every emergency and crisis your organization experiences. These folks are not only the conduit to your critical stakeholders, often they are the gatekeepers and evaluators of risk and decisions. They serve as the organization’s central core and coordinate the decisions and actions of other staff.
A very large organization likely has a sizable communications team to fulfill the responsibilities of a crisis communications team. However, your organization may have a communications team of one or just a handful of employees.
The question you must consider is how do you create an effective crisis communications team with people who are not professional communicators?
Don’t do THIS with Reporters – 4 Don’ts for Media Relations
Some days, media relations is exhilarating, and some days it is quite a chore. Any seasoned media relations professional or senior management staff in an organization dreads the phone call or email from a reporter asking for comment on a story you would prefer they not do.
But the fact of the matter is they are likely not going away. You’re going to have to talk to them.
Here, we will share the four don’ts.
A Complaint Management System to Turn a Critic Into an Advocate
Every organization has their critics and must have a complaint management plan to prevent a critic from becoming a crisis.
Sometimes, criticism is warranted. But if we’re being honest, organizations don’t always receive complaints that are warranted, or even sane.
But whether or not we believe a complaint (or the complainer) to be reasonable and rational, we must come to an internal agreement in our organization on a complaint management system. Use these 10 keys to develop and implement an effective complaint management system to turn a critic into an advocate.
Communication is NOT My Job
Many professionals believe that communication should be left to the communicators – those hired for that role or who naturally excel in communication. You may be reading this because you have come to a similar conclusion and the headline caught your attention.
Communication is most definitely your job. It does not matter if you are a CEO, customer service representative, bus driver, budget analyst, or public relations manager – you are a communicator.
Explore top courses
Training & Resources for Organizations
Online Training Resources Communication Guides Every successful organization excels at both internal and external communication. It is critical for information and engagement to flow effectively
Interpersonal Communications Basics
All professionals must be effective interpersonal communicators when engaging colleagues, supervisors, customers and all other stakeholders.
Communication Risk Assessment
Embed comprehensive risk assessment into communication planning and successfully navigate every possible challenge.
Develop Effective Talking Points
The development of effective talking points is a skill all professionals should possess for situations ranging from a team meeting to a press conference.
Interpersonal Communications Basics
All professionals must be effective interpersonal communicators when engaging colleagues, supervisors, customers and all other stakeholders.
Creating a Press Release that Makes News
Effectively construct and distribute a press release that is sure to attract positive media attention.
Communications Planning 101
A blueprint to developing a comprehensive and successful communications plan to support any project or initiative.
Working as a Team
Gain the skills & understanding so you, and your organization, will be served well by your contributions to the ultimate success of your team.
Interpersonal Communications Basics
All professionals must be effective interpersonal communicators when engaging colleagues, supervisors, customers and all other stakeholders.
Crisis Communications Landing Page
An Actionable Crisis Communication Plan is Essential Media Response Courses for leaders to effectively engage the media to inform stakeholders Communication Planning Fully developed Communication
Communication Risk Assessment
Embed comprehensive risk assessment into communication planning and successfully navigate every possible challenge.
Engaging in Difficult Conversations
Learn to prepare for – and engage in – difficult conversations with your team, colleagues, boss, friends and family.
Communications Planning 101
A blueprint to developing a comprehensive and successful communications plan to support any project or initiative.
Interpersonal Communications Basics
All professionals must be effective interpersonal communicators when engaging colleagues, supervisors, customers and all other stakeholders.
Engaging in Difficult Conversations
Learn to prepare for – and engage in – difficult conversations with your team, colleagues, boss, friends and family.
Communication Guides
FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS
A library of comprehensive communications guides built for professionals in all companies and organizations
Explore top resources
Who Is On My Organization’s Crisis Communications Team?
Your organization’s crisis communications team is possibly the most important collection of people who will navigate every emergency and crisis your organization experiences. These folks are not only the conduit to your critical stakeholders, often they are the gatekeepers and evaluators of risk and decisions. They serve as the organization’s central core and coordinate the decisions and actions of other staff.
A very large organization likely has a sizable communications team to fulfill the responsibilities of a crisis communications team. However, your organization may have a communications team of one or just a handful of employees.
The question you must consider is how do you create an effective crisis communications team with people who are not professional communicators?
Don’t do THIS with Reporters – 4 Don’ts for Media Relations
Some days, media relations is exhilarating, and some days it is quite a chore. Any seasoned media relations professional or senior management staff in an organization dreads the phone call or email from a reporter asking for comment on a story you would prefer they not do.
But the fact of the matter is they are likely not going away. You’re going to have to talk to them.
Here, we will share the four don’ts.
A Complaint Management System to Turn a Critic Into an Advocate
Every organization has their critics and must have a complaint management plan to prevent a critic from becoming a crisis.
Sometimes, criticism is warranted. But if we’re being honest, organizations don’t always receive complaints that are warranted, or even sane.
But whether or not we believe a complaint (or the complainer) to be reasonable and rational, we must come to an internal agreement in our organization on a complaint management system. Use these 10 keys to develop and implement an effective complaint management system to turn a critic into an advocate.
Communication is NOT My Job
Many professionals believe that communication should be left to the communicators – those hired for that role or who naturally excel in communication. You may be reading this because you have come to a similar conclusion and the headline caught your attention.
Communication is most definitely your job. It does not matter if you are a CEO, customer service representative, bus driver, budget analyst, or public relations manager – you are a communicator.
Reporters are Looking for a Sensational Story – Are You Providing One?
As outrage continues to accelerate in today’s society, media are constantly seeking the next sensational story to attract viewers and sell ads.
Though positive media stories serve to benefit your organization, sensational stories are about them – not you. They are about stirring controversy; latching on to social media trends; selling ads.
The best way to avoid being the centerpiece of a sensational story by the news media is to evaluate your organization and the ways your leadership and employees are engaging publicly.
10 Ways to Influence People
Dale Carnegie literally wrote the book on influence with, How to Win Friends and Influence People, originally published in 1936.
Rather than summarize the contents of his book, we will provide insights from lessons learned by decades of our own experiences. Of course, a quick cross-reference with Carnegie’s book finds several overlaps because much of his book aligns to our experiences.
Take the tips detailed here and find ways to integrate them into your work. Whether you are the CEO or an entry-level employee, the ability to influence people will serve you very well.
