Communications

Managing Online Comments: 10 Recommendations

Even though social media is fully integrated into the global culture and economy, many leaders are still reluctant to put themselves and/or their organizations in a position where they may have to listen to and/or engage with various stakeholders via these public channels. They tend to fear potential reputational harm and/or the stickiness of havingRead… Read more »

LinkedIn: Maximizing the Network

By Chuck Brooks, Vice President and Client Executive, Department of Homeland Security Since launching in 2003, the social networking service LinkedIn has become an increasingly popular avenue for professional networking and interaction. LinkedIn provides a valuable platform for business engagement in all industries, including government services, but its potential is wasted if you’re not properlyRead… Read more »

8 Books to Read This Summer

With mobile technology, 24/7 news coverage, Twitter, Facebook, Buzzfeed, iPhones, and other constant updates, sometimes we just need to stop and reflect. Take a breath. Really, take a breath. Sometimes you gain the most by slowing down and reading a good book. Holding something tangible in your hands to read shouldn’t be obsolete, but aRead… Read more »

Build Interest in Your Agency Through Social Media

Now that social media has permeated our everyday lives, government agencies are increasingly using channels such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with the public. But is your organization’s content interesting or engaging enough to keep followers coming back? Consider some of the following the next time you post. 1. Inject fun into your messageRead… Read more »

Catching Tax Frauds, Innovation

Security clearances were granted or approved for roughly 83,000 Department of Defense (DOD) and employee contractors who together owe more than $730 million in federal tax debt, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. This bewildered many to learn that the tax cheats were working underneath the government’s own roof. One agency isRead… Read more »

Clear As Mud…

Have you ever been in a conversation where the more someone spoke, the worse it got? Where no matter how many explanations received or questions asked, the result was the same: a complete and total lack of a concise message? Yup. Clear as mud! Sometimes, I’m pretty sure it’s the speaker. Sometimes, I’m embarrassed toRead… Read more »

The Grey Tsunami Problem: Why It’s Really About Communication

The “grey tsunami” was a big topic at my agency a few years back. The expectation was that up to 70% of the agency’s workforce would take early retirement. Massive amounts of tacit knowledge would be lost. In preparation, my team attempted to “crowdsource” the knowledge of the experienced staff. We wanted to convert thatRead… Read more »

Creating Compelling Content

In the past couple months you may have heard about popular burrito chain Chipotle’s new marketing campaign. The campaign commissioned ten well-known creatives to write something that could be read in two minutes, then printed that work on the sides of nicely designed Chipotle soda cups and paper bags.The writing tapped the talents of peopleRead… Read more »