Blog

Better than your average Virtual Conference

Today I attended Communicate Magazine’s Employer Brand Conference, where key discussion points were on EVP, engagement, impacts of COVID on future working models and employer brand communications. Here are some key takeaways: From Jonathan Austin, CEO, Best Companies, on factors impacting engagement: Best Companies have been doing research and analysis on employee engagement and performance for...
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Snapshots of India

Unravelling memories of a year gone by … This time last year, just back from my first ever trip to India with Hadyn and two of our oldest friends, Richard and Jay, I sat down to write our Christmas cards. I was full of first emotions, stories and images, wanting to share the experience. But...
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“This time last year I was jumping out of a plane. Now I’m too scared to get on one.”

Nobody has ever called me timid. Impetuous, headstrong, maybe, a bit of a risk-taker. Many describe me as someone with a lot of energy, always busy with lots of projects, yet on the look out for new adventures.   So it came as no surprise last year when, as a 60th birthday present, my kids gave me...
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I wish I’d said that!

Have you ever read something erudite published by McKinsey and thought “I wish I’d said that!” Well, this time I can honestly say, “I did say that!” When I published the PRIDE Model two years ago, I spoke about elevating the role and interests of the individual at work to those of the organisation, creating an...
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Who dares wins

As we were all adjusting to lockdown back in April, I was invited to write about Employer Branding for the Brand Network’s Trends & Insights Digest and to revisit the principles of the PRIDE Model in the context of COVID-19. You can read and download my report from the link below. I’m interested to hear...
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Champagne, chocolate and a whole lot of truth

Last month, I had the pleasure of taking part in a Brand Network People & Culture Briefing at the London Stock Exchange, co-hosted by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA) and Investors in People. On the agenda were brand purpose, employer brand, employee value proposition (EVP), diversity and inclusion, and wellbeing. The event created a powerful...
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Please don’t stop with the what, think about “what next?”

It’s almost a year since the publication of my book, Take Pride, during which I have spent a lot of time talking about how to make people and companies more successful. My themes include delivering authenticity behind brand promises, creating positive cultures that are energising, providing a sense of purpose and direction, and above all,...
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Time for Internal Communicators to step out of their comfort zone

This year, I hit the big 6-0, which makes me a whole ten years younger than the wonderful Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC). The IoIC has been a constant in my professional life, a source of knowledge, expertise and guidance, and most importantly, where I made some of my closest friendships in the business. Whether...
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How to think big and still get the day job done

One of the biggest challenges for me when I was an inhouse communications manager (with no team) was trying to get all my tasks done while still trying to maintain a sense of where I was going. On the good days, I felt like I was the only person in the company who actually knew...
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