communication « David Ferrabee’s Blog

Learning how to change

HYDE PARK — We’ve had a few calls recently from companies where the CEO has said: I want my people to know how to manage change… and they don’t now.

The candour appeals to me.

I’d only separate the “change” from “manage” to make a point.

Few of us are really good at managing change. (With Able and [...]

Bringing brands and company cultures together

KNIGHTSBRIDGE — We have worked on a couple of very prominent instances of this recently. Indeed we’re doing one now. And there’s one single message that has emerged as the most important:

Don’t invent symbolic events. Just look out for them.

Some of us (consultants) will happily tell you that a symbolic event is tremendously important in [...]

Stress: why it's ruining your business

LONDON — Why does W.H Smith have this new category of books in all it’s bigger stores? (See photo above.) Why are we obsessed with misery?

I was talking to someone who works in occupational health and safety last week. And I was surprised to hear that, even in heavily manufacturing businesses, the big issues are [...]

NEAR CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Yesterday I went kayaking through the salt-water mashes near the sea. The pre-departure briefing, with two of my kids and I, included an explanation of the most dangerous animals in the river: not the alligators, not the sharks… but the oysters and their sharp shells. They’ll “cut you to ribbons.”

So, [...]

HR and Communications -- the uncomfortable relationship

WESTFIELD — Human Resources departments and Corporate Communications departments have a great deal in common. Including a mutual suspicion and occasionally antagonism.

Both:
• focus primarily on people
• believe they can use their systems and processes to make people think / do what they want
• don’t like people much

Someone called last night and said: “What is it about Communications people, [...]

“I’m down like your Internet connection”: customer service counts

CHELSEA — I realised yesterday that I have not lived in North America for more than a decade. So it’s hard for me to fully understand what companies like Verizon and Comcast are all about. But even from this distance it’s clear they’re having trouble with service delivery.

A few years ago I found this brilliant [...]

Apple vs Google: Good omens for the new year

“Galloway has been identified as one of the darkest places on the planet.”
– The Independent, 05 January 2009

GREEN PARK — There’s plenty to be joyous about at the start of a new year. And it’s not just the FTSE rising to a 16 month high, the pending snowstorm in London, or [...]

Copenhagen: Pay attention, communicate and change behaviour

EARL’S COURT — There’s a polar bear melting in Trafalgar Square. (There’s one in Copenhagen too.) Somehow, all of my family saw it this weekend. Except me.

One child reported back that the key thing is that people are encouraged to touch it. And that is making it melt faster.

“The head’s already gone.”

And for her that [...]

What to buy your communication/change person for Christmas

Even with the multitude of internet search engines and idea makers, it’s still hard to think about what your communication and change management professional might want for Christmas. Therefore as a public service we offer our list of things to buy your loved one:

1. A smart phone
Let’s be honest about it. Hard working communication and change [...]

Explain this: Pink diamond sales soar!

LONDON — The sun is out in London. It’s an uncommon sight for us and people walk down Piccadilly pealing off their pea jackets like larvae.

It’s only one of the smaller contradictions that communicators face these days. Nothing seems to be going to plan.

Are we in recession or coming out? Is the current level of [...]

David Ferrabee’s Blog

Categories