We’re up to something…

08 December 2008

By Amanda Brewer, ABC

Was it really last month when I said I couldn’t ever see myself blogging? My, how time flies. But first, let me cover introductions. I’ve been with H&K’s Toronto office for two and half years as Director of Change & Internal Communications. We have a small but strong network of practitioners across the country and we talk all the time. We even talk with people in London, AsiaPac, Sydney, San Francisco and New York.  We’re keen to see best practices in use so what’s going on now will either be a little hair raising or inspiring for us, as the next year to 18 months will test the relationships between companies and their employees like never before.

So this blog is in response…to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the C&IC expertise in Canada, to look at best practices, to question, to support, to differ. To underline the value of a well thought out strategy. To show the links between social media and brand and reputation management. To emphasize that every employee now has the power to impact how a company is perceived.

Mine won’t be the only voice and I look to my colleagues in Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary to speak up, type away and share with you as well.

As for the title…perhaps a little too reminiscent of leg warmers and spandex from a decade or three ago, but the sentiment is all right by me. Because look around…the impact of the global economic chaos on workforces will be larger than any research will show us. Employees are the main assett in surviving a recession. Companies do not innovate, people do. Companies do not create a brand experience, people do. Companies may survive the recession that’s about to hit (or has hit, depending on where you are), but only because people made the right decisions. Keeping them focused on the tasks and the things they can control is key. So yes, we are up with people…because ensuring they are motivated and engaged is what we are all about.

 

 

Published on 8th December, 2008 by Amanda Brewer

Posted in Uncategorized |

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9 Responses to “We’re up to something…”

  1. Anonymous
    8 December 2008
    8:26 pm

    Congratulations Amanda and the other members of Canada’s change and internal communications service. I look forward to your posts and have added this to my RSS feed. I hope you won’t mind if I comment, however. I can also be somewhat curmudgeonly :)

  2. Christine Smith
    8 December 2008
    8:51 pm

    Your comment about the vital "people do" aspect of today’s corporations is so welcome and it’s great to see the introduction of this blog.  I’ll bookmark it for students in Centennial College’s Corporate Communication and Public Relations program as we emphasize the role of effective employee communication in a number of our courses.  I’m sure they’ll learn lots!

  3. meegs
    8 December 2008
    9:18 pm

    Brilliant start, Amanda - kudos!  Love the "Keeping them focused on the tasks and the things they can control is key." Perspective is reality & high morale is the difference between weathering a storm & a shipwreck.

  4. Csaba Szücs
    8 December 2008
    10:28 pm

    Greetings from Hungary,

    I am really looking forward to seeing your posts in the future. I am also quite new in the world of blogs - as far as it concerned the creating part of it. I am an internal communicator in Hungary - working for a Japanese company now.

    BTW, "…every employee now has the power to impact how a company is perceived." Sadly, that is not true here in my country - yet. Or I can say people fear to use that power.

  5. Cathy Kurzbock
    9 December 2008
    2:33 am

    Great first post, Amanda!  Congratulations on your (and the C&IC team’s) foray into the blogosphere.  I really look forward to future posts and intend to check back often.  

    Cheers!

  6. Ilyse Smith
    9 December 2008
    3:17 am

    Strong messages - and very timely. Thanks for taking the initiative; I look forward to future posts.

  7. David Jones
    9 December 2008
    3:42 am

    Good on you.  A much needed voice in the blogosphere on the world of employee communications.  There are so few who do it well.

  8. David Jones
    9 December 2008
    3:09 pm

    Finally, the internal comms experts have come to the blogosphere!  Looking forward to your posts.  I know they will be informative!

  9. Inside PR » Blog Archive » Inside PR#141 - Wednesday, December 10, 2008
    11 December 2008
    5:16 pm

    PingBack from http://www.insidepr.ca/index.php/2008/12/11/inside-pr141-wednesday-december-10-2008/

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