Crisis management and social media are like PB&J Ruh roh. A new survey from German consultancy Gartner Communications found that while nearly 85% of companies worldwide have general crisis plans in place (yea!), only 20.7% have social media crisis plans set (boo!). Moreover, while 71% of in-house communicators think social media will become even more …

Thriving in Difficult Times In Training and Optimism We say our people are our greatest resource. Do we only say that in good times? Because in bad times, it seems people are the resources we cannot afford. When times are tough, why do managers cut back on training when that is precisely what they need …

Marketers believe that the economy is rebounding, and predict a moderate increase in their company’s performance going forward.

“How can I sell this idea to my boss?” That’s a question I often hear as a career coach. It usually comes from someone seeking to lead from the middle. Influencing up to obtain additional resources, or to impact a staffing decision, or to extend a deadline, or whatever requires both a business rationale and …

It is clear that for executive onboarding efforts to be successful, they cannot simply take the shape of a glorified employee orientation process. One of the most important factors of transitional success is for the incoming executive, and those assisting with his or her transition, to have an advanced level or understanding of three things: a) The unique aspects of the organizational culture; b) the dynamics of the teams the executive is entering (whether as a leader or colleague); and c) the personality, knowledge and leadership skills of the incoming executive

It may be a bit old fashioned that the view that face-to-face training is more effective than any other kind of training such as E-Training and Computer-Based Learning—with the right trainer or training team, that is. Why not use all the tools we have? Let students pace themselves and repeat what’s necessary to facilitate learning. …

A written, strategically developed PR plan could be the very thing that helps you save advertising dollars AND gain an edge over your competition.

This is my favorite time of year. The trees look spectacular here in the Appalachian Mountains and everything is ablaze with color. Fall always gets me thinking about what needs changing, what needs to be dropped, and what needs to go dormant for a while. It’s a good time to take an inventory of your …

Airline ignores opportunity to communicate and connect via social media You don’t have to look hard to see the prominent role Twitter is playing in major crises. When engine problems forced a Qantas Airbus A380 to make an emergency landing in Singapore last week, passengers were tweeting pictures of the damage as their plane sat …

Passionate Interaction: Key to Effective Training As a way of introducing myself to the Training and Development world, I’ve included the bio below. While a variety of skill sets take us in many directions, my strength has been as a passionate communicator. I apply my social psychology background and my verbal skills to my “day” …