Filling out a form is hardly a pleasant experience, but a clear and simple form can go a long way in easing the pain. Everyone wins: respondents complete it without any issues, and you, in turn, avoid chasing down missing data from incomplete forms. You get exactly the information you need.
Journalists and government communicators can find some common ground in ethics: fairness, accuracy and thoroughness are hallmarks of good journalism and government communications,
Getting too much email is a fact of life for most of us, and dealing with it all is time consuming. Last week, I wrote about time management techniques, and how you handle your email is hugely important in this endeavor. Below, I’ve outlined some of the most common techniques for email management. Different techniquesRead… Read more »
You know what a toast is. You know that it should have an intro, body, and conclusion. You know that a toast should leave people with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Can you remember one that WOWed you? Do yourself and your honoree a favor and get your act together! PREPARE for the toast andRead… Read more »
As someone who writes stories for a living, I spend a good share of my time reading them. These days, my reading time is mostly spent among news articles and opinion pieces so I can sharpen my skills in technical writing and see how personal and technical writing styles have merged thanks to digital spaces like Medium. Even ifRead… Read more »
Whether this is your first time hearing these tips or this is a refresher for you, conflict management is one of the trickiest areas for people to navigate successfully. Yet, conflict is inevitable and can take a toll on your effectiveness and productivity (not to mention your stress level) if not resolved. I recently attendedRead… Read more »
Originally posted on the GovDelivery Blog. Once you have developed key performance metrics – your agency goal, objective, and tactics – the next step is defining your audience. Identifying and analyzing your audience allows you to discover information and create a link to establish common ground with the people you serve every day as a governmentRead… Read more »
In the age of the empowered citizen, the age of trying to “control the conversation” is over. Well over. It’s taken us a long time to actually get that memo, and some of us are still processing the digital ink it’s printed on. What it means. Instead, there’s still a lot of focus on “brand-building”. Where a message is transmitted,Read… Read more »
As a manager, giving difficult feedback to an employee can be one of the hardest parts of your job. The conversation can be fraught with peril. If done well, giving tough feedback can help your team member grow – but if done poorly, you risk consequences like straining your relationship, or demoralizing him or her. SometimesRead… Read more »
It’s tempting to fall in love with the internet and all the ways we can get our message out without relying on local news. Be wary of that temptation. Local news outlets, especially newspapers, still hold a powerful attraction to the people in our communities. And reporters, although fewer in number and more overworked thanRead… Read more »