Communications

A Simple Twist of Fate

“Watch out for a simple twist of fate.” – Bob Dylan Sometimes in life you are presented with a situation, a happenstance, a chance. You are given a set of circumstances and told to make the most of it. Three years ago, I found myself in one of those situations. I had just joined aRead… Read more »

Don’t Fight the Email Laws – Know Them!

You probably already know that email marketers must abide by certain laws when sending messages for any commercial reason. But did you know that the sending of messages on behalf of a government entity is governed by additional rules and regulations? Learn the fundamentals of these requirements and the basics for implementing them into your… Read more »

Career Advice for a PR Grad

General advice: Internships matter more than school Networking – meet and connect with as many people as you can, personally and professionally. Also mentors – reach out and ask! Be specific about what you want. Help other people – professors, students, maybe a local organization that needs support Reference letters – collect them from everyoneRead… Read more »

Blogging as Creativity

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.” I’ve passed the half-way pointRead… Read more »

Gov Gobbledygook And How To Change It

There’s a million witty words for bureaucratic language…. gobbledygook, gibberish, mumbo-jumbo, jargon, double-talk, bureaucratese, technobabble! There are probably so many words for it because it’s such a widespread, and exasperating, problem. Including in the government. It’s fun to use crazy words, but it’s certainly not a best practice in terms of government efficiency. Annetta Cheek,Read… Read more »

Engage your Team with Liberating Structures

Are your workplace interactions motivating and engaging? Or stiff and stale? Other than email, in which format do most of your professional interactions take place? Presentations? Status reports? Discussions? Brainstorming sessions? Whatever your answer, ask yourself if the primary formats are particularly engaging or effective. If not, consider the contributions of “liberating structures,”  an innovation broughtRead… Read more »

You Got the Right Stuff: Email Design Best Practices Checklist

Use this checklist of email design best practices to deliver messages that are not only tailored to your audience, but also look professional, function properly, and capture the attention of increasingly-busy and multi-device-connected constituents to invite opens, attract clicks, and inspire action.