ICON - IC Connected Podcast by Sparrow Connected - Internal Comms

“You have to have a culture of empowerment. Employees have to be able to make decisions. If there's a bottleneck, if they always have to go to management before they make a decision or make something right for our customers, you lose something.”

- Chris Izquierdo, CEO, Sparrow Connected 
 

Julie Ford connects with Chris Izquierdo, the CEO of Sparrow Connected, live from Edmonton, Alberta to discuss the company’s recent recognition as one of Canada’s Top Startup Employers.   

Julie Ford talks to Priya Bates, founder and president of Inner Strength Communication, and Advita Patel, renowned author and speaker and the founder of CommsRebel. Together they talk about building a culture of inclusivity, the challenges of internal communication in fostering diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI), and why it’s important for internal comms pros to bridge the gap in their knowledge on DEI for effective internal communication and overall success of the organization.      

"I want to encourage all internal communications professionals to be bold, to look at your data and what you've learned in your campaigns, to try new things, and to put forward a really sound playbook and strategy. And then once you have that firmed up, be courageous about it, be ready to stand for it." 

- Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee, IT Communications Manager, Perkins Coie LLP  

Julie Ford talks to Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee, a non-traditional communications pro in a traditional industry, with DePaul Double Demon degrees in political science and in information systems. Together, they indulge in an insightful conversation about the people effect and keeping it human when it comes to internal communication.      

“Given the size of the sector, and the number of people we're trying to communicate to on a daily basis, within the healthcare field, who are not sitting at a computer, it's hard to get this group with a quick email. So, there's so much opportunity to think about how we could serve these teams in a better way. Why are we still tolerating things like intranets? Why would we think that people who are doing a job away from a desk, would be using this platform as the primary way to get their updates?”  

- Jesse Cressman-Dickinson, Director of Communication and Community Engagement, Bruyère  

Julie Ford engages in an insightful conversation with Jesse Cressman-Dickinson, Director of Communication and Community Engagement at Bruyère, on the critical importance of internal communication in the healthcare industry, where lives literally depend on it. Together, they explore the future of intranets, reaching the entire deskless workforce in every industry beyond Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, and what happens when internal communication is turned off.    

Jesse Cressman-Dickinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessecressmandickinson/ 

“We're in transformation right at this moment, and everybody is now grappling to get their heads around AI and how it works. My fear is that internal communication professionals will do exactly what we did with the advent of social media. And that is, we kind of waited. It was coming along, and we sat back. We need to be at the forefront and exploring this technology, not fearing it, but exploring it.”  

- Adrian Cropley, Founding Director, Center for Strategic Communication Excellence  

Julie Ford speaks with Adrian Cropley, a renowned strategic communication expert and founding director of the Center for Strategic Communication Excellence, on the intersection of internal comms and artificial intelligence. Adrian shares his profound insights on the rapid advancement of AI technology and the importance of equipping IC professionals with the necessary tools and strategies to harness its potential.  

“It's really ironic, sad and infuriating in many ways, that people in the organization who are tasked with helping make sure employees feel valued are not feeling valued themselves. This is a function that ensures employees know and understand what they need to do to succeed in their role. They help drive productivity. It's time to flip the switch to start believing in and demonstrating our value.”  

- Alyssa Zeff, Senior Vice President, Davis & Company 

Julie Ford speaks with Alyssa, an employee communication, change management and corporate communication professional, about the incredible impact internal communications can have on the success of an organization. Alyssa shares real-world examples and practical advice from her 20+ years of both agency and in-house communication experience.  

"Connecting the dots between company values, employee experiences, and customer experiences is essential to reaching deskless workers and ensuring consistent service delivery." 

- Priya Bates, President at Inner Strength Communication Inc. 

"Companies must find ways to connect with their deskless workers, understanding their needs and providing relevant information that supports their work." 

- Mike Klein, Communication Strategist and Consultant; Founder, #WeLeadComms; Superconnector  

Julie Ford talks with Mike Klein and Priya Bates about the challenges and strategies for connecting with deskless workers. They share their insights on the importance of providing relevant information and the role of technology in reaching this essential group, as well as discussing potential strategies for overcoming challenges in unionized environments. 

"Internal Communications is a business function. It influences, articulates, and enables corporate strategy, and we must represent it that way." 

- Sarah Robertson, President and Founder, Corporate Executive at Prospect Strategies 

Julie Ford talks with Sarah Robertson, an award-winning and published corporate executive with over two decades of experience in strategic communications. As President and Founder of Prospect Strategies, Sarah is passionate about helping internal communications professionals elevate their careers and align their work with business outcomes. In this conversation, they discuss the keys to transforming the conversation with the C-Suite and the essential skills needed by internal comms professionals. 

"Communication isn't a broadcast tool anymore. In organizations, it's much more than that. And therefore, as a communication function, we have to define the purpose of our function and make sure that we're doing what we need to do for that business impact to happen."   

- Jenni Field, Founder and Director, Business Communications Strategist at Redefining Communications 

Julie Ford interviews Jenni Field, an international speaker, author, podcaster, and business communication strategist. Jenni is the founder of Redefining Communications. Her book, "Influential Internal Communication" was published in April 2021. Julie and Jenni discuss what inspired Jenni to pursue a career in internal communications, her trusted Field Model TM and the importance of streamlining internal communications to drive efficiency and engagement. 

"A big part of communication is maintaining a sense of calm in the middle of the storm, everyone around you is going to get worked up about things going on. Your job as the comms person is to be that steady force amid the storm."

-Deborah Speed, Executive Communications Manager at Intermountain Healthcare

Julie Ford chats with Deborah Speed, an internal communications leader, about her experience and perspectives on everything from what employee engagement is, to keeping internal communications simple, creativity, and the essential skills that helped her reach a leadership level in her career.

"We need people within companies bringing people, the employees together, and also more importantly, making sure the leaders aren't off somewhere 50,000 feet up, but really connected to employees."

- Erik S. Meyers, Head of Corporate Communications at Lohmann & Rauscher

Mike Klein chats with Erik S. Meyers, a communications leader with experience in a variety of global companies, about how he has worked to break down barriers within his organizations and create transformative communications practices.

“Your role as an internal communicator is to connect your audiences to the bigger picture, to what's important, to the purpose of the organization. And the way you approach your internal comms strategy and the thinking behind it, is going to be slightly different for every organization.”

- Shan Chatoo, Sr Internal Communications Manager at a leading global law firm based in London, England

Julie Ford, Head of Content at Sparrow Connected, chats with Shan, a Communications Warrior who has worked in internal comms in-house and as a consultant for companies of all sizes over 25 years, about why there is no formulaic approach to internal communications strategy and the important factors to think about when developing an effective strategy.

“Corporate communications is in-fact a strategic function with tactical arms for application. It’s not about going to cocktail parties, or writing speeches, it’s actually about honing the narrative of the organization stemming from its strategic objectives,” Dionne Ligoure, Head of Corporate Communications at Caribbean Airlines.

Mike Klein, Founder of #WeLeadComms, chats with Dionne, a true corporate communications leader with two decades of experience, about why internal comms pros need to step up and prove their value in order to be recognized as the strategic leaders they truly are.