The 5 secrets of inclusive language
Inclusive language is essential for creating an inclusive workplace culture. It can boost employee engagement and help people feel included in conversations and communications. However, using inclusive language takes conscious effort and continued learning from everyone within the organisation. As a communications professional, here’s how you can get started. Imagine a meeting that begins with […]
Change programmes: Common pitfalls
I’ve worked on some significant change programmes during my career, from mergers and acquisitions to digital transformations. Every time, some common pitfalls can cause the change to fail or stall. Here are my top three. 1) Over-selling the change. Yes, it’s essential to maintain a level of optimism, but I always say that you need […]
What exactly is inclusive internal communications?
When Priya Bates, ABC, MC, SCMP, IABC Fellow and I were writing our book, we spent some time researching various definitions. But none quite hit the mark so we decided to create our own based on our knowledge and experience. “Inclusive internal communication enables powerful connections, demonstrates curiosity and cultivates belonging through two-way engagement. This […]
How comms can help improve culture
It’s been five months since this beauty was released, and I’m so chuffed with the incredible feedback we’ve had so far. People worldwide have sent messages or tagged us in posts, sharing how much the book has helped them – which is truly humbling. The book was written for people needing practical help with inclusivity […]
Free labour in the workplace
Is free labour fair? You have two fantastic colleagues, let’s call them Jack and Sunita. They are both high performers and have similar ambitions. However, thanks to Sunita’s action-taking behaviour, she’s asked to Chair the new Race group at work. Her manager says it’ll be great for her development and visibility. Sunita, who is keen […]
What’s happening across your organisation?
To build an inclusive culture, everyone has to be involved and take accountability. There’s absolutely no point fussing about with newsletters, intranets and other channels if people feel excluded from the organisation. Dig deep, review your data points and see what’s happening across the organisation. Are you personalising your comms enough? Are you unintentionally excluding […]
Diwali: Light over darkness
This week starts Diwali celebrations for many Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and other faiths. Diwali means different things to different cultures, but ultimately, each story and legend generally believes it’s when light overcomes darkness and good triumphs over evil. I’m Gujarati Hindu, so the story I grew up with was about Rama and his wife, Sita. […]
How to talk about the Israel-Palestine crisis in your organisation
#CuriousMoments with Advita In a recent Curious Rebel newsletter, I covered how to talk about the Israel-Palestine crisis in your organisation. From the responses I’ve received, it seems it has helped a few folks. So I thought I’d summarise in this curious moment. I’m not claiming to be an expert. I have Jewish and Palestinian […]
Toxic cultures and crisis management
#CuriousMoments with Advita If you’re an internal comms professional having to manage a crisis, here are five things I would advise you to do: 1) Ensure you have an invite to the crisis talks that will be taking place so you get a head start on the headlines. If your PR person is in the […]
Build allyship through effective internal communication
#CuriousMoments with Advita It was an absolute privilege speaking at the CIPD Festival of Work event recently. We had 30 minutes to share our thoughts on how to build allyship through effective internal communication. When I talk about inclusion and its impact on our organisation, I’m sometimes told it’s not an issue in the organisation or […]