Very good article on BBC News Online today on the pros and cons of blogging in the workplace. Entitled Looming pitfalls of work blogs, the BBC piece discusses employee blogging and potential legal pitfalls for both employer and employee (covering some similar ground to that published on this topic by ComputerWorld in early November), and […]
Category: Communication
How to win friends and executive influence
MediaInsider, the PR Newswire blog, posted an article from PIONet on research that adds some very useful information to the little that’s known about how corporate PR practitioners work to influence and persuade senior management in their organizations – how they obtain and use "clout" – or how they secure perceptions of their value to […]
Five examples of great thinking
Maybe it’s everyone coming back fresh after a break for Christmas and New Year, but whatever it is, I’ve been reading some extremely thoughful and thought-provoking posts in the past few days by some of our fellow business bloggers. Take these five examples, for instance: Andy Lark on Ten Ways Communications Will Change In 2005: […]
A catalyst for the future of blogs
A very good analysis in the Guardian newsblog on the role blogs have played in the Asia tsunami disaster and the long-term catalyzing effect this will have on the significance of blogs in the future: The tsunami may have a profound effect on blogs. These self-published sites have played a huge role in the telling […]
General Motors starts executive blog
General Motors started a blog yesterday, with the first posts by GM Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz: The FastLane blog is your source for the latest, greatest musings of GM leaders on topics relevant to the company, the industry and the global economy, and — most of all — to our customers and other car enthusiasts. […]
Gearing up for the New Communications Forum 2005
Planning proceeds apace for New Communications Forum 2005, the twin conferences taking place in the US and France, the first of which is scheduled for 26-27 January in Napa, California. If you’re in the communication profession – in PR, marketing, advertising, employee communication, etc – and if you are considering starting a corporate blog, want […]
Fishing for podcasts
I’ve been listening to quite a few podcasts during the past week, especially since Shel Holtz and I started our weekly podcast a week ago. You do know what podcasts are, right? If not, check this definition at Wikipedia. Much of my listening has been to gain some further knowledge in how different people do […]
A worthy checklist for presentation planning
Seth Levine, a Principal at Mobius Venture Capital in the US, posted a handy guide on putting together an effective presentation when you’re calling on VCs to pitch your wares. Reading the guide, all of it struck me as wholly valid in almost any situation where you have to explain something to someone in order […]
The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #2: January 10, 2005
Show notes for January 10, 2005. Welcome to our second weekly podcast, a 49:54-minute conversation recorded live via Skype from Concord, California, USA, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Download the file here (MP3, 22.9MB), or sign up for the RSS feed to get it and future shows automatically. (For this, you’ll need ipodder, software that lets […]
Growing European resentment at Sarbanes-Oxley
A rising tide of resentment is building at the increasing pressure European companies are feeling to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, with some European companies threatening to de-list from US stock exchanges. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) is legislation passed in the US in 2002 in response to a number of major corporate and accounting […]
Using blogs for informal relationship-building with shareholders
There’s a an extremely good report on IR Web Report, published yesterday, on why corporate boards should blog to improve their communication with shareholders. Every corporate communicator, investor relations practitioner, and CFO should read this (as well as the companion article with ten excuses not to blog). Written from the boardroom perspective, IR Web’s key […]
Skype saves you money, period
I know I evangelize the Skype internet phone service a great deal as a highly cost-effective communication tool, and I make no excuses for that! I just concluded a call with a business friend where we both use Skype. I’m here in The Netherlands, he’s there in the UK. We chatted for 45 minutes, totally […]
What you say may not be what others think you mean
If I said to you “You must come over for dinner sometime,” what would you think I meant? You’d probably think, “That’s nice, he’s inviting me to dinner.” Unless you’re British, that is. And then you’d know that I was just being polite and have no intention of inviting you to dinner. Ever. This is […]
EU commissioner starts blogging
Margot Wallström, the first-ever European Union Commissioner for Communications, appointed last August, will start a blog today. A news announcement late yesterday in the EU Observer said: From Friday (14 January) onwards, the Swedish Commissioner’s thoughts will be aired for all to see. The online journal is to be updated two to three times a […]
The harsh reality for PeopleSoft employees
CNET News: Oracle appears to be adding insult to injury in its merger with PeopleSoft – taking the unusual step of notifying workers of their termination by sending pinks slips via express mail to their homes. Shipments to thousands of PeopleSoft employees across the [United States] are expected over the weekend, according to sources close […]
Searls and Curry: iPod Shuffle not for podcasting
The talk about the iPod Shuffle, launched this week, just goes on. Here’s a different dimension – a focus on podcasting and why the Shuffle may not measure up for that use. Internetnews.com carries a story today, saying: […] But while a 40GB iPod or even a 20GB iPod mini is great for holding an […]
Yes, use your iPod Shuffle for podcasts
The iPod Shuffle is not for podcasting, according to Doc Searls and Adam Curry. Yes it is, according to Eric Rice: The iPod Shuffle gives us the chance to be more creative. It gives people the chance to experience the idea of podcasts by virtually a zero-dollar investment. To me, the Shuffle’s a neat toy […]
Tsunami help wiki for broadcasters launched
Launched yesterday – Broadcasters-Tsunamihelp, a new wiki-based portal that aims to ensure there is coordination between broadcasters and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the wake of the Asian tsunami disaster: This site attempts to get an overview of how various organisations around the world have reacted to help broadcasters affected by the December 26th Earthquake and […]
The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #3: January 17, 2005
Show notes for January 17, 2005. Welcome to our third weekly podcast, a 54:28-minute conversation recorded live via Skype from Concord, California, USA, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Download the file here (MP3, 24.9MB), or sign up for the RSS feed to get it and future shows automatically. (For this, you’ll need ipodder, software that lets […]
Using blogs to get global awareness
Elizabeth Albrycht has written a terrific article about business blogging, just published in IABC’s online member newsletter, CW Bulletin. This isn’t the usual kind of article about how cool blogs are and let’s do one. What I like in particular about it is that it addresses the topic from the point of view of how […]