Jeni Carroll

Three lessons. Made very clear @ the internal comms interact conference in a misty and damp but beautiful Edinburgh this week. 🪩 Retain connection - be reflective of the organisational culture when you’re bringing your story together, especially when you’re growing and everything is catching up (the griiiiiind of processes and tech can be frustrating when you’re moving fast and growing faster). ⚖️ Balance - what’s needed at the time depends on what your audience needs. What’s the ‘big conversation’ you need to have? Is it about AI? Flexible working? Global politics? Basic safety and care? The rule book starts with how you set your own rules and what your audience NEEDS. 🐇 Story telling - loved hearing about the journey all the companies in the room have been on to tell stories more effectively, at scale and the challenges of working with those who love it, do it daily and those who and sometimes struggle - we’re all on a journey folks! Thanks Interact Software - see you next time! #internalcommunications #employeecommunications

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One of the nice things about having taken a step back before embarking on new projects has been the opportunities afforded by more time to catch-up with colleagues and clients from the past - and realising just how lucky I’ve been to have worked with some of the very best. Next week I’m interviewing Ros Atkins about his book ‘The Art of Explanation’ (now out in paperwork) for ‘Centrum’, the magazine I edit for the PSMG LLP. In the book, Ros talks about the power of informal networks and the huge value in having people with whom you can share ideas and seek honest opinions. ‘Networking’ might seem an outdated concept in an era of sophisticated technology, hybrid working and, yes, AI, but is there really any substitute for that one-on-one connection? A coffee with someone I respect and value or another impersonal piece of tech? There’s a place for both, but I know which I prefer - and which I bet has a longer-term value and relevance than AI and ChatGPT.

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Thanks to Management Today for highlighting the internal communication challenges faced by CEOs leading transformation. Thanks, too, for including my thoughts in this insightful piece. To summarise Antonia Garrett Peel's article, the best CEOs recognise the two-way nature of communication. They are authentic. They "show up and show commitment". They "get the message right". Seemingly little things can make a big difference, and when it comes to successful business transformations, building individual relationships with employees can be just as important as bravery and innovation. CEOs, take note! https://lnkd.in/efUUxVkE

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Over two-thirds of UK business leaders are scared to admit when they don’t understand technology!! 👉🏾 Over a third don’t speak up because they worry that not understanding makes them look old. 👉🏾 More than half admit to spending money on digital services without understanding them! The findings come from research by brand and cultural transformation company BBD Perfect Storm | a B-Corporation. 🤔 The obvious takeaways for B2B technology marketers? If you're targeting senior business leaders and department heads, focus on making your marketing clear and accessible. Eliminate buzzwords and jargon, provide practical examples, and simplify the message to include only the essential information they need.

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A comms consultant is not really worth paying if they just take orders and cater to every possible need at any time of the day on any time scale. Sadly, this is what most comms consultants (agency and client side) are trained to be. Instead, I think we can only really help people do great work once we’ve developed our own POV, our own unique voice. I really see us as artists on a journey, who develop a trademark style over time. If we can’t confidently explain our point of view, we have very little authority to give good advice - to really lead and guide. In the end we do have to make functional art TOGETHER with clients, so it’s not just about *our* art. It’s about the highly functional art that comes out of a client/consultant relationship which should feel a lot more like a collaboration among artists than a business transaction. Consultants: double down on your journey as a craftsperson and the rest of the consultancy stuff will fall into place.

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How long does it take to find a board role? If I smile and wait will it come? (pic of me smiling and waiting!) Our membership at WB Directors UK (home of the Women on Boards UK community) is annual and we often say it can take more that the singular year to find the right board role for you. Equally our Corporate Partnerships (which employees benefit from) are annual but realistically, if you are working full-time, the project of finding a board role can take longer than you may think.  So what can you do? I speak to people all of the time who haven’t actually even thought of getting a board role as part of a bigger career plan, many don’t have a career plan, and they therefore don’t know where they are heading overall. Although, yes, many board roles do come from a ‘tap on the shoulder’ this is not something to be hopeful about, make a board role part of your strategic vision for yourself.  This is where we can really support you, so do get in touch and come to one of our monthly sessions on ‘Exploring your board potential’, better still ask your company to sign up to a corporate partnership and start now…it’s never too early to start your journey to the boardroom! Here are a few examples of board roles (paid and unpaid) that we currently have on our huge vacancy board, access to which is just one of the benefits of membership. 🔔Chartered Institute of PR – Committee member (unpaid/expenses only) 🔔Low Carbon Contracts Company - exists to mobilise private sector investment in secure, low carbon energy (Directors Fees) 🔔Long Covid SOS – Board Chair (unpaid/expenses only) Shared last week; 🔔World Land Trust – A great opportunity for those looking for their first trustee role. They are keen on recruiting candidates from high-biodiversity counties in tropical regions. 🔔The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust are looking for trustees 🔔The Campaign for National Parks are looking for trustees. Lisa Jones Fiona Hathorn Jodi Newton

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Working in the Comms Industry is both brilliant and tough. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most inspiring and imaginative thinkers, tackling exciting challenges, and even shaping culture. 🧠 But let’s be honest, it’s not as glamorous as it appears. The high demands, tight turnarounds, and constant changes can wear down even the most resilient among us. Confidence becomes a necessity, not just a nice to have. It helps you make impactful decisions, share your ideas with conviction, and guide your team under pressure. I understand how overwhelming it can feel - I’ve been there. I was struggling to balance leading a team and managing my workload, questioning my opinions and whether I was a 'good' leader. That’s why I care so much about coaching people who are moving into new leadership roles. I’m here to help you overcome self-doubt, define a leadership style that feels authentic, and lead with confidence. 🌟 I wish my Lead Your Way program had existed back then! ❤️ And I’m proud to say that I’ve helped many clients make that transformation this year. One client shared: “Charlotte’s wealth of knowledge across media and the inner workings of agency life is unparalleled. Her sessions not only made me feel confident in myself but also gave me a clearer perspective on how to tackle challenges, and I can't recommend her enough!" 🙌🏻 Ready to start 2025 as your most confident self? Let’s chat! 😊 I have four spots available in January, with a bonus strategy session if you sign up before the end of the year. Message me to find out more! 🎁

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Good morning today spent with one of our clients at 44 Communications Ltd talking through the results of recent research into one of their core channels. In the past (read: pre-covid) we used to run semi-regular Focus Groups to find out what employees were interested in for the channel. Whilst they were valuable, they took a lot of time to organise and pulled hard-pressed workers off the job for an extended period of time. Not easy to do when there are deadlines and priorities competing for attention. So, this time we worked with the client on a programme of 'Speed focus groups' - fast conversations with employees asking a set of questions and quickly exploring themes. No more than a few minutes of time but some great insights and ideas raised. Added to survey results, these give some flavour and life to the numbers, helping us work with the client to frame an action plan. It's not the first time we've done these. It can be hard getting opinions from front line workers whose priority is service delivery on tight schedules and with limited resources. So, it's important we take time to design measurement approaches that fit their world rather than demand they fit into ours. Just goes to show, research and insight can be done even when operating circumstances may make it seem difficult. It's always worth asking the question "what do you think about...". #internalcommunications #research #engagement #measurement #channels

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Wow summer is certainly hotting up, with the Festive season around the corner I started yesterday with a strategy session, followed by two client meetings. It looks like SWC will end the year on a high note. #swc #shirleywilliamscommunications #strategyplanning #clientconfabs #festiveseason #adayinthelifeofaprp #publicrelations 

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𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚? It's great to see companies are waking up to the need for support systems to help women navigate #Menopause, both to preserve talent and maintain productivity. This is an essential step forward, but we are still only dealing with half the issue. While organisations are rightfully focusing on menopause, what about #andropause? Are we inadvertently ignoring a significant portion of our workforce? I recently applied to speak on a podcast about andropause to highlight how it affects men in the workplace both mentally and physically, and why businesses should be aware of this issue. While the response was polite I was ultimately declined because the podcast only wanted to focus on menopause and its impact on women. I found this decision telling because I felt a man's right to humanity was pushed aside. Focusing solely on menopause risks limiting a company’s efforts to preserve its profitability and credibility. Men also have a 'Pause' journey and experience the same symptoms as women. Ignoring this reality means that companies could be missing half of the problem and, as a result, leaving a significant portion of their workforce unsupported. When companies are unaware of the challenges posed by andropause, they may experience reduced productivity, increased absenteeism, and even the loss of valuable talent in the male pool of workers. Addressing this issue isn't just about fairness, it’s about safeguarding the organisation’s bottom line. A company can invest in menopause awareness campaigns, employee wellness programs, and policies that cater to women going through this transition. That’s great, but they’re only mitigating half the risk. If the other half of the workforce, men, are not midlife includive, an organisation remains vulnerable. For every pound saved by supporting women, there could be a comparable loss due to the unaddressed issues of Andropause. A workforce is both pink and blue 💖💙, and the experiences of men and women in midlife should be equally important in the corporate wellness conversation. Ignoring andropause could leave corporates vulnerable and mean facing an unnecessary financial hit on half of their bottom line profits and diminishing the overall credibility of a their wellness efforts. Contact me if you need awarenes of Andropause, because By failing to recognise andropause and making men inclusive, businesses are only doing half the job and, as a result, could be losing half of their profitability. #Perimenopausesupport #menopausesupport #menopauseawareness #menopausematters #menopausesymptoms #midlifewomen #hormonalhealth #Perimenopausehealth #relationships #Menopauseatwork #Menopauseintheworkplace #workplacementalwellbeing #mentalhealthmatters #Andropausesupport

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We all know that gathering data about how our team feels is essential, but it's often difficult to know what to do with it once we've got it. This is a great read from HBR, packed full of useful advice. Some highlights for me? 1. It's not survey fatigue that kills employee engagement, but 'inaction fatigue' 2. Use survey results as the springboard to explore more. Don't assume you know the reason, ask 3. Prioritise your response, don't try to do it all - loving the 1-2-3 model (Choose 1 topic, do 2 things, check in for progress 3 times) 4. Show your workings out - explain how you've come to the decisions you make. https://lnkd.in/ehPxfdBb? #employeeengagement #employeesurveys #managingpeople

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Thankfully, there is a growing realisation that many of the most fashionable psychometrics are unreliable at best and harmful at worst. So if you are a Insights, MBTI or DISC fan you might want to think again. It's why I use the MTQPlus because it doesn't label people, it has decades on proven psychological, peer-reviewed research to support it and it assesses something more important than behaviour - how you think Curious to know more? Let's start a conversation #mentaltoughness #psychometrics #recruitment #talentmanagement

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5 mins 34 secs...This describes Helen's experience of working with NLP - and me - over a number of years. Quite detailed, and relevant if you are considering coaching support for yourself, a friend or a family member.

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It’s incredibly gratifying to hear how my coaching programmes have shifted perspectives and boosted confidence, enabling clients to unlock their potential. I recently received a testimonial from a coaching client. During our sessions we tackled imposter syndrome, explored techniques to quiet the inner critic and implemented actionable tasks to incrementally build up her confidence one success at a time. I’m so proud of the progress she has made and can’t wait to follow her career as she goes from strength to strength. Check out my suite of coaching programmes and discover how you could benefit from coaching. https://lnkd.in/ejepbY7V Why not book a complimentary 30 minute discovery call where we can discuss the challenges you are facing and understand how coaching can help you have a successful career in 2025: https://lnkd.in/esuH7AX9

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❓ What is the Gestalt approach to coaching? Since completing post grads in behavioural sciences, I've had a real interest in Gestalt coaching, specifically in the work place. As a Gestalt coach, we’re exploring, uncovering, understanding what’s really going on for the coachee from the inside out and helping them direct their energy into fully experiencing and accepting what’s going on in the present. It’s very much about working in the present and becoming who you are. This will then allow the flow of change. 💡 It may sound overly simple plus it could also be uncomfortable to fully experience and accept what's going on in our complex life's and busy jobs. I'm super interested to hear about your views on Gestalt, especially if this relates to some change/s you are or have been through recently or are currently going through. ✔ For more information click the below short clip "Gestalt in a nutshell" . ✔ For avid readers, I can highly recommend John Leary-Joyce book "The Fertile Void". Sysdoc #change #leadershipandchange #changemanagement

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Enjoyed reading this insightful article in the Sunday Times. It discusses how a founder of a new PR agency used their experiences of working with freelancers to think about how they can work differently. Here's the full article: https://lnkd.in/d77uwcr7 In what areas could your industry improve its processes? H/T Avital Eusgeld

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