Upstairs Communications Ltd » face to face communication

A plague is a good thing

Rosie Fyles — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:42:06 +0000

We recently worked on an editing job for a company based in Korea. Having written their social report in Korean, they wanted us to edit and proof-read the translation. The best thing about the job was how close Korea seemed throughout – to the extent that our client was in touch over email discussing some expression issues and our ability to discuss proved better than most face to face meetings. One interesting thing – how easy the word ‘plague’ is to mix up with ‘plaque’ as in ‘a plague of appreciation’ listed numerous times in the appendix…. We send all friends a plague of appreciation today….

No.1 in internal communication

Rosie Fyles — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:27:45 +0000

We were asked by a client to speak at an internal communication workshop for 21 communications managers held in Hong Kong last week. With an eye on our carbon footprint – and our client’s 2 eyes on budget – we had the pleasure of presenting to the group via a fantastic video conferencing suite. Our enjoyment of the technology and attention to detail of the facility were marred only slightly by our attendance at 5.30am…

Our topic ‘New frontiers in internal communication’ was an interesting one… We looked at lots of internal communications tools that were growing in usefulness and prominence (the role of web 2.0 internally, wikis, podcasts, every picture telling a story, feedback, feedback and more feedback) and also talked about the key drivers in employee engagement. Take a look at the presentation which is packed full of budget-proof statistics that prove internal communication matters. And what large conclusions global surveys of communication professionals drew.

What were our conclusions?

Leadership communication is the number 1 in internal engagement. Formal media are weak in impact compared to the words and actions – informal and formal – of the people at the top. Our leaders are judged on how they communicate, their reputation is vital and face to face is where they really make the most impact…

The future for internal communications is an interesting one – we’ll be ‘holding the space’ for the communication tools that allow unfettered interactivity. And we’ll be the personal brand managers of the leaders that count.

Are there really ‘new frontiers’? Probably not. The tools are different and we have more choice in what we use and how we use it. However, the business imperative and proving the business benefit are still – and always will be – the keys. There is nothing new there.

New Frontiers presentation (PowerPoint)

Face to face communication turned up the heat

Rosie Fyles — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:45:17 +0000

We did a little bit of reminiscing last night while enveloped by the pathos of a shutting Walthamstow dogs’ track. Blocking out the thought of what will happen to all those lean, running machines (thank you Cobra Striking) over drinks in the stand..the conversation turned…

The most bizarre ‘communication memory’ in Upstairs’ life so far has to be the experience of sorting out the heating in Shanghai’s all glass Science and Technology Museum ‘dome’, January 2007. 45 minutes before our 250+ corporate guests were due to arrive for their gala dinner (the ladies would be in evening dresses), we were shivering in our Puffas. Asking the venue manager to address the issue had not worked (informal cascade often fails). The next hour was spent running after our on-site supplier through tunnels and up and down the stairs of the museum, finally entering Flash Gordon’s boiler chamber. 15+ years communicating for a living and here was the greatest challenge yet. Gesticulating instructions to turn up the power and prove the resulting increase in temperature (15+ years of proving an implementation’s success kicking in here too…) to 2 local, apple-green boiler-suited technicians whose supper we were interrupting. While face to face internal communication IS best, hand signals, facial distortions, comic shivers, removing outdoor clothing (only) and actually going to randomly turn levers one’s self can also, for certain defined audiences, be recommended…

No footage of the actual ‘sit-com’ scene but take a look at the (warmer) night out they had. And save those dogs…