Author: Jenni Field
Avoiding the hurry habit – trends and why you need to slow down in 2023
It’s that time of year when we all talk about the latest trends in communication and business, what to expect from the year ahead and …
How to improve the relationship between leaders and the communication function
Getting the relationship right between leadership teams and the communication function is critical. When cracks start to appear and communication lacks clarity and focus, chaos …
It’s not disengagement, it’s distrust
Earlier this year I read The Speed of Trust: the one thing that changes everything by Stephen M. R. Covey after a client asked me …
Building relationships with leaders
Do you have a seat at the leadership table? As a communicator, do you need one? In this webinar for ICology Presents, I talk about …
Fresh perspectives and creative ideas to improve communication
“Why are there no CEOs here?” This was one of the first questions that was asked as we kicked off our communications unconference – Comms …
How can we get people to step up, take responsibility and get shit done?
This is a great question. And at the heart of the answer is the need to understand a bit more about motivation. There are lots …
The fundamentals of internal communications
The Communications Network is a US-based community that connects leaders from influential foundations, nonprofits and social sector consultancies worldwide, so it was great to be …
How to communicate effectively within a heavily matrixed global organisation
Communicating effectively in a matrix structure is always going to be complex and challenging. A matrix structure is where someone reports to multiple people. This …
How long does it take to rebuild trust?
That’s the question I was asked by one of my clients recently. It was interesting as I’ve been reading more widely about trust and credibility …
How do you get staff to pay attention and follow the rules?
When I was asked this as part of our Reality Check research into the issues affecting organisations, this question made me chuckle! To answer, we …
How can I help my leaders tackle difficult conversations?
Some leaders actively avoid having difficult conversations, while others positively embrace them. Personally, I’m in the latter group, since I think real change can only …
Is employee engagement the great distraction for internal communication teams?
This year I have seen more conversations about the difference between internal communication and employee engagement than ever before. The difference is that we seem …
Collective wisdom – working with a collective consultancy
When you’re working with lots of different organisations – from local entrepreneurs to global teams – the issues are many and varied. It’s one of …
Six simple ways to avoid the Great Resignation
One of the most used phrases of 2021 and 2022 has been the Great Resignation. Despite some people thinking that this is a myth (myself …
Influential Internal Communication – now available on Audible!
Since I launched my book Influential Internal Communication just over a year ago, I’ve frequently been asked if it’s available in audio. It was really important …
Five things I’ve learnt about running a successful business
This is a special month for me and the Redefining Communications collective, as we celebrate five years since we launched! A lot has happened since …
A model for internal communication strategy and planning
What model should I use for internal communication? It’s a question we get asked a lot – we all love a model or a …
The latest trends in internal communication
It’s 2012 and I’m walking into a meeting in the Euston head office of the company I work for… There were about six of us …
How a communication audit can help you be less chaotic
Internal communication audits can be hugely helpful in exploring how you change your internal communication channel mix. This is about looking at how people receive …
Creative internal communication campaigns – why we need to have more fun!
I was teaching about change communication recently and the discussion unfolded about campaigns to engage employees in a brand change. It dawned on me that …
How do we communicate and bring senior team leaders along on a journey of change?
Organisational change is something we frequently support clients with and we’re often asked about how best to communicate change effectively and bring people along on …
Tried-and-tested frameworks for communicating organisational change
We talk a lot about organisational change with our clients. The Field Model™ is designed to help you go from chaos to calm and as …
Checking in with your culture and why the Great Resignation isn’t all bad
The Great Resignation has put an even bigger emphasis on the importance of company culture in recruitment and retention. In this article published by Kogan Page …
Inspiring Goodies – reframing leadership, changing habits and finding quiet
The last few months have been focused on reading and professional development for me. I knew the start of the year would be one centred …
How to manage stakeholders
In a recent podcast episode, I talked about how to manage stakeholders. A stakeholder is someone who has an interest in the organisation. Stakeholders are …
Ask me anything: solving communication, leadership and organisational chaos
As part of our Reality check research into the issues and chaos affecting their organisations and teams, we gave respondents the opportunity to ask us …
Reality check – what’s really causing chaos in organisations?
We help clients work out the root cause behind issues that are impacting efficiency and employee engagement. This can often be big-ticket items like mergers …
How a manifesto can help achieve alignment with your strategic narrative
A few years ago I was at an employee engagement conference listening to various internal communicators sharing their case studies. One of them was from …
How RASCI can help you gain clarity and calm
Whenever I work with leaders going through The Field Model™ or helping communication teams get their strategy in place, I often use the RASCI framework. …
How to avoid team friction – from poles apart to pulling together
“We have to allow ourselves to be prepared to be convinced by opposing arguments. We must revisit conclusions as we receive new and relevant information, …
Inspiring Goodies – Chicago Fire, The Great Indoors and letting inspiration flow
I’ve realised that I find inspiration in almost everything. From Chicago Fire on Netflix to the way products are packaged as gifts for Christmas. It …
Cracking the challenges of leading from a distance
We’re very pleased to announce a collaboration with Lee Sheldon at Mastering Multi-Units on his new Leading Remote Teams programme available for teams of up …
What is organisational culture and is it important?
Following a podcast interview with Vicki Marinker – Don’t Shoot The Messenger – here I share my thoughts and suggestions on how to build a …
How to master internal communication when you’re not a communications professional
Working in communication seems to have been a calling for me from a young age. I took communication, English and business studies for A Level …
The Field Report launches on Amazon
We always like to send clients, associates and people who have supported us a gift at the end of every year. This year the Redefining …
A time to reflect – a year of variety, insights and community
How has your year been? Productive with a touch of chaos? Or challenging with some key milestones reached? Perhaps a bit of a mixture! Every …
Communication trends in 2022 – and how they’re changing more slowly than we’d like!
It’s that time of year when our social media feeds start to fill with blogs about forecasts, trends and themes to look out for in …
Five myths about hybrid working
I recently co-hosted a webinar with best-selling author of Remote Work, Chris Dyer, to explore the pitfalls and assumptions around hybrid working – one of …
What is internal communication?
In this podcast episode, I talk about the difference between employee engagement, employee experience and internal communication and the importance of alignment between all three. …
The seven essential elements of organisational transformation
Every day leaders are constantly dealing with challenges, change and an inevitable degree of daily firefighting. Striving to focus on the longer-term goals to survive, …
What’s the best way to diagnose issues in your organisation?
I think it’s fair to say that internal communications professionals are more likely to count themselves as words people rather than numbers people. However, accessing …
Diversity and inclusion: why we need to invest in ourselves and take action to drive change
A few weeks ago I spent a day at a diversity and inclusion workshop. It was through my work with the CIPR and it was …
Why employee engagement needs to be more than just campaigns and rewards
In 2020 I read The Art of Resilience by Ross Edgley. In the book, Ross shares the story of his swim round the UK. There …
Why we need to understand symptoms versus root cause
If you’re a CEO or senior leader, you’ll understand this feeling… you know something’s wrong but you’re not quite sure why. It might be affecting …
Ambiguity, resilience, and the Stockdale Paradox
“You need to get comfortable with ambiguity” was what my old boss told me. I really struggled with this, partly because the ambiguity was everywhere, …
Culture shock – why we need to be more intentional when communicating organisational culture
I’ve been writing and speaking a lot recently about culture and the return to the office. It’s becoming the topic for everyone in business as …
Champagne, showers, sunshine and celebration!
When my book, Influential Internal Communication, launched in April this year, we were guided by COVID-19 restrictions and I was unable to hold an in-person …
Five books to inspire you this summer
I’m always reading or listening to something and so far this year there are five books that have really influenced my thinking. If you’re looking …
Working from home reduces productivity by 20%
Last week I shared a podcast clip from The Diary of a CEO. It’s hosted by Stephen Bartlett and in this episode, he interviews retail …
Inspiring Goodies – The Bold Type, rest and recuperation, and Rebel Ideas
The Bold Type – showcasing warm, inspirational and strong female leadership I have binge-watched The Bold Type on Netflix in the last few months. For …
The pandemic revolution
It’s going to take us 25 years to reap the true benefits of flexible working… that’s if the industrial revolution is anything to go by. …
Why we’ve signed up to support the Better Business Act
Redefining Communications has recently signed up to support the Better Business Act, which calls for every company in the UK to align the interest of …
Inspiring Goodies: empowerment vs autonomy, is IC management consultancy and freedom in a framework
This was an interesting month for inspiration as I found myself focused on the results of my line manager research and my book launch events. …
Empowered decision-making is not really decision-making at all
When it comes to the different approaches to management and culture, many leaders have moved on from command and control. This top-down approach has its …
Line managers need investment in communication skills and relevant content from the centre
Throughout March and April, we carried out some research into the role of line managers in organisations. This is for line managers to tell us …
How to beat Zoom fatigue and harness the power of audio
May is National Walking Month in the UK. When I was speaking at the Global Women in PR Inside Stories event recently, I talked about …
Out in the Field – Gallagher Employee Experience and Communication
Back in 2019 Ben Reynolds, Managing Director of Gallagher’s Employee Experience and Communication division, engaged Jenni to implement The Field Model™ and explore the reality …
How fear and culture will impact hybrid working
In February I wrote about hybrid working and asked if the term is a red herring for leaders. In the blog I said: “So rather …
There is my truth, there is your truth, and there is fact
In this blog, which was originally featured in Influence, I talk about being mindful of interpretation. A few years ago, I was at lunch with …
Inspiring Goodies: the people who inspire me, five seconds and leaders with purpose
What’s inspired me in the last month? Here are three things you can listen to (podcast episode and a book) and read (book and report)! …
How to have a difficult conversation
At some point, we all need to have difficult conversations. Some people actively shy away from it, wanting to avoid confrontation, others don’t have any …
Influential Internal Communication – book launch
This week my first book is being published. The idea of writing the book started in May 2019 and with encouragement from those around me …
How to be human
From the start of the day I was hooked. It was an event that had speakers I was connected with on social channels, but hadn’t …
The power of language
Last week I completed the MHFA England course and I’m now a certified mental health first aider. I took part in the course because I …
Why you need to invest in your communication skills to stay focused and productive
It’s becoming increasingly hard to focus our attention. We live in a noisy world; one that makes us feel like we need to keep up …
Line managers under the microscope
New research into the role of line managers! Line managers matter; they hold the key to many challenges inside organisations. They are one of the key …
Psychological safety and trust are not the same thing
I have been listening to and reading The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson. It’s a book that was recommended to me by Dr Kevin Ruck, co-founder of the …
Why competitive busyness is toxic for you and others around you
I talk a lot about productivity, setting boundaries and managing attention. In the last six months I have seen a huge increase in a sense …
Inspiring Goodies: the series everyone was talking about, psychological safety and Clubhouse
Every month we’ll share three things that have inspired our thinking over the last month for you to have a look at, listen to or …
Is the focus on hybrid working a red herring for leaders?
In this blog, (original version featured in Influence), I talk about the changes in the workplace and the overuse of the word hybrid. I was prompted …
What is The Field Model™?
The Field Model™ came from a conversation about how I describe what I do. Over the years the need to be mindful, explore other perspectives and manage emotional reactions has led to better conversations and quicker problem solving. Here’s an overview of the three elements of The Field Model™.
Why we rush to fix before we understand
In my blog, What is The Field Model™? I talk about the three elements of our model: Understand – Diagnose – Fix. In this blog, …
Inspiring Goodies: ways we delude ourselves, trust and accountability
Last year Inspiring Goodies was a section in my monthly newsletter, Perspective, but for 2021 we are bringing them to our blog to share a …
Why being more specific in 2021 is essential for organisations
At the end of last year, I asked my community across LinkedIn and Twitter what they thought the trends were going to be for business …
Field Notes – a year behind the screen
What a year it’s been! As I write this I’m sitting in my office, surrounded by boxes and debating putting on gloves as it’s so …
Can’t see the wood for the trees?
People often say we need to stop, slow down, take more time to think about what we’re doing and reflect on the bigger picture. Quite …
The skills we need to take us into the next era of comms and engagement
The Bionic Business report from simplycommunicate provides insight into the way organisations need to change to adapt to a hybrid working environment in the wake …
Aligning needs to employee engagement – how we can easily get it wrong with the best intentions
Many people working in communications, marketing and PR will be familiar with Marlow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It is often one of the main models taught …
Spotting burnout: seven ways to solve your stress cycle
I’ve been doing a lot of research recently into mental resilience, reading about the increasing burnout, stress and loneliness we’re experiencing; the sense of being …
Why routine and focus is a challenge right now
This week I finished listening to the audio version of Ross Edgley’s Art of Resilience. He talks a lot about circadian rhythm in the book …
Employee Apps – where do we start?
In a world where most of us have smartphones (76% of people in “advanced economies”), be that a company device or personal, we are better …
Hybrid working – what people are really thinking
The phrase “Hybrid working” isn’t new but it’s being used more and more. Most of us will understand it to mean a blend of working …
Podcast going live!
Starting a podcast has been a topic that has been bubbling around for me over the last year. A few people have suggested doing one …
Workplace technology – friend or foe?
Are organisations using technology ethically to help keep us safe and well, or is it a covert way to keep tabs on us now we’re …
What questions are we still asking?
Our blog celebrated its 10th birthday this week and we’ve been going back through the archives to see what has/hasn’t changed. We’ve picked the top …
How to remove bias in the attracting stage
We attended the CIPD Future of Work conference last month and it sparked a number of ideas, the most timely being around the importance of …
How to pivot to drive growth
The word pivot became the word of my social media feeds in the first 4 weeks of lockdown. It’s a word I have seen many …
The role of the communicator in influence and leadership
There are six pieces of advice that I always give when it comes to leadership and influence. During the MemCom Conference June 2020, I chatted …
The science of fear
I’ve spent the last few months reading The Science of Fear by Dan Gardner. It is a book I have recommended to many, quoted several …
How to recapture your work rhythm during and after a crisis
This week I took part in a webinar with Dynamic Signal to talk about how we need to consider the rhythm of work after the crisis. We …
When home-working isn’t always the future you think it is
Since we all shifted to working from home I have been wondering; what will cities and offices look like in the future and what will …
To survey or not to survey?
Last week I took part in the Generation Digital ‘Connected Companies’ webinar to discuss communication in a crisis. One of the attendees asked a question …
How do ‘Connected Companies’ communicate in a crisis?
This morning I joined Hannah Sardar from Workplace by Facebook for a webinar hosted by the team (Graham Mackay and Jack Paine) at Generation Digital. …
Comms, Change and Neuroscience – what’s the link?
Last week we attended the first Talk/50 event on Communications and Neuroscience. Hosted by Trudy Lewis of Lewis Communicate we heard from author Hilary Scarlett …
State of the Sector 2020: What will it take to overcome our barriers?
Today I attended the annual state of the sector event hosted by Gatehouse, a Gallagher Company. This is always a ‘must attend’ event in my …
Edelman’s Trust Barometer 2020: is ethics on your radar?
Edelman’s Trust Barometer has been running for 20 years. With over 34,000 respondents across 28 markets, it’s a trusted source and snapshot into trust in …
The challenge of ambiguity and autonomy
This year I’m writing a book to help organisations understand how better communication can make things less chaotic. As I work with clients, and research, …
Becoming an author
This year I have signed a publishing contract with Kogan Page to write a book about how to take your organisation from chaos to calm. …
Big words, little meaning – what do we mean by measurement?
I have presented on some big topics over the last few months – measurement being one of them. In the last two sessions I showed …
