In this episode of A View From The Top, Adrian Cropley talks to Jenni about her career trajectory from communication officer to business entrepreneur and how she uses her strategic prowess to get business outcomes for her clients. The pair speak in depth about delivering value to an organisation and leading as a senior advisor, …
We work with clients to help them build a more inclusive workplace – something that should be on the agenda for all organisations. We support through activity such as consultative workshops or awareness campaigns. When we do this, we work with Advita Patel, who is part of our collective team and an inclusion and communication …
In this podcast episode of Comms In A Nutshell by Oak Engage, Jenni talks empowering and supporting change, what processes to use, and how managers can better support their teams with communications. She explains how to stop change from becoming dehumanised and why people respond differently, accepting the stages at different speeds. . “Change …
In this podcast episode of ICON by Sparrow Connected, Jenni speaks to Julie Ford, Sparrow Connected Head of Content, as together they challenge conventional thinking about internal communication and employee engagement. “Internal communication and employee engagement aren’t the same thing. “When it comes to looking at an engaged workforce and how you can drive engagement, you have …
Streamline your corporate communication to drive efficiency and engagement Read More »
We’ve recently been watching the latest docu-series of Couples Therapy, which follows four couples over six months of weekly treatment. It’s addictive and the fascinating fly on the wall nature gives an insight that we rarely see as the viewer follows couples visiting a New York psychologist and psychoanalyst, Dr Orna Guralnik. What’s critical that …
Three ways to improve your relationships at work Read More »
In this podcast episode of Deep Listening by Oscar Trimboli, Jenni talks about listening infrastructures and processes, how to use surveys purposefully, and how to deal with blockers in organisations. Her advice on why avoiding negativity is a red flag is a must listen “What’s the cost of not listening? Not understanding. That’s such a …
How to listen to what boards and executives value in internal communications Read More »
In many cases, frontline workers were hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. They may have experienced job loss or furlough, or communication issues while businesses worked out how best to manage their workforce. It brought to light the many other challenges they face. As we continue to emerge from the global pandemic, it’s more important …
Effective internal communication for frontline workers in a post pandemic world Read More »
In this Engagement Express podcast episode, Jenni talks to Kate Isichei about the difference between employee engagement, employee experience (EX) and internal communication (IC). The podcast is aimed at HR, engagement and communications professionals. “It’s about understanding what you love doing and what the organisation wants you to do and how those two match together. …
Engagement, employee experience, and internal communication – what’s the difference? Read More »
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 to be shining a light on the misdirection for internal communication that has happened as a result of the employee engagement focus for leaders in recent years. As I continue …
Is employee engagement the great distraction for internal communication teams? Read More »
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 in the room, and a few people dialling in from home. Carol grabbed the spider phone and connected the meeting room to the conference call number, and we waited to …
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 we may have lost, or are losing our creativity… our focus on fun. This must be considered in terms of your culture; what’s happening in your organisation in terms of …
Creative internal communication campaigns – why we need to have more fun! Read More »
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 a result, a lot of the conversations focus on change – the root cause of issues, behavioural change and broader organisational change and transformation. I’m not going to cover The …
Tried-and-tested frameworks for communicating organisational change Read More »
“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, actively look for reasons why we might be wrong, and focus on understanding rather than winning”. We must focus on understanding, rather than winning. I think this is the biggest …
How to avoid team friction – from poles apart to pulling together Read More »
Calm Edged Rebels is an award-winning podcast that Jenni co-hosts with her good friends Trudy Lewis and Advita Patel. The three of them discuss everything from imposter syndrome and productivity to personal branding and diversity. Listen now
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 the most talked-about terms of 2021. I discussed what we should be focusing on in organisations today and dispel five myths about hybrid working. The myths about hybrid working are: It’s …
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. In my book, I share the definitions of each of these: Employee engagement: “A workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to their organisation’s goals and values, motivated …
Redefining Communications first began working with The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) in 2019. The North East LEP is a public, private and education sector partnership, and one of 38 LEPs in the country. It’s responsible for promoting and developing economic growth across the region. We’ve worked with the team on a …
Supporting growth with ongoing communication consultancy and workshops Read More »
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 are many aspects to the story that have stayed with me and one, in particular, made me write a blog at the end of last year too about how easily …
Why employee engagement needs to be more than just campaigns and rewards Read More »
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 consultant and broadcaster, Mary Portas. The clip I shared (25.30) is the part of the conversation where they discuss remote work and the importance of the office – I agree …
LifeArc is an independent medical research charity helping turn promising early science into products that improve patients’ lives. At the start of 2021, the charity wanted to communicate its strategy and launch four new goals to all employees. We have worked with the LifeArc Corporate Affairs team over several years. Our role has been to …
Setting our direction – a virtual event for LifeArc Read More »
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. During my camping holiday in Cornwall I finished reading Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed and I cannot recommend it enough. I have highlighted so much of the book but a …
This article is a snippet from the Inspiring Workplaces eBook, which is packed with lots of suggestions from the top 101 influencers. Jenni was asked to contribute and she talks about the fact that hybrid isn’t new; people have been working flexibly for years and there are millions of workers who serve on the frontline …
How to return to the workplace (or not) – in a post-COVID world Read More »
In this article for CIPR International about finding calm in a global crisis, Jenni discusses The Field Model™ and the impact of globalisation on organisations. “Internal communication has never been more important. In a year when we’ve been forced to change how we’ve worked for decades, the need to connect and engage a workforce in …
In this article for Insights for Professionals, Jenni discusses how leadership is more than being able to delegate. Without effective communication, a leader’s team can quickly descend into chaos and disorder: “The defining trait for leaders shouldn’t be their ability to transform – doing what you do well, focusing on the basics and becoming an …
Six leadership skills to master for better internal communication Read More »
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 place in organisations where leaders prefer to be the authority figure – the ultimate decision-makers. The problem is that this rigid approach doesn’t allow team members to develop management or …
Empowered decision-making is not really decision-making at all Read More »
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 the rise of audio and how its popularity is due largely to the fact you can listen while you walk, drive, run or clean. During the hour session I shared …
How to beat Zoom fatigue and harness the power of audio Read More »
Organisations are complex. People are complex. It takes time and some difficult conversations to find calm amongst the chaos. This article – Keep calm: fix organisational chaos, streamline communication and drive engagement – was written by Jenni Field for Catalyst, the publication of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Jenni talks about how chaos …
Keep calm: fix organisational chaos, streamline communication and drive engagement Read More »
The Internal Comms Podcast – in this episode, Jenni talks to Katie Macaulay about the ideas and frameworks outlined in her new book, Influential Internal Communication. Katie and Jenni talk about chaos – what this looks like from a business perspective and what causes disorder – and how to use communication as a diagnostic tool …
For an event organiser, “online” and “virtual” have been the industry buzzwords over the last year. Here Sarah Weston, who is part of the Redefining Communications collective, talks about what makes an online event a success. Hosting a virtual event requires the same thought and attention to detail as an in-person event. It is important …
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™.
How often do you say you’re going to do something and then put it on the backburner? Here, Chloe Michel, marketing specialist, and part of the Redefining Communications collective discusses the say-do gap and what we can do to narrow it. With so many deadlines, conflicting demands and constantly changing circumstances, the say-do gap – …
As a mental resilience trainer, John Humphreys’ goal is to help people learn the art of resilience. John is part of the Redefining Communications collective and, in this long read, he answers some frequently asked questions related to mental resilience. What is mental resilience? Firstly, let’s look at the dictionary definitions of both words: Mental …
Internal communication was in the spotlight as one of the core disciplines within the communication remit last year. As we’ve moved office teams to work remotely and our frontline teams have been front of mind during the pandemic, our work in internal comms has enjoyed a bit of stardom. After years of being in the …
Employee engagement and internal communication are not the same thing Read More »
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 and communications in 2021. I asked people from across the globe and I also reached out to my contacts in the USA to find out what their specific views were. …
Why being more specific in 2021 is essential for organisations Read More »
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 when studying the theory behind what we do. I revisited it recently in the book Art of Resilience, by Ross Edgley, and a story in that book made me think …
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 overwhelmed and difficulty in separating our work life from home life. Much of this, of course, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that many of us …
Spotting burnout: seven ways to solve your stress cycle Read More »
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 (which tells the story of his endurance swim round the United Kingdom) and towards the end he mentioned zeitgebers. All of this got me thinking about work, why we are …
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 connected with our employers now than ever before. Thanks to our devices we can receive news/updates, employee services, and all manner of work-related activities anytime/anywhere. This has been of particular …
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 from home and the office, with greater flexibility than we had pre-Covid. It sounds reasonable enough, but what are the realities of this new way of working? What do leaders …
Hybrid working – what people are really thinking Read More »
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 three things that jumped out at me but feel free to have a scroll through, let us know what you think! 1. What is internal communication (IC)? Back in 2012 …
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 times and it felt like a timely read right now. While my own book is covered in pink highlighter, I wanted to share some of the key points I have …
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 our homes become if this becomes the ‘new normal’. I’m fascinated to see what will happen to the world of work when we are gradually allowed back outside and back …
When home-working isn’t always the future you think it is Read More »
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 around whether they should continue with their annual employee engagement survey with the current situation. I couldn’t answer straight away. I had a gut feeling but I wanted to chat …
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. Between the three of us we covered some of the themes around communications in a crisis, how Workplace can be the tool to help connect your teams and how to …
How do ‘Connected Companies’ communicate in a crisis? Read More »
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 business, government, NGOs and media. Many of us working in communications have the annual launch date of this report marked in our diaries because we use these findings to inform …
Edelman’s Trust Barometer 2020: is ethics on your radar? Read More »
Last year Lee Sheldon, founder of Mastering Multi-Units (MMU) invited me onto his podcast to talk about my experience in supporting organisations communicate with a remote workforce. I worked with Lee during my time at SSP as the Head of Internal Communications for the UK where our challenge was to communicate effectively with 10,000 employees. …
How do you achieve great communication in a multi-site organisation? Read More »
This week the Labour party announced plans to bring the employee voice into the Boardroom. Under Labour’s plans, all companies with a workforce of 250 or more, whether public or private, would be required by law to reserve at least one third of places at the boardroom table for employee representatives. While the theory is …
Why the new labour policy won’t help the employee voice Read More »
We know that internal communicators are struggling to influence at the top, finding digital adoption hard across organisations and working with limited budgets. Some of the conversation we need to have are increasingly challenging and opinion or experience might not be enough to win your case. Last week, at the CIPR Northern Conference in Newcastle, …
The art of science and engagement in internal communication Read More »
This morning CIPR Inside and Luminous hosted an Ask the Guru event all about the shift from informing to engaging audiences inside organisations. As the Chair of CIPR Inside I was there to open the event and facilitate any questions. The event was designed to explore the role of internal communication in driving engaging and …
Is employee engagement still on your agenda? A few weeks I blogged on AB thinks (for my client AB) about employee engagement and employee experience – here are my thoughts on how things have changed… Today commentators are using a new term – employee experience – described as the next competitive frontier for organisations. The …
Employee engagement isn’t about happiness, it’s about outcomes Read More »
Last week I was asked for some insight into volunteer communication on the back of my involvement with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). I have been working with CIPR for a number of years and leading the internal communications group has given me some understanding of what to consider when communicating and engaging …
Last week I attended my first Employee Engagement Awards Conference – hosted by Ruth Dance and organised by Matt Manners and the team behind the global employee engagement awards. I was excited to attend a conference dedicated to employee engagement as it’s been a while since I attended something that wasn’t focussed purely on communication. …
Four things I heard at the Employee Engagement Awards Conference Read More »
Last week I attended the Gatehouse (Gallagher Communications) State of the Sector research*. It was an insightful morning with some good debate in the room and a clear desire to further understand some of the data points. The research shows the results from over 650 communication professionals representing more than 400 organisations and based all …
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