Tag Archives: Organizational communication

Speech of the devil: Words That Work

By Steve | Published: November 8, 2011
Imagine: I recommend reading a book by the guy who gave us “death tax,” “energy exploration” and the Contract with America. Frank Luntz helps Republicans choose words that resonate with Independents. I held my nose and bought his book, Words That Work, hoping to learn the devil’s secrets so I could twist them to good […]
Posted in Marketing and PR, Opinion, Organizational communication | Also tagged , , | Leave a comment

Social networks: From campfires to Facebook

By Steve | Published: September 11, 2011
It’s alchemy: A group of people is greater than the sum of its parts. A hunting party keeps the tribe fed. A bucket brigade douses the barn fire. Thirteen colonies become mightier when they unite. An assembly line mass produces autos. A tech firm creates dazzling innovation. A Twitter community brings a despot down. What’s […]
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How I trimmed 1,900 messages and never felt hungry!

By Steve | Published: August 23, 2010
I reduced my work inbox from 1,904 messages to zero over the weekend. I can’t tell you the peace of mind. Back about 1,800 inbox messages ago, I started to fret. The scrolling screens of red unread messages were my hamster wheel. A thousand inbox messages later, I felt symptoms of drowning each time I […]
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A book for resolve: Change or Die

By Steve | Published: January 1, 2010
Change or Die by Alan Deutschman was referred to me by a physician who is using its ideas to help her patients make life changes (thanks, Deb). It was an ideal read to usher in a new year, a new decade and a new phase in my career. Many of the change ideas were familiar to […]
Posted in Book reviews, Leadership, Life, Organizational communication, Organizational culture | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Poet brings vision statement to life

By Steve | Published: December 23, 2009
Tears of pride welled up yesterday as I watched a corporate video. A corporate video! Diane Gage-Lofgren, our national VP of communications and PR, had asked a poet/performance artist  to bring life to our communication team’s new vision statement. A stroke of genius. I will forever have a visual and resonant image to add soul […]
Posted in Applied stories, storytelling theory, Visual storytelling | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Filmmaker’s advice for great business storytelling

By Steve | Published: December 18, 2009
Filmmaker Peter Guber (Rainman, Batman, The Color Purple) once used storytelling to win Fidel Castro’s support for filming in Havana Harbor. The official application form had been torpedoed, but El Presidente enthusiastically endorsed the project once he heard Guber tell of the harbor’s historic significance and Castro’s responsibility to the world to share that piece of […]
Posted in Applied stories, Excellent stories, storytelling theory | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Stories trump facts: The mammography lesson

By Steve | Published: November 21, 2009
The facts are clear: You have to give 1,900 women mammograms before you save one life. Along the way are hundreds of false positives, needless worry and unnecessary procedures. The stories are more compelling: We all know someone whose breast cancer was caught early. That one life is real to us. The hundreds of false-positives […]
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What I look for in cover letters

By Steve | Published: April 5, 2009
I just finished looking at more than 100 cover letters. Here are a few thoughts for those of you in the job market: 1. Make your first paragraph work. “I am thrilled to apply for ….” “Enclosed please find ….” “I noticed your posting ….” Will blend right in with about 95 percent of the […]
Posted in Applied stories, Your career | Also tagged , | 6 Comments

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