His infamous "I'd like my life back" statement has now cost him his job as CEO of BP, but it didn't have to be that way. On this week's podcast I cover 3 tips for avoiding your own Tony Hayward moment during any employee-facing event.

When texting goes from a personal medium to a business communication channel, there are 9 tips that can keep the lines clear and effective. On this week's podcast I cover these tips in the context of an actual texting pilot program.

From PRDaily.com "Internal communications consultant Linda Dulye outlines how to craft and send messages that employees will remember."

Based on some exciting new research from Dulye & Co., conducted at the recent IABC Global Conference in Toronto, we've identified some leadership trends and strategies for communications pros. Take a listen to this week's podcast for quick insights.

Thanks to audience evaluations of Dulye & Co. president Linda Dulye's presentation at IABC’s 2010 World Conference in Toronto in June, Linda has been rated an All-Star Speaker by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for the third-consecutive year. As a result, she has earned the prestigious "IABC recommended speaker" designation.

To learn where and when Linda is speaking, visit our events page. 

Over the past two years we've heard in the press about how businesses have responded to the economic collapse. In general, the coverage focuses on external factors, production levels and customer-focused issues. This got us thinking about how internal communicators' role has changed, if at all, during the downturn.

At the International Association of Business Communicators' 2010 Global Conference in Toronto, last month, Dulye & Co. conducted a survey among participants to learn more about the impact of latest economic downturn on internal communication practices, employee feedback, and engagement levels of managers and employees.

At Dulye & Co., we are passionate about helping our clients achieve their business goals through a Spectator-Free Workplace. We are also driven to make a difference in our community. That's why we've always been active in giving a voice to the voiceless through our proud support of animal shelters and rescue organizations. Beyond our generous financial support, we provide counsel on ways to use communications to increase public awareness and support of their noble causes.

We believe in giving back. We're proud to do so.

Recently, our Chief Operating Officer, Roger Gibboni, extended the reach of our firm's philanthropic efforts well beyond the boundaries of the U.S. into the Caribbean island nation of Grenada.

A popular question that we were asked at the IABC Global Conference last month was: What is the biggest challenge facing managers? Talk about a timely question. Today's managers are stretched thin -- and will continue to be as few companies have ramped up hiring.

The big challenge for managers is that they don't have a game plan for being a key communicator within their organization. Overcoming this challenge will require an investment by managers to grapple with concepts and practices that might be way out of their comfort zone. That investment, of course, is time.

Remember, employees look first to their manager for news, guidance and context. This is where professional communicators can -- and must -- help managers and supervisors answer four questions.

And just like that, 2010 is half over.

Depending on your perspective it's been a long haul or a blink of an eye. No matter how the first six months of the year went by, it's time to revisit a practice we believe is essential to effective individual and team performance: a regular review.

Most organizations have established procedures for conducting annual or semi-annual performance reviews, but we're not referring to your review of your team (we'll assume for the purpose of this article that you're already doing that.) We're talking about a review of your personal strategy for 2010.

Throughout the past couple of years we've been asked from time to time to explain what we mean when we talk about a spectator-free workplace. It's a provocative term that often has people wondering.

When we picture a spectator in today's work environment, we see someone who isn't engaged in their own work, much less the vision and objectives of the business. He or she simply arrives at work and essentially checks out.

They stand on the sidelines of the workplace -- often, criticizing, complaining and casting blame. They go through the motions -- do the bare minimum, nothing more. They are spectators.