Category: government
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5 Key Challenges & Solutions For Internal Communicators
These ideas surfaced at a recent “lunch and learn” event widely attended by government communicators, but the concepts are applicable in any organizational environment. Theme #1: Employees Aren’t Interested How do you increase the likelihood that employees will “tune in?” Most importantly, build (or rebuild) trust between leadership and the workforce. Before key information leaves…
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Responsible Communication and the COVID Vaccines
On the plus side, Moderna vaccine safe.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid…On the minus side, does not necessarily prevent you from getting COVID19.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec…My opinion – give it to elderly/high-risk people, while also reopening society. COVID is just a part of life now. WHO warns Covid-19 pandemic is ‘not necessarily the big one’Experts tell end of year media briefing that virus…
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Branding Your Federal Agency
“I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” It’s an old joke that belies a common frustration among Federal communicators: We are indeed passionate about serving the public, and though our work is far from perfect, negative stereotypes about government agencies, as well as Federal employees, are commonplace. Worse yet, it sometimes seems that…
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How A Federal Communicator Should Deal With The Media
1) Here is how a Federal communicator should deal with the media. I am telling you this based on experience and data, not my personal opinions or an agency’s direction or any partisan influence. (Pic: Free Image on Pixabay – Left Hand, Line, Male, Hand Download this free picture about Left Hand Line Male from…
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If Amazon Ran The Civil Service
Imagine for a moment that Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos were to run the civil service. We would have government “Amazon-style,” for the good and for the bad: Goods: Instant customer service Metrics-based everything, from services to human resources management Clearly visible reports on how taxpayer money is spent Drastic cost savings, on funds…
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Return on Investment – Federal Government Communication
1) How much should you pay for a good crisis communications specialist on retainer?According to this article, $2,500-$4,000 per month. The cost of PR: How much should you be charging?Companies cannot simply purchase a positive reputation and credible image—because they aren’t for sale. Building strong relationships with markets requires relentless honesty and compelling storytell…https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/cost-pr-much-charging/ 2) One of…
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Excellent Federal Communication Should Be Ordinary
How much should you pay for a good crisis communications specialist on retainer? According to this article, $2,500-$4,000 per month: https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/cost-pr-much-charging/ One of the most important functions of a crisis communication specialist (or any public affairs representative) is to alert the client to issues on the horizon. The US government employs thousands of communication…
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"The Federal Communicators Network now provides reinvention news to the editors of over 350 agency newsletters and similar publications."
The following is a reprint of a Department of Defense article from 1997. https://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=40951 Gore Tells Federal Workers Reinvention Efforts Are Working By Master Sgt. Stephen Barrett, USAAmerican Forces Press Service BETHESDA, Md., April 25, 1997 – With federal workers finding ways to better serve their customers — the American public — Vice President Al…
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Government Accountability & The Humble SOP
A frequently overlooked tool for ensuring management control is the establishment and maintenance of simple but consistent standard operating procedures (SOPs), in writing. In the rush to get work done, SOPs are easy to overlook. “Everybody knows how we do things around here,” is a common refrain. “This task doesn’t fit into a neat…
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Senior Executives Ask: Can This Government Be Saved?
To hear some senior executives tell it, the U.S. federal civil service is on life support, and its pulse grows weaker by the day. Without a sufficient number of skilled employees to oversee the effective functioning of the government, our nation suffers myriad security risks, not to mention the silent but deadly cancer of waste, fraud…
Management Excellence 