Mind bending, surprising, and shocking plot twists are common narrative devices, designed to intrigue and entertain audiences. Yet when a plot twist occurs in our working life, especially when it results from our own actions, none of us see this as ‘entertaining’. ‘Tales of the Unintended’ in the header image is an adaptation of Roald… Continue reading The Consequentiality of Unintended Consequences – Part 3
Tag: communications
Ethical Communications
Nonprofit organisations generally have communication and social media policies to guide their spokespeople and staff on acceptable practices. Despite this, mis-communications and other communication problems occur, especially where social media is involved. Most of the tensions within our communities are fuelled by words. Words used to label, blame, shame, or cancel people. Legitimate protests can… Continue reading Ethical Communications
The Skilful Uses of Silence
Much of our thinking and advice about advocacy and communication focuses on speaking up. Most associations and charities think of themselves as being ‘the voice’ of their cause or group. Rhetorical skills and wordsmithing are highlighted as we consider how messages are framed and delivered to various key audiences. “Silence” carries a long history, with… Continue reading The Skilful Uses of Silence
Rhetorical repetition, reiteration, and redundancy
“At the risk of repeating myself, …” How many of us have irritated an audience with ill-judged or unthinking repetition? For myself, I plead guilty as charged. By way of penance then (not pedantry of course), this post explores some of the ways repetition can either enhance or undermine communication. Repetition as a rhetorical tool… Continue reading Rhetorical repetition, reiteration, and redundancy
The ‘Helpful Pedant’
Pedantry has a bad name. When we are nitpicking, finicky, or fussy, especially about trifling matters, we may be very annoying to our colleagues (and others). And yet … When we need attention to detail, precision, accuracy, or compliance with legal or best practice standards, a certain level of thoroughness is actually a prerequisite. Focal… Continue reading The ‘Helpful Pedant’
Organisation Building – Stone by Metaphoric Stone
In organisations, building, architecture, and construction metaphors are frequently used to describe various aspects of structure, growth, and development. We use these metaphors to help convey complex ideas in a more relatable and visual manner, making it easier for people to understand and engage with organisational concepts. From ‘organisational architecture’ to ‘service blueprints’ and ‘policy… Continue reading Organisation Building – Stone by Metaphoric Stone
Good Change: Bad Change
Selected change propositions Not all change is good.Whether a change is good or bad is both a moral and a practical judgment.Not all good change overcomes resistance.Successful change requires more than a good idea. Reflections related to these propositions are offered below as a catalyst for your own reflection on how change decisions are taken… Continue reading Good Change: Bad Change
Slips of the ear & tongue: eggcorns, mondegreens, & malapropisms
A ‘slip of the tongue’ is one way we refer to an error in our speech, but a ‘slip of the ear’ can catch us out as well. Directors or executives who have spent long hours in board meetings over many years are likely to recall numerous incidents where a speaker used the wrong word.… Continue reading Slips of the ear & tongue: eggcorns, mondegreens, & malapropisms
The Rule of 3 in your NFP
People find it easiest to remember three things: Three is the smallest number of elements necessary to form a pattern Three elements are more memorable than say, two or four We like to have a choice, but we get confused when we have too many options A selection of memorable patterns formed using three elements… Continue reading The Rule of 3 in your NFP
Discourse (Rhetoric) at work
Having referred to message, narrative, and political frames in my last post, the theme of good and bad communication (rhetoric) beckoned for this reflection. Institutional Rhetoric How we characterise our nonprofit organisation and our relationship to it is evident in the language we use in our internal communications, and our representation of the entity to… Continue reading Discourse (Rhetoric) at work