Dear comms...
Your comms agony aunts offering quick, practical advice for everyday dilemmas
Episodes
42 episodes
S8E5: High-performing teams - making it stick
The hardest part of building a high-performing team isn't creating the team... but how you make the change last. In the final episode of this series, Imogen and Amanda talk about why improvements unravel (it's usually not about will...
S8E4: High-performing teams - turning clarity into performance
Clarity on paper means nothing if it doesn't change how people actually work. Now we've worked through the purpose of the team, let's make it reality. In this episode, Imogen and Amanda get into the mechanics of day-to-day performan...
S8E3: High-performing teams - what does good actually look like?
Most teams aren't short on motivation. What they're missing is clarity. Clarity on purpose, priorities, roles, and how decisions get made. In this episode, Imogen and Amanda look at what alignment actually means in practice (and no, it's not al...
S8E2: High-performing teams - what's really going on beneath the surface?
Before you can fix a team, you have to understand it. Not what you assume is happening - what's actually happening. In this episode, Imogen and Amanda talk about how to diagnose the real causes of underperformance: why anonymous sur...
S8E1: High-performing teams - is yours working as hard as you think?
Most teams don't fail dramatically. They fade quietly. Work feels harder than it should, decisions drag on, everyone's busy but nothing's quite moving. In the first episode of our series on high-performing teams, Imogen and Amanda unpick the ea...
S7E5: Storytelling - our top 10 tips
For the final episode of our storytelling series, we’re pulling everything together into ten practical, no-nonsense tips you can use straight away. Whether you’re trying to spark action, shift behaviour, calm nerves, or get leaders on board, th...
S7E4: Storytelling - where to find stories
Think your organisation is story-free? Think again! In this episode, we’ll show you where you can find stories and how you can connect them to action. We’ll look at Steve Denning’s eight narrative patterns and look at why your stories aren’t wo...
S7E3: Storytelling - the key elements of a story
You’ve done your prep. You’ve survived the science. Now it’s time to actually build a story. Hoorah! In this episode, we break down the six key ingredients every story needs — from characters and conflict to that all-important “secr...
S7E2: Storytelling - why stories work
In the second episode of our storytelling series, we’re still not letting you write anything. Nope, we’re heading into your brain first. In this episode, we unpack the science behind why storytelling works — and why facts alone won’...
S7E1: Storytelling - where to start
Everyone loves to say “we need a story.” Fewer people stop to ask why. In this first episode of our five-part storytelling series, we take a step back from the shiny stuff — the metaphors, the structure, the hero’s journey — and talk about the ...
Bonus episode: turning policy into real influence
Government affairs is something that used to be done behind closed doors (or over long lunches). Not anymore. In this special bonus episode, we're joined by Katarina Wallin Bureau - General Manager of Strategic Relations at Microsoft - to unpac...
S6E5: The ten golden rules of crisis communications
If you’ve ever wished for a crisis handbook you could keep in your top drawer - this is probably as close as it gets. In the final episode of our Crisis Series, we bring everything together into ten practical rules to help you lead, communicate...
S6E4: Crisis management - after the dust settles
The headlines have faded, but the real work’s only just beginning.In this episode, Imogen and Amanda look at what happens once the immediate crisis has passed - and how to rebuild trust for the long term. They share their three Rs framew...
S6E3: Say it right – communicating under pressure
What do you say when everything’s going wrong — and how do you say it without sounding like a corporate robot?In this episode of Dear Comms…, Imogen and Amanda dig into the language of crisis. From holding statements and empathy...
S6E2: In the eye of the storm a.k.a. who does what, when?
In the second episode of our crisis comms series, we're now in the thick of it. The phone's ringing, your inbox is having a meltdown, and someone's just uttered "Crisis Team - Assemble!)We'll break down how you handle those first chaotic...
S6E1: How to build a crisis-resistant culture
When a crisis hits, it’s rarely out of the blue. In the first episode of our crisis comms series, we'll look at “before”. Before it all goes wrong, that is. We'll explore how to spot trouble early, prepare your teams, and protect your reputatio...
S5E5: Changing the story of storytelling
Why is it that leaders still flinch when they hear the word “storytelling”? And why do comms teams so often find themselves fighting to prove it isn’t just fluff? In this episode of Dear Comms…, we sit down with Rachael Warner — comms ...
S5E4: Legal vs. Comms: Coexisting without conflict
Why does it always feel that comms and legal are at loggerheads when we’re meant to be protecting the same business? In this candid chat with Julian Hilton-Johnson (who's both an ex-lawyer and an ex-global comms lead), we unpack the tension. Le...
S5E3: What comes after comms?
You’ve spent years leading communications. You know how to shape a message, manage a crisis, coach leaders, bring clarity where there’s chaos. But what if all that experience was just the beginning — and your next chapter looked nothing l...
S5E2: Strategy, stories and staying on message: what comms can steal from politics
When you think politician, you don't often think "honesty, transparency, straight answers"... but that doesn't mean that there's nothing to learn from our political friends. In this episode, we’re joined by Daisy Powell-Chandler, po...
S5E1: Decisions, decisions...
Some people excel at making choices. Others freeze. Or, worse, overthink their decision to death. In the world of comms, too often we're stuck in an endless feedback loop with no one willing to actually give the ok. But it doesn't have to be th...
We're all goin' on a summer holiday
Now that you've got that Cliff Richard classic in your brain...The TL;DL (too long; didn't listen) is that we're taking some holiday time. But this short announcement also contains some tantalizing teasers as to some upcoming episod...
S4E5: Good job, bad press: would you work for a controversial company?
Working for a company with a difficult reputation (or thinking about it)? You’re not alone. In this episode, Imogen and Amanda dig into the reality of saying yes to jobs in industries like pharma, tobacco, military, or alcohol. They...
S4E4: No more sandwiches - how to give better feedback
Giving feedback might give you the ick, but it’s part and parcel of a leadership role. In this episode of Dear Comms, Amanda and Imogen dig into the art of giving feedback that’s honest and helpful. From clumsy delivery to ...