The Need To Keep Lists Is Obvious To Most Of Us, But Have You Ever Considered Making Notes To Help Manage How You Communicate? By Thomas J. Roach Everyone should keep a notebook. Imagine Sherlock Holmes on the moor peering down at a clue. The gloomy fog wafts around his ear-flapped cloth cap. He reaches into his tweed coat and…
Read MoreCategory: Community Relations
Timing is Everything
Whether Giving A Speech Or Just Speaking One-On-One, The Timing Of What We Say Is As Important As The Words We Choose. By Thomas J. Roach Timing is everything. Haven’t we all made what should have been a welcome comment, but it turned out to be unwelcome because of when we said it? And haven’t we all discovered rare moments…
Read MoreRefuting the Fallacies
People Will Usually Try To Be Objective If They Are Asked To Be Objective. By Thomas J. Roach There are occasions when one needs to refute an argument. It might be a workgroup meeting, a presentation to a zoning commission or a press conference. When plans or perspectives are at odds, it sometimes becomes necessary not just to make your…
Read MoreHaving Something to Say
If You Don’t Have Something To Say, You Are Wasting People’s Time, And They Will Know It Immediately. By Thomas J. Roach Public communication comes with requirements. When speaking or writing to a group we contend with different expectations than when we speak privately. We are supposed to be organized, to use more formal language and to have information that…
Read MoreThe Art of the Apology
Here Are Suggestions On How To Navigate This Sometimes Public And Sometimes Interpersonal Exchange. By Thomas J. Roach Apology is a communication genre that is as old as civilization. When people live and work together, they have tacit expectations and needs that are met and gratified by others. When one party violates those expectations or fails to meet the other…
Read MoreLeadership and Participation
While The Principle Of Delegation Is Clear, The Means Of Carrying It Out Are Often Not. Thomas J. Roach Most managers understand that a work environment of participative decision-making is preferable to one where only supervisors make decisions and subordinates unquestioningly carry them out. However, while the principle of delegation is clear, the means of carrying it out are often…
Read MoreManaging Unreceptive Audiences
Here is What to Do When It Is Necessary To Speak To Groups Who Lack Interest Or Disagree With Your Position. By Thomas J. Roach Last month I had the privilege to speak to the members of the American Coal Ash Association at their conference in Birmingham, Ala. They are a very dedicated group of professionals as was demonstrated by…
Read MoreInternal Communication Specialists
What Do Internal Communication Specialists Do, And Who Needs Them? By Thomas J. Roach The chief responsibilities of the internal communication specialist might include overseeing a company intranet site, editing an employee newspaper, writing internal announcements, and conducting an employee survey. Larger organizations might have an internal communication director or vice president who has direct access to the CEO and…
Read MorePerformance Interviews
We All Need To Know Our Work Is Recognized And Appreciate Direction When It Comes From A Well-Meaning Mentor. By Thomas J. Roach Many books and internet sites offer advice on job interviews, but employee review interviews are largely ignored. Obviously, strategies for interviewing and being interviewed are of primary importance. However, the average employee stays at a job for…
Read MoreWho Do You Say You Are?
When We Write We Should Ask Ourselves What Personas We Are Projecting. By Thomas J. Roach As more work is performed online and even remotely, the image our co-workers have of us becomes more defined by our writing and less by what we look like, how we dress and what kind of small talk we make. Those of us who…
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