by Sue Horner | Jun 11, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Are you getting a little tired of all this ramping up that’s been going on since the start of the pandemic? Testing, in particular, is always being ramped up, or there are calls for it to be ramped up. You might say the use of ramping up is itself ramping up. (Sorry.)...
by Sue Horner | Jun 4, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
This week, black boxes like the one here flooded social media. It began when music-industry veterans Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang asked the industry to “pause” work on June 2 in solidarity with the Black community, and to protest the killing of George Floyd,...
by Sue Horner | May 28, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
If a pandemic isn’t the time for internal communication professionals to stand up and shine, when will it be? So asked participants – five respected communication professionals – in a recent Staffbase-sponsored webinar about imposter syndrome. Is imposter syndrome...
by Sue Horner | May 21, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Businesses are struggling with advertising during the pandemic. It’s a tough balance, to show that they’re still around, still looking for business; yet they are sensitive to the situation. The result has been a lot of vague “We’re here for you” statements and...
by Sue Horner | May 14, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Simple, powerful, vivid words and analogies. They’re critical if you want people to understand you; even more important if you want to inspire action. Notice what’s happening with the COVID-19 pandemic. Health experts are using simple words to encourage understanding...
by Sue Horner | May 7, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Here’s my small wordnerdy nitpick in the interests of accuracy: All those workplaces installing barriers to protect employees and customers during the pandemic are not necessarily using “Plexiglas.” That’s a brand name, like Kleenex. The generic term is “acrylic” or...
by Sue Horner | Apr 22, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
We’re still seeing one particular number everywhere these days – two metres (six feet). That’s how far we have to stay away from others to slow down the spread of COVID-19. But how far is that, really? Everyone citing this number quickly realized people need a better...
by Sue Horner | Apr 16, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
“We’re here for you.” You’ve probably received that message from multiple sources, like your bank or your insurance company. Or maybe they said, “We’ve got your back.” Or, “We’re looking for every possible way to help you save...
by Sue Horner | Apr 9, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Music is keeping a lot of us going during these days of social isolation and physical distancing. Without live music performances possible, I’m grateful to #CanadaPerforms, an online program and relief fund by Canada’s National Arts Centre. Through the NAC and...
by Sue Horner | Apr 2, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Having been in a home office for years, I thought this WFH (work from home) thing would be a piece of cake. Turns out, I’m as likely to be stress-eating cake as much as the next person. Projects I had on the go are on the back burner. I’m spending far too...