Here’s how to set the stage for effective employee announcements (Wordnerdery)
“I’m excited to announce…” “We’re delighted to welcome…” “It’s with mixed emotions that I announce…” I’ve seen a flurry of business announcements lately that start like this, on the way to introducing a new employee or a changed role. Don’t those emotions seem a...
A whale of a tale told in numbers
Part of the joy of running your own business is playing hooky on a random weekday. So it was that my husband and I spent a recent day enjoying a visit to Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) followed by a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game. For the second time, the ROM...
Gas tanks, smoke alarms + more pandemic analogies (Wordnerdery)
Safety precautions like a national marshmallow test. The spread of COVID-19 like glitter. Fighting the virus like a game of whack-a-mole. I first shared these and other pandemic analogies at the end of 2020, thinking it would be a one-time thing. Remember thinking it...
ICYMI, April edition: Words, writing tips + more links you might have missed
Confess – you’re spending more time than ever online. There are work events on Zoom and Teams. There are photos and messages from family and friends on Facebook and Instagram. There’s YouTube and Twitter and TikTok. And then there’s Wordle and all...
End of an era: A fond farewell to the iPod
The music may live on, as Apple says, but not the devices many of us relied on before streaming music services showed up. Yes, Apple has finally discontinued the iPod. It’s not surprising, of course. What other technology from 2001 is still around? Kids, this was...
6 ways volunteering is good for you, too
Volunteering can sometimes seem invisible, but it’s so important to running organizations like the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). And never think what you do as a volunteer isn’t noticed, even if you certainly can’t be in it for the...
5 ways to make environmental comms clear (Wordnerdery)
What can one person do to “invest in our planet,” the theme for Earth Day 2022? I was pondering that while out picking up garbage and recyclables to mark Earth Day. Even though I picked up a bag of each, you’d be right to suspect there will be another...
ICYMI, March edition: Readability + inclusive language links you might have missed
“The vast majority of your social posts will never be seen by the vast majority of your followers.” So says Michael J. Katz, who helps professional service firms talk and write about their work. Oh sure, posts made on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc., are “around for...