Communication World articles from February 1997

Communication World archives from February 1997

Virgil Scudder tackles crisis tactics. (media communication during crisis)
February 1, 1997... As communicators, we all understand the importance of perception. For most people, the line between perception and reality is quite thin. And in the throes of a crisis, effective communication is crucial to a favorable public perception. Actions...

Improve or perish. (bleak job market in the US)
February 1, 1997... If you aren't, or don't quickly become, a practical futurist, you're a prime candidate for displacement, unemployment and economic terror. The days of one-company, up-a-single-ladder of employment are over. Take charge of your future, improve...

Behavioral and strategic bootcamp. (reinvention of business communication profession)
February 1, 1997... Now that you've survived the past decade, the real work begins. We're very good at focusing on new messages, technologies and communication approaches. It's time to fundamentally change who we are, what we do and how we do it. Congrats!...

Reinventing communication. (business communication)
February 1, 1997... The communication function in most organizations should be reinvented if it's to be taken seriously as a strategic business partner. Recent downsizing of organizational communication functions slashed bodies and cut costs. It left fewer people...

Why the coveted top spot is losing its allure. (chief executive position)
February 1, 1997... Once perceived as a plum position and the pinnacle of one's career, new realities have conspired to make the top spot in the corporate world less desirable and more unstable. Just ask Sally Frame Kasaks, the recently deposed CEO of Ann Taylor...

Managing your career: the new realities.
February 1, 1997... Executives today face a different playing field than their predecessors. Before downsizing and restructuring, corporations sought lifetime employees whose commitment to the company was paramount. In turn, executives trusted their employers to...

To get an MBA or an MA in communication?
February 1, 1997... And, as Hamlet learned the hard way, there is no single or simple answer to such a seemingly plain question. In almost any profession these days, a graduate degree has become standard fare. Expected. Like a bachelor's was 25 years ago....

Coping after the corporate cut - survivors share tips.
February 1, 1997... Ok, it's old news that your company has downsized. In fact, the dust has settled so deep that you choke on it. You're busier than ever before. You're surviving, but you want to thrive. You want some tips from the experts. When Communication...

How to save your communication job.
February 1, 1997... You have just been acquired, spun off or "Dunlaped," the latter in reference to the now famous (infamous) cost cutter that has been invited by a number of companies to cut their costs. If any of the above happens (and it eventually will, in...

Can I make it on my own? (includes related article on networking)
February 1, 1997... Five entrepreneurs reveal how they left staff jobs to set up their own shops. * Martha has two small children. She wanted more control over her daily schedule. * Lee's company merged and moved. But life in New Jersey appealed to him,...

A blur of work bites and life bites - new corporate strategy?
February 1, 1997... For many of us, it's a blur. Our work lives and our personal lives are hardly distinguishable as work pressures permeate our personal space and personal life pressures invade our work place. Since there's no end in sight - as the hollowing out...

You may be a good communicator, but are you a good facilitator?
February 1, 1997... People who leave a well-facilitated gathering report feeling informed, valued, and even energized. Moreover, they appear to hold in high esteem the person who is able to conduct such a workshop or meeting. You are sitting in a meeting that you...

An interview with a consummate word meister. (Communication Development Pres. Charles Cleveland)(Interview)
February 1, 1997... Charles Cleveland, Ph.D., president of Communication Development Company (CDC), Des Moines, Iowa, which specializes in analysis of everyday language to help clients develop communication behaviors that are comfortable to their employees or result...

Today's communicators: agents for change.
February 1, 1997... Against a general backdrop of downsizing, some communication staffs and budgets have actually grown. And increasingly, top communicators command senior executive posts and focus on organizational strategies, not just tactical issues. The one...

Energizing a restructured work force.
February 1, 1997... Without turbulence living systems stagnate, losing their ability to adapt and ultimately to survive. The restructuring is over. Employees feel secure, reassured that this change was for the best, and they now are working at top productivity....