AI Exec Comms Agency Starts Small, Dreams Big
I opened my call last week with chief marketing officer Caitlin Bigelow by telling her I didn’t know if the conversation should result in my asking the start-up she works …
What Is Leadership Communication Academy Really Like? It’s Hard to Describe.
The second annual class of Leadership Communication Academy will meet March 3-4 in Chicago. Last year, after the first class, I tried to convey the experience of attending it, along …
Human Corporate Speechwriters: Rumors of Their Demise Are Statistically Dubious
It was close to Miller Time late last Friday afternoon when I stumbled across a LinkedIn post by veteran corporate communicator John Clemons that almost made me spit out my …
Boe’s Work Is Our Work Now
Well, Boe Workman is retiring this Friday, after a career that began with rhetoric scholarship, continued with political work and self-employment, and concluded with a short stint as the head …
Ex-USAID Speechwriter Focuses on Future
Clarification: The following article refers to Kristina Drye as having been “laid off” from USAID, which some might interpret as implying she was technically an employee of the U.S. government. …
A Certificate Course, in Executive Communication? I Almost Can’t Believe It Myself
I’ve long been skeptical of professional accreditation. Always thought the now-moribund “ABC” designation from the International Association of Business Communicators stood for, Average Business Communicator. Always thought a truly talented …
The Upside of a Tribe
Last week professional speechwriters for government officials, university presidents, corporate CEOs and nonprofit heads from around the world flocked together to find the intellectual means, the moral strength and the …
Asked and Answered: Questions Leaders Ought to Have About Exec Comms
Several years ago, it occurred to leaders of the Professional Speechwriters Association that speechwriters’ clients didn’t necessarily understand what a successful collaboration looks like between speaker and speechwriter. So we …
No, Speeches Don’t Write Themselves …
When I see a “behind the scenes” story about the making of a speech, I groan. As head of the Professional Speechwriters Association, I realize it’s my job to read …
Speechwriters Are Serious Readers, Still
The emphasis in leadership communications the last decade or so has been on strategic thinking, not writerly erudition. So I was pleased to see last week when an email group …