Cracking the Code: Internal Communication Obstacles in Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI)

“You have to have a culture of empowerment. Employees have to be able to make decisions. If there's a bottleneck, if they always have to go to management before they make a decision or make something right for our customers, you lose something.” - Chris Izquierdo, CEO, Sparrow Connected   Julie Ford connects with Chris Izquierdo, the CEO of Sparrow Connected, live from Edmonton, Alberta to discuss the company’s recent recognition as one of Canada’s Top Startup Employers.    Chris Izquierdo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisizquierdo/   Julie Ford: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Book a Free 30-Minute Consult - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/book-consultation   Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

Julie Ford talks to Priya Bates, founder and president of Inner Strength Communication, and Advita Patel, renowned author and speaker and the founder of CommsRebel. Together they talk about building a culture of inclusivity, the challenges of internal communication in fostering diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI), and why it’s important for internal comms pros to bridge the gap in their knowledge on DEI for effective internal communication and overall success of the organization.       Advita Patel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/advitapatel/  Priya Bates: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyabates/  Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

"I want to encourage all internal communications professionals to be bold, to look at your data and what you've learned in your campaigns, to try new things, and to put forward a really sound playbook and strategy. And then once you have that firmed up, be courageous about it, be ready to stand for it."  - Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee, IT Communications Manager, Perkins Coie LLP   Julie Ford talks to Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee, a non-traditional communications pro in a traditional industry, with DePaul Double Demon degrees in political science and in information systems. Together, they indulge in an insightful conversation about the people effect and keeping it human when it comes to internal communication.       Nicki Kastellorizios-Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-k-4465955a/  Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

“Given the size of the sector, and the number of people we're trying to communicate to on a daily basis, within the healthcare field, who are not sitting at a computer, it's hard to get this group with a quick email. So, there's so much opportunity to think about how we could serve these teams in a better way. Why are we still tolerating things like intranets? Why would we think that people who are doing a job away from a desk, would be using this platform as the primary way to get their updates?”   - Jesse Cressman-Dickinson, Director of Communication and Community Engagement, Bruyère   Julie Ford engages in an insightful conversation with Jesse Cressman-Dickinson, Director of Communication and Community Engagement at Bruyère, on the critical importance of internal communication in the healthcare industry, where lives literally depend on it. Together, they explore the future of intranets, reaching the entire deskless workforce in every industry beyond Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, and what happens when internal communication is turned off.     Jesse Cressman-Dickinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessecressmandickinson/  Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

“We're in transformation right at this moment, and everybody is now grappling to get their heads around AI and how it works. My fear is that internal communication professionals will do exactly what we did with the advent of social media. And that is, we kind of waited. It was coming along, and we sat back. We need to be at the forefront and exploring this technology, not fearing it, but exploring it.”   - Adrian Cropley, Founding Director, Center for Strategic Communication Excellence   Julie Ford speaks with Adrian Cropley, a renowned strategic communication expert and founding director of the Center for Strategic Communication Excellence, on the intersection of internal comms and artificial intelligence. Adrian shares his profound insights on the rapid advancement of AI technology and the importance of equipping IC professionals with the necessary tools and strategies to harness its potential.   Adrian Cropley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cropleycommunications/   Julie Ford: Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

“It's really ironic, sad and infuriating in many ways, that people in the organization who are tasked with helping make sure employees feel valued are not feeling valued themselves. This is a function that ensures employees know and understand what they need to do to succeed in their role. They help drive productivity. It's time to flip the switch to start believing in and demonstrating our value.”   - Alyssa Zeff, Senior Vice President, Davis & Company  Julie Ford speaks with Alyssa, an employee communication, change management and corporate communication professional, about the incredible impact internal communications can have on the success of an organization. Alyssa shares real-world examples and practical advice from her 20+ years of both agency and in-house communication experience.   Alyssa Zeff   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a Demo   Follow Sparrow Connected  Download Free Guide from Davis & Company: How to be a Rockstar communicator - https://www.davisandco.com/thanks-for-your-interest-sparrowpodcast-may-10-2023   Developing a scorecard to demonstrate effectiveness - https://www.davisandco.com/work/developing-scorecard-demonstrate-effectiveness  

"Connecting the dots between company values, employee experiences, and customer experiences is essential to reaching deskless workers and ensuring consistent service delivery."  - Priya Bates, President at Inner Strength Communication Inc.  "Companies must find ways to connect with their deskless workers, understanding their needs and providing relevant information that supports their work."  - Mike Klein, Communication Strategist and Consultant; Founder, #WeLeadComms; Superconnector   Julie Ford talks with Mike Klein and Priya Bates about the challenges and strategies for connecting with deskless workers. They share their insights on the importance of providing relevant information and the role of technology in reaching this essential group, as well as discussing potential strategies for overcoming challenges in unionized environments.  Priya Bates - https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyabates/  Mike Klein - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mklein818/  Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

"Internal Communications is a business function. It influences, articulates, and enables corporate strategy, and we must represent it that way."  - Sarah Robertson, President and Founder, Corporate Executive at Prospect Strategies  Julie Ford talks with Sarah Robertson, an award-winning and published corporate executive with over two decades of experience in strategic communications. As President and Founder of Prospect Strategies, Sarah is passionate about helping internal communications professionals elevate their careers and align their work with business outcomes. In this conversation, they discuss the keys to transforming the conversation with the C-Suite and the essential skills needed by internal comms professionals.  Sarah Robertson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-l-manley-robertson-prospect-strategies/  Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/   --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/  Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/  

"Communication isn't a broadcast tool anymore. In organizations, it's much more than that. And therefore, as a communication function, we have to define the purpose of our function and make sure that we're doing what we need to do for that business impact to happen."    - Jenni Field, Founder and Director, Business Communications Strategist at Redefining Communications  Julie Ford interviews Jenni Field, an international speaker, author, podcaster, and business communication strategist. Jenni is the founder of Redefining Communications. Her book, "Influential Internal Communication" was published in April 2021. Julie and Jenni discuss what inspired Jenni to pursue a career in internal communications, her trusted Field Model TM and the importance of streamlining internal communications to drive efficiency and engagement.  Jenni Field  Julie Ford --   This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession.  Learn more and Book a Demo Follow Sparrow Connected

"A big part of communication is maintaining a sense of calm in the middle of the storm, everyone around you is going to get worked up about things going on. Your job as the comms person is to be that steady force amid the storm." -Deborah Speed, Executive Communications Manager at Intermountain Healthcare Julie Ford chats with Deborah Speed, an internal communications leader, about her experience and perspectives on everything from what employee engagement is, to keeping internal communications simple, creativity, and the essential skills that helped her reach a leadership level in her career. Deborah Speed - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-speed/ Julie Ford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmford/ -- This podcast is sponsored by Sparrow Connected – the internal communications platform that is elevating the communications profession. Learn more and book a demo - https://www.sparrowconnected.com/ Follow Sparrow Connected - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparrow-connected/