Category: For Immediate Release

As it faced a unionization effort, Tesla contracted with a PR agency (where one of its communication directors once worked in an executive capacity) to spy on employees, including those in a semi-private Facebook group, an activity one academic found unethical. While there is nothing wrong with a company monitoring employees’ online activities, there are lines that should not be crossed. Was one of those lines crossed in this case?

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Tesla reportedly hired a PR firm to monitor employees on Facebook
• Tesla monitored its employees on Facebook with help of PR firm during 2017 union push
• CNBC reporter Lora Kolodny’s Twitter thread on her article
• MWW PR’s website

The post FIR #261: Crossing the Line When Surveilling Employees on Social Media appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

We all know that leaders should strive for authenticity. What does that mean, exactly? It’s easy to say authenticity is being who you are, but when you’re meeting with a department that is struggling to succeed, are you the person who rocks out at concerts? The one who coos little nothings in the ear of your significant other? There’s more to authenticity than just being genuine. Communicators need to understand the nuances since most leaders don’t have the time for a graduate-level course on the subject.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 19. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• The Authenticity Paradox (Harvard Business Review, 2015)
• What’s Authentic Leadership, & How Do You Practice It? (HubSpot, 2019)

The post FIR #260: Grappling With Authenticity appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A new mid-year Trust Barometer is out from Edelman, and the news is excellent for most things Western (and bad for all things autocratic). Who in the West didn’t fare well? Companies that have opted to continue doing business in Russia.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Geopolitical Business (highlights)
• 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Geopolitical Business (full report)
• New global poll: Trust in West’s democracies rises (Axios)

The post FIR #259: Trust Rises in Companies That Left Russia appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Communicators worldwide covet a seat at the leadership table (wherever that mythical table may be). But if executives don’t even want you to brief them on issues that matter to them, that seat will never materialize. In this FIR podcast short, Neville and Shel discuss how to give an effective executive briefing — and get one step closer to that seat.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• How to Brief a Senior Executive

The post FIR #258: How to Brief an Executive appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

For the past several years, momentum has been building as more and more organizations — recognizing public expectations that they take steps to address social and environmental issues in the wake of declining trust in other institutions — articulate strong positions on issues ranging from climate change to transgender rights. Then came the leak of the U.S. Supreme Court’s abortion decision, indicating the Court will overturn 50 years of precedent with Roe v. Wade. The response from the corporate world has been tepid. In this monthly long-form episode, Neville and Shel look at the few organizations that have spoken out and how some are taking internal measures rather than public-facing positions, while most remain silent.

As if that’s not enough heavy discussion, we also spend time looking at the culpability of social media that provide access to live-streamed footage of hatred-motivated mass shootings, from Christchurch to Buffalo.

Also in this episode:

• A Facebook executive has released an 8,000-word analysis of the metaverse, arguing that Meta can’t own it, and nor can anyone else
• The hybrid work model that many companies have adopted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic means an end to many employees being forced to participate in mandatory “fun” activities. Is that a good thing?
• New research finds that employees are experiencing notification fatigue, and it’s worse than Zoom fatigue or email fatigue
• There’s a correlation between a CEO’s reputation and that of the brands in their companies
• Dan York’s report focuses on TikTok, including a spate of new features and a look at some of the video-sharing app’s plans

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, June 20. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Meta Won’t Build a Dedicated Metaverse After All, Exec Says
• Making the Metaverse: What It Is, How It Will Be Build, and Why It Matters
• Nick Clegg’s Twitter Stream Introducing His Metaverse Treatise
• The Death of Mandatory Fun in the Office
• Zoom Revamps Apps with new Features As Companies Move Past Work From Home Policies
• Notification Fatigue is Tanking Productivity, Report Says
• After Buffalo Shooting Video Spreads, Social Platforms Face Questions
• Buffalo Gunman Clips Proliferate Online
• Facebook Notice that Buffalo Gunman Video Doesn’t Violate Community Standards
• Online hate under scrutiny after Buffalo shooter streamed massacre on Twitch
• Facebook and Twitter Still Can’t Contain the Buffalo Shooting Video
• Social media platforms still can’t stop mass shooting videos from going viral
• Social platforms’ Buffalo shooting response called inadequate
• The Enduring Afterlife of a Mass Shooting’s Livestream Online
• Controversial Livestreams Highlight the Brand Safety Pressure that Persists on Social Media
• Buffalo shooting: Sites yank videos faster, but not by much
• Texas Social Media Law Reinstated
• On Roe v Wade, Big Companies Already Have a Precedent for Action
• Bumble, OK Cupid, and Yelp: Why They’re Defending Roe v Wade
• Publicis and IPG Will Pay for Travel for Abortions for US Employees
• Major companies stay mum on thorny abortion issue — for now
• What Corporate PR Can Learn from Political Communications
• CEOs are one of the most ‘underrated’ marketing tools, study finds
• Elon Musk: Reputation Analysis
• Crazy Aviators: The Eerie Similarities Between Billionaire Howard Hughes And Elon Musk

Links from Dan York’s Tech Report

• FIR #255: How TikTok Makes Spreadsheets Cool – FIR Podcast Network
• TikTok introduces its first ad product to offer a revenue share with creators | TechCrunch
• TikTok Pulse: bringing brands closer to community and entertainment | TikTok Newsroom
• TikTok’s new ad product gives creators a chance to partner with marketers on branded content | TechCrunch
• Introducing TikTok Branded Mission: Inspiring Brand and Creator Collaborations | TikTok Newsroom
• Introducing more ways to tag and credit your favorite creators | TikTok Newsroom
• TikTok Adds Video-Crediting Features After Black Creator Backlash – Variety
• TikTok rolls out new ‘Friends’ tab to more users, replacing the current ‘Discover’ tab | TechCrunch
• EXCLUSIVE TikTok plans big push into gaming, conducting tests in Vietnam — sources | Reuters
• YouTube’s player gains new features including Most Replayed, Video Chapters, Single Loop and more | TechCrunch
• YouTube is testing ads on its short-form answer to TikTok, Shorts | The Verge
• Meta says Reels now makes up over 20% of the time users spend on Instagram | TechCrunch
• What’s Coming in WordPress 6.0 (Features and Screenshots)
• What’s New in WordPress 6.0: New Blocks, Style Switching, Template Editing, Webfonts API, and Much More

The post FIR #257: Purpose Vs. Polarization appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a host of new communication pressures on company leaders, so they, in turn, leaned on their communicators, who evidently came through for them in a big way. The result: increased influence in the C-suite, according to a Gartner survey. Neville and Shel have questions.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Communications Influence with C-Suite Grows [Gartner Survey]
• Gartner Press ReleaseEmployee advocacy, local news and PR, reluctant return to office
• Employee advocacy, local news and PR, reluctant return to office (Hanson & Hunt podcast)

The post FIR #256: Comms Influence in the C-Suite appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Micro-learning is the formal label for the upbeat, music-backed TikTok videos that demonstrate how to accomplish tasks on Excel, Microsoft’s ubiquitous spreadsheet tool. The videos are racking up billions of views and the influencers behind the videos are making fistfuls of cash. Microsoft played no part in getting the video trend started; the company is just taking advantage of what the influencers are producing. Lessons abound for companies and communicators.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Spreadsheets are now cool, thanks to TikTok (Financial Times, subscription required)
• TikToks on how to use Excel spreadsheets are getting billions of views and building one of the best communities on the platform
• Miss Excel Takes Tips to TikTok and Builds 7-Figure Business in 1 Year

The post FIR #255: How TikTok Makes Spreadsheets Cool appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Google used a short video to tease a feature for its Augmented Reality (AR) glasses that could be AR’s killer app. They don’t look bad, either.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Google shows off AR glasses that might make a case for augmented reality
• Meta to disable AR filters in Texas, Illinois

The post FIR #254: AR You Ready? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Search “blockchain” and you’re sure to find plenty of commentaries that proclaim the core Web3 technology doomed. It can never work, they say, and they outline a broad range of reasons. Yet blockchain is already managing processes in the background — some of which you may already be using in your own home. Neville and Shel explore some of the ways blockchain-based technologies are becoming everyday tools and what this means for communicators.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• Little by little, blockchain technology is beginning to appear around the house
• DeSo, the Decentralized Social Blockchain
• The Hive Blockchain Ecosystem
• Blockchain for the Connected Home: Combining Security and Flexibility

The post FIR #253: Blockchain In Your House appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Matthew Rechs confesses that he was not a great manager at first but he learned some fundamental rules that will benefit anyone who hopes to be more than an old-school boss. For internal communicators, Rechs’ “promises” — first published as a series of tweets — can serve as the foundation for a targeted effort to elevate effective management in your organization.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 23, 2022. FIR “shorts” — episodes under 15 minutes — will be available several times each week.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s “asides” blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from this episode:

• These ’11 Promises From A Manager’ Are Every Employee’s Dream
• Matthew Rechs’ Twitter Thread
• Matthew Rechs on Twitter

The post FIR #252: Managers, Not Bosses appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.