[poseycorp’s newsletter and blog are telling the 100% fictional story of Clara and Marcus’s big adventures at WidgetCo. If you need to catch up: Chapter 1, Chapter 2] Marcus walked into the small bar he’d never seen before and thought, ‘If there … [Read more...] about If you listen, you learn
Careful navigation
We’re deep into the story at WidgetCo now. If you’re new, start here. Or, re-read Chapter Two. As Clara and Marcus execute their communications plan, there are a few risks. What if Jones finds out? He’s got strong ties to the VCs on the board. … [Read more...] about Careful navigation
Dramatis Personae
If you’re reading poseycorp’s newsletter, you’ve seen the first installment of the story of Clara, the long-suffering product manager at WidgetCo. You know that Clara and Marcus have drafted their Who What What table for the management team. Here are … [Read more...] about Dramatis Personae
Let’s make it real
When I put together the Six Essentials for Every Leader/Communicator, it occurred to me that it would be fun to tell a story about how people do and don’t use communication skills at work. So we’ll be spending the next issues of both poseycorp’s … [Read more...] about Let’s make it real
Overcoming a failure of imagination
Right now in the tech industry everyone is up to their eyeballs trying to envision how generative AI will change their businesses. As ChatGPT and large language models get embedded into and change the things we use every day, the companies who … [Read more...] about Overcoming a failure of imagination
AI needs elastic messages
847 years ago when we at Sun Microsystems launched the Java technology, not long after Netscape launched the first browser, one of our biggest worries was creating messages for something that was too new to define. As the PR person, I had to create … [Read more...] about AI needs elastic messages
Earned, Owned, Paid
We continue to debate and evolve our definitions of paid, earned, and owned media. For a marketing person, these distinctions may be vital, but my advice as a communications coach to clients is the same no matter which channel they’re … [Read more...] about Earned, Owned, Paid
Words. They matter.
Let’s talk about words. If I say “ruby” to someone at a jewelry store, I’m going to get something very different than if I say “Ruby” on GitHub. Shared vocabulary is a prerequisite for any successful conversation. It’s your responsibility both as … [Read more...] about Words. They matter.
Reality?
‘’Perception is reality.” Lee Atwater coined this phrase in political campaigning because he saw that what people think is more powerful than what’s true. Objectivity does not exist. This can be super frustrating, but it’s TRUE. People do not … [Read more...] about Reality?
Context matters!
Let me state the obvious: The three minute presentation you give at a university recruiting day should be radically different from your board meeting. The language you use at a biotech conference to a bunch of doctors is different from the language … [Read more...] about Context matters!