Engagement Archives

Changing organisations Culture Employee engagement Engagement Narrative research Organisational culture SenseMaker Tools and techniques

Reflections on developing a SenseMaker framework to understand company culture

We spent last week working on a new narrative research framework using SenseMaker® with a new client – a quick snapshot of the organisation ahead of a big leadership and organisational design event in a month’s time. The week started with a workshop to explore the issue and the potential Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 5 years5 November 2018 ago

Vintage Toshiba Transistor Radio, Model 10TL-655F, AM & FM Bands, 10 Transistors, Made In Japan, Circa 1962-1963

Complexity Culture Engagement

Social cohesion or social coherence? Thoughts on identities in a fractured society

I woke to the radio at 7am. My first thought as they read the news headlines was “I must have misheard that,” then as the slightly-longer version kicked in I realised that I hadn’t. It was 24th June 2016. The day after the UK referendum on staying in Europe. The Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 6 years22 May 2018 ago

Branding Communications Engagement Narrative Organisational culture SenseMaker

Knowing what your customer values about you

Most companies think they know what their customer thinks of them – some through customer surveys, others through feedback. But most have it wrong – because their starting point for looking at what customers say is their own marketing and branding. So the values or marketing proposition they’ve defined themselves Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 13 years4 April 2011 ago

Changing organisations Communications Complexity Engagement Narrate news Narrative Organisational culture Tools and techniques

Masterclass – “a total lifechanger” for internal communications

I was talking with a client recently who asked me about the internal comms masterclass where we first met. Ark Group had asked me to run a masterclass that had got some great feedback and he wanted to know when he could send some of his team on a similar Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 13 years17 February 2011 ago

Complexity Engagement Narrative SenseMaker

Customer insight – hearing their stories, their complaints their way

Customers (or clients or patients or…) are naturally full of stories about services that an organisation offers. And they regularly share them, particularly the stories from which we can find opportunities for improvement – complaint stories or call-centre phone calls. These are actually more valuable than most focus groups or Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 13 years15 February 2011 ago

Changing organisations Communications Culture Engagement Organisational culture

The Merger – Some positive feedback, some course adjustments and some signposts on the road ahead

Part of my time this year is being spent as an adviser to two organisations that are merging. It makes an interesting example of a merger process. All relevant posts on the process are collected under the Merger tag. The merger is progressing. Since I last blogged, the organisation has Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 13 years26 January 2011 ago

Communications Conference references Engagement Narrate news Narrative Recommendations

References and resources from HEERA conference presentation

For everyone at yesterday’s HEERA conference session, here are the main slides and some of the resources I mentioned: HEERA Conference slides For the basketball video I mentioned. More on Dave Snowden’s Cynefin framework: The Harvard Business Review article on complexity/leadership/decision-making by Dave Snowden Dave’s in-depth article on complexity and Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 13 years9 December 2010 ago

Complexity Engagement Narrate news SenseMaker

Intractable problems – almost there

I’m looking forward to the sessions on Thursday on Practical Solutions to Intractable Problems with Dave Snowden. A handful of places left for the morning session of the seminar, with a couple more available in the afternoon. Details here.

By Tony Quinlan, 13 years3 November 2010 ago

Communications Employee engagement Engagement Organisational culture

Engagement isn’t a strategy

Spare us from this stuff. Please. The Institute of Directors is planning a conference The IoD Leadership Series – Part I: Developing Dynamic ‘People Strategies’: The Foundation of Successful Business Studies have shown that highly motivated, engaged staff are more productive, connect with customers better, have a positive effect on Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 18 years11 August 2006 ago

Communications Engagement Organisational culture

Happiness, Happiness…

I picked this up from Jack Yan today. The University of Leicester has produced the first World Map of Happiness. It’s a great concept – and clearly one that has a lot of resonance at the moment, following BBC2’s recent series on The Happiness Formula. Personally, I’m a big fan Read more…

By Tony Quinlan, 18 years9 August 2006 ago