The best of the best Poppulo blogs in 2020
By
— January 1st, 2021
Looking back at the most read of the many terrific Poppulo blogs we published in 2020, it’s no surprise that one from February 14 went off the charts.
But when I started writing Employee communications and the Coronavirus - What you need to know in early February, how little did I really know about the extent of the devastation that was coming down the tracks within a matter of weeks.
(And just in case anybody thinks it's more than a bit tacky to include a blog written by myself in a 'Best of' list, I'm not. It could have been written by a sandbag and it would have had the same take-up because of what unfolded).
Unsurprisingly, other coronavirus-related articles dominated the year, but for the purposes of this article, we're concentrating on non-Covid-19-related blogs that hit the spot with readers.
2020 will, of course, also be remembered for Black Lives Matter, and we’re unlikely to ever forget one of the most searingly powerful blogs ever published here, by Jennifer Thomas: First I was numb, then came the sadness, anger, and frustration
Likewise, a superb article on racism, and diversity & inclusion in the workplace by Advita Patel, resonated with lots of people: Look around. How many women of color leaders do you see? It’s time for action, not words
On a very different note, Dr. Kevin Ruck, who has been researching, studying, and teaching internal communication for over a decade, focused his formidable attention on: 10 Things I have learned about internal communication over the past 10 years
Jonas Bladt Hansen put the case for a changed approach to internal communication. “Often the focus is on getting things done in order to survive the next day. This is not sustainable and is why internal communication needs a new story”: Why the internal communication story needs to change
Chaya Mistry asked a simple question that obviously struck a chord with readers, and she went on to get to the core of what communication is all about:
Why is communication so hard?
As we all know by now, employee trust in leadership became a critical issue during the pandemic, particularly in the early chaotic days of fear and uncertainty.
JIll Leake was ahead of the curve when she wrote this blog for Poppulo at the start of February, though at that stage she was writing without the knowledge of what was to come in a matter of weeks: The importance of employee trust in business communication
On a related theme, Zora Artis highlighted the critical importance for organizations to be authentic if they are to be trusted, and the consequences for them if they are not. Primarily because of the transparent nature of organizations today. Trust, authenticity, and transparency, it’s the only show in town. The rise of glass box brands: Be careful of the cracks when company values don’t stack up
Is there anything that can enhance employee trust in an organization more than a leader who is truly empathetic, along with being open, honest, and respectful? Or conversely, how many things are more damaging to morale than a leader who doesn’t have empathy with her or his people?
Unfortunately, lack of empathy often shows its face when it’s needed most: when a company has to lay off staff, as Eleanor Tweddell highlighted here: Lay-offs are a reality but communicating redundancies badly is a leadership choice
Finally, and this is again unavoidably pandemic-related, with most companies hurting to various degrees from the economic fallout of Covid-19, budgets everywhere were and are being tightened. Including for internal communications, despite the business-critical role that it has so evidently played this year.
So no surprise then that there was a lot of interest in these blogs from Jo Hall and Shaun Randol:
Making the business case for Internal Communications when budgets are squeezed
The business case for IC. Part 1: Remind the boss that Internal Communication saved the day
The business case for IC.Part 3: The workplace of the future needs to be communicated
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to say a big Thank You to everybody who so generously shared their wisdom and insights, their interesting thoughts and perspectives, on our blog last year.
Looking forward to working with you again in a more positive 2021!
