Quick quiz. Pod-casting is:

A. The practice of throwing snow peas
B. The archaic practice of fishing for marine mammals
C. Broadcasting multimedia content via the internet

If you answered A or B, you may want to check out the recent SMH Icon article – a good entry-level overview of podcasting.

If you answered C, you are a master-caster.

Beyond giving a voice to frustrated radio personalities via the world wide web, podcasting is a powerful communication technology within organisations. Companies with a remote or mobile workforce have access to an economical engaging medium that is packaged in a convenient form. The ability to listen to a podcast while travelling or on the road via a laptop, PDA or mobile phone means that there is flexibility for the listener.

A few rules apply to podcasting within organisations:

• Be interesting! Consider the kind of radio that engages you as a listener.
  
• If the CEO is not a great speaker, don’t make them the main voice – use a professional interviewer or ‘host’ and incorporate other speakers as interviewees.
• Break up content into shorter sections, and limit the number of different segments.
• Don’t use podcasting for detailed information or instructions.

Links
SMH Icon Article
http://www.smh.com.au/news/home-audio/the-voice-of-pod/2006/06/21/1150845243193.html
IABC NSW podcast on podcasting
http://www.corpcoms.com/db/IABC.shtml
Wikipedia on podcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting

For communicators to get a seat at the table in businesses, they must understand the expectations of business.

This was the key theme of the IABC Think Tank session presented by Australian communication consultant Rodney Gray (www.employee-communication.com.au) to the IABC Vancouver conference. He summarises research into what CEOs want from the communication function in their organisations. Rodney also covers leading communication practitioners’ views on what is expected of the communication function.

Links
Rodney’s IABC Think Tank paper: http://www.iabc.com/education/pdf/RodneyGray_ThinkTank3.pdf
Rodney’s site: www.employee-communication.com.au

One of the IABC 2006 conference papers grabbed my attention immediately. From James E. Lukaszewski, a seasoned communicator from North America, the fantastic notes from his web-based session include a reprint of an article in PR Reporter: Strategy (June 10, 2000) on the strategic power of positive language.

In this paper, Mr Lukaszewski frames the benefits of declarative, positive language as a tool for driving engagement. He describes the effect of what he calls ‘toxic retorts’, the negative language that shuts down ideas and innovation.

Of particular value are the examples of words with negative emotional connotations, and a list of defensive statements to avoid.

While one may argue with the comment that ‘negative language is non-communication’, this piece provides communicators with plenty of examples in the war against weasel words.

Links
Mr Lukaszewski’s Article: http://www.iabc.com/education/pdf/JimLukaszewski_AS.8.pdf
Mr Lukaszewski’s VERY informative site: http://www.e911.com/frame2.html
Weasel Words: http://www.weaselwords.com.au/

The best bits of the annual IABC conference held in Vancouver have been released on the IABC website. There is a wealth of information from a range of the sessions. In an extreme act of knowledge-sharing, these handouts are not limited to members (…and they are a great example of the level of information available to members.*)

Links
IABC 2006 Conference Site: http://www.iabc.com/ic/vanHandouts.htm

* I am a current member of IABC NSW Chapter, and past Board Member.