April 2, 2010

Clear Communications is Cey

The Most Ironic Signs of All Time That Will Make Communicators Cringe

Here's a good Friday funny for you...

Anyone who works in communications knows it's important to clearly and concisely tell a story and convey a message. Communicating effectively and using proper grammar/spelling becomes even more important when you have limited space, say on a sign or billboard. The Huffington Post recently posted pictures of the most ironic signs of all time. Check them out if you want a good chuckle.

My personal favorite is a sign that reads "Need assistance accessing our Internet? Please visit Starbucks.com/WiFi." Cue the Homer Simpson "D'oh!" and hand slap to forehead.

These misleading and contradicting signs serve as a good reminder to make sure a few people review your writing before you share it with the world!

Adapt and Evolve - How Best to Handle Change

When a co-worker gets a new job, a friend moves out of the state, new relationships begin or old relationships end, your world can feel a little out of control. When the Dow plunges, companies re-structure, budgets change or crisis strikes, your client accounts can take the same overwhelming role. It's times like these when I have to remind myself that change is the only constant. It may seem simple, but I think everyone must harness an important skill to deal with the constant changes bound to occur, and, PR pros especially, must own it. So how do we handle so much change so fast? We must learn to adapt.

Beating the Block...Writer's Block

As an English major in college, I spent a good portion of my time writing papers. Papers about books I'd read, how strange my family is, Disney World, why pre-1600 literature is riddled with sexual innuendo...you name it, there is a good chance I wrote a paper about it. One would think that with that many written projects under my belt, writing would come naturally to me by now. To some extent, that's true. Unfortunately, I don't write as often as I used to, so I've definitely gotten rusty. In the midst of the day-to-day distractions, the dreaded mental incapacitation that plagues so many seeking the written word sets in—writer's block.