Episode 56 – IC at the sharp end

In this first episode of season 7 of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay talks to Jim Shaffer, an internationally recognised business adviser, leadership coach, author and speaker. Jim’s impressive career has seen him move from US politics to management consultancy, where he’s worked with numerous blue-chip organisations to fix business problems through better communication. A Fellow of the International Association of Business Communicators, Jim now runs the Jim Shaffer Group – a leadership consulting practice that helps businesses to accelerate results through strategic execution. Throughout this thought-provoking episode, Jim emphasises that world-class communication is always focused on creating results and adding value. For Jim, a communications lead should be a strategic adviser to the executive, which means getting close to the sharp end of the business. Among many other useful insights, Jim identifies the four key requirements for successful employee engagement as well as how to make the switch from simply sending out content to delivering demonstrable results.