In this GovComms episode your host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke chats with Stephanie Speck, the Executive Director and Chief Comms Officer for the Department of Education & Training, Victoria.The pair begin by discussing the topic of truth. How to encourage someone to speak the truth, why you should speak the truth and why your external perspective as a communications professional is valuable.Stephanie shares where her journey began... in Papa New Guinea. She explains that "people are people are people anywhere in the world", that you are able to love all people, and that once you see the humanity in every person you meet, this is something that's very easy to do. This outlook on the world started her journey towards wanting to fix problems and issues she felt were unfair, inequitable or got in the way of people exercising their human rights.David and Stephanie also touch on the battle between expediency and resilience."I think that really undervalues the strategic power of comms. Comms, if its about changing things, is a management tool. You use it to understand where your problems are... so you can move to a tactical perspective on where you want to be. " - Stephanie Speck.Discussed in this Episode:Changing the narrative through engaging with your audience onlineWhy you cant have a strategy without content anymoreYou don’t need to know everything but you need to know people who do.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us on the podcast today is Phil Brown, Founding Partner & Advisor at The Growth Activist, a strategy and communication consultancy that turns provocative thinking into action.CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke chats with Phil about the importance of strategy. They discuss how communications has changed in recent years and why strategy has become the centre of good communication. Phil explains that understanding strategy is what allows for a successful plan, they are intertwined.David asks what skills communication teams need in the digital age to be successful. Phil states that storytelling is fundamental to effective communication and audience engagement. A second important point is to give attention to junior members of teams. These members of your comms team should be well-versed in strategy and plans - which ties in to the pairs later discussion of skill development and investing in your team. "Innate curiosity... that's the bit that has to be inside you. I don't think that can be taught. but the [Journalists] nose... I think that can be taught" - Phil BrownDiscussed in this episode:The importance of learning and developmentWhat skills a good communicator needsHow to get organisations to commit top developing skills Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this GovComms episode we travel to the windy city of Chicago to chat with Tyler Masterson; the CEO and Co-Founder of True Roll. True Roll is an innovative, Chicago-based start-up company focused on helping governments maintain accurate tax data so that property tax burdens are distributed equitably among citizens.Host of GovComms, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, discusses with Tyler the importance of inclusivity not only in the office but through interactions with customers. The pair also touch on the challenges of convincing governments to use data to solve their problems. They discuss the power of data and that winning the work is "much like a relationship and referral based game". Tyler shares his experience of starting True Roll and explains "governments are hard to convince that what they are doing can be improved. You might hope that they are progressive risk takers but in fact they are usually lagger at some technology curb and so convincing them to do their work in a different progressive way can be challenging."The episode concludes by reflecting on the power of software and why governments should "skill - up" on their data skills and understanding. Discussed in this episode: Challenges of government acceptance in a new data driven ageThe importance of getting infront of the humanWhy you need to find a niche Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s GovComms Podcast, Andrew Bell takes the host chair as he asks guest CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke his latest thoughts on the future of government communications.The pair discuss how government departments should begin to think like a media company's and have a content strategy to improve internal communications. There is an opportunity for communicators to add value to organisations by becoming an enabler of cross-functional teams, according to David Pembroke.David and Andy also discusses the need for government to clearly communicate to its citizens in this age of misinformation and disinformation. Making use of emerging, relevant platforms and the importance of putting the citizen before the message, are all aspects covered in this episode. Discussed in the episode The future of Government Communications How to optimise digital technology where we are going next in the world of Communications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We bring some of our best episodes back to work in this special GovComms Podcast episode.  Join your host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup David Pembroke take a walk down memory lane as we highlight key discussions covering crisis communication during COVID-19, storytelling, content communication, and more. Tune in as government communication professional Dr Neryl East provides insight into how you can ensure that the audience you need to reach understands your story.Professor Michael Cardew-Hall at ANU states that the key to crisis communication is to get messages out to the community broadly and as as frequently as you can. Andrew Babington, Team Leader for Change and Communications at ACT Policing and David Pembroke discuss their thoughts on the future of content communications.And according to Tess Salmon, the General Manager of External Affairs and Communication at Western Sydney Airport, when communicating about a new policy, you need to understand the audience and which parts would resonate with them the most.Discussed in this episode: How to communicate in a crisisCommunicating policy's effectively The importance of narrative Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To move forward, it is often good to reflect. In this GovComms podcast episode we turn the tables on GovComms podcast host David Pembroke to get his take on 2021.  This podcast deep dives into lessons learnt and challenges faced in the year coming to a close. Nothing is off limits.In the hosting chair is an old friend of David's, Andrew Bell. The pair begin by talking about David's introduction to communications and why he transitioned from mainstream media to helping government improve their communications. David stresses the importance of having a story that is consistent and can be connected to over a period of time. He shares that in order "to be effective you need to think very clearly and very carefully about what you are going to say."As there has been an evident shift in the way people communicate as a result of this pandemic, governments "can see that they need to take advantage of this ability to be able to go direct" say David. Discussed in this episode What was learnt in 2021The richness of social platforms Where to from here? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Effective communication is like creating the perfect Martini or mocktail according to Phillip Jones. The Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Communications for St Vincent de Paul for Canberra/Goulburn shares his wealth of consulting experience, which includes being the “Martini Whisperer”, with the GovComms podcast. GovComms host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, has a fun and insightful conversation with Phillip about getting back into the swing of things following two rather isolating years. The pair discuss how much time should be invested into promoting meaningful and constructive  relationships. Phillip is a big fan of narrative.  He defines it as one of the most important parts of communication. He also discusses the importance of face-to-face communication in a world where technology is increasingly part of the way we work. Discussed in this episode: Importance of a narrative Why context is vital How we can communicate in the new year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This GovComms podcast episode welcomes back Roger Christie, the Founder of Propel Group.  Following on from part one, CEO and Founder of contentgroup David Pembroke discusses all things P-L-A-N Framework (Profile, Listening, Action and Network) with Roger. The pair deep dive into how the P-L-A-N framework can/should be implemented and what leaders can gain from Propel Groups recent White paper investigation.  The episode also explores the importance of purposeful brand building. In Rogers words, " Through building a purposeful digital brand, leaders give themselves the greatest opportunity to protect their own reputation... to build trust and rapport with stakeholders." Roger stresses that participating in discussion on social media are more important than ever. Staying silent and hoping 'it will pass' is no longer the way of the future. The main findings of the report stressed that participation protects reputation.  Discussed in this episode:  - Using social media in a human way - Recommendations for approaching building a brand  - Why visibility on social media is so important for leaders Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to learn how you can use social media effectively as a government communicator?  This week’s podcast features Founder of Propel Group, Roger Christie. Growing up in the world of Public Relations, Roger now focuses on everything social media. This podcast in particular investigates the role of social media and its influence on government communications. Founder and CEO of contentgroup, David Pembroke, asks Roger tips to start conversations in organisations that are notoriously risk-averse when providing responses quickly to events online. Roger then stresses the importance of not tyring to sell social media, but rather see social media as a meeting point. Continuing the conversation, Roger talks about the importance of understanding the environment in which your organisation is operating to avoid mistakes in a public and permanent forum. In Roger’s words, “Don’t build a fort in a battle”. Discussed in this episode: How to position social media as a way to overcome barriers The P-L-A-N Framework Role of Individual vs the organisation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s GovComms episode we welcome Ian Andersen, who throughout his 35 years of active service at the European Commission focused on improving communication for Europeans. As discussed with the podcast host David Pembroke, within Ian’s role as Participatory innovation adviser, Ian aimed to create real engagement in co-creation with stakeholders.This was reflected even in the online format discussions during COVID-19. David and Ian also discuss Ian’s journey as an Interpreter. He explains that intuition, a deep understanding of your mother tongue, and an understanding of conversational language, contribute greatly to the success of an interpreter. As Ian puts it in the episode, “only by really focusing on listening will we get to results that are sustainable”.Ian sheds light on the importance of getting everyone involved in policy-making discussions. He states that by working in a participatory policy-making framework, the level of openness reduces lobbyists, and is the most productive way of involving stakeholders. Ian states, through this listening process, stakeholders “can collectively arrive at much more refined solutions than they would be able to produce by simply providing a position on white paper.” The pair end the latter part of their discussion with a focus on how to effectively harvest and host conversations.Discussed in this episode:• Why communication is leadership made flesh• How to develop your listening skills• Hosting and harvesting conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.