Welcome to the IABC Café
Welcome to IABC Café - a new spot for professional communicators to gather. As I said previously in IABC MemberSpeak, I see this blog as a place for people to come together - to share, to learn, to comment or to just hang out to talk about all things IABC, our profession or anything else that’s on their minds.
I have been asked what I plan to blog about. Good question. For those of you who know me, it will come as no surprise when I say the best advice I can give (at this point) is to expect an eclectic approach. I intend to talk about industry-related news and topics I find interesting. I will talk about what I am hearing from members (good and bad) as I travel the IABC world. I will use the blog to generate discussion about IABC programs, services and new initiatives. I will use the blog to seek input from members, to surface new ideas, to report on progress and to generally discuss issues relevant to our association. I am also always open to suggestions.
What you see today are four relatively bare walls. As we build the Café together, I hope it grows and evolves into a dynamic, interesting and always welcoming meeting place. I envision a funky neighborhood spot where locals drop by for lively conversation and friendly argument, to catch up on their reading, or just to hang out and get away for a while. I look forward to the adventure and I invite you to stop by - often.
As your host, commentator, conversation facilitator and all around ring master, my intent is to post regularly (at least every couple of days) but to also have guest posters when I know I will not be available due to family, work or travel commitments. Like most things, I see building and maintaining the IABC Café as a team sport. Stay tuned for more as our new gathering place takes shape.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
April 6th, 2005 at 3:15 pm
And welcome to the blogosphere, Warren. This is a much-needed step in the right direction. Best wishes on this endeavor.
April 6th, 2005 at 4:04 pm
Excellent introductory post, Warren, and I join Robert in welcoming you to the blogosphere. You should be proud of undertaking this much-needed exercise in candor and transparency. I’m anxious to see where the convesation leads.
April 6th, 2005 at 4:07 pm
Good to hear from you Robert. I have to admit I am excited (and a bit intimidated) to join the blogosphere. However, I look forward to the discussions to come and I know you will be around to keep me honest - which isn’t a bad thing!
April 6th, 2005 at 5:07 pm
Most importantly, try to have fun with it.
And, lay some ground rules on when you might be posting. That way, we all have expectations.
April 6th, 2005 at 5:26 pm
Hey Shel. Thanks. It will indeed be interesting to see where the conversation goes. I look forward to the journey.
April 6th, 2005 at 5:50 pm
Congratulations, Warren, on opening the doors to the cafe. I look forward to joining you and others here.
April 7th, 2005 at 12:22 am
Hi Warren,
Although I’m not an IABC member, I’m looking forward to your blogging, and I’m hopeful that this further legitimises blogging as a valid communication tool, and one that is not only for techies…
Good luck - I’m sure there’ll be plenty of advice from the back seats !
April 7th, 2005 at 1:10 am
Welcome, Warren, into the open space on the net. I wish you luck and success with your adventure here.
April 7th, 2005 at 2:13 am
IABC blog relaunched
Yesterday, the IABC Café opened for business, with incoming IABC chairman Warren Bickford behind the bar and in the kitchen. The new name for the relaunched blog - and the strapline “A gathering place for professional communicators” - offers a
April 7th, 2005 at 5:37 am
Hi Warren:
Welcome to the blogosphere. I’ve been posting at http://peterwestpublicrelations.blogspot.com/ for some months now. After listening to Shel Holtz’s endorsement of IABC (plus my own experiences with IABC here in Canada) on his podcast I’m considering joining IABC. I will be reading your blogsite with great interest to see if IABC will indeed be my next stop.
April 7th, 2005 at 9:25 am
Welcome, Warren
Next step is to get IABC’s new PR woman publicize the blog so that real journalists all over the world will know where to look for insights from the most important communicator in the world (Sort of, in a couple of months, when you officially take office)
For those who don’t follow the “most important…” idea — The elected chief of the most-countrired association of communcitors is, or should be, the most important spokesperson for the profession, in all those countries (around 50 in IAB, I believe) PRSA is one country. PRSA is one country. IPR is one coutnry, and so on.
Warren is world-wide.
Not that I’m putting any pressure on you ….
BAK
April 7th, 2005 at 9:47 am
Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement on the opening of the Café. As I have said, I’m up for the challenge and look forward to the many interesting conversations that I’m sure will take place. Please be sure to become regulars.
Hey, Peter - would be good to see you on the member rolls. IABC/Toronto is an excellent chapter and I know you would benefit from the network.
April 7th, 2005 at 11:00 am
As of March 31/05, IABC is represented on 67 countries. No pressure, Brian?
April 7th, 2005 at 11:36 am
Warren:
Thanks for breathing new life into this blog! I know I’ll be making frequent stops to our cafe.
April 7th, 2005 at 12:32 pm
I love the concept you have launched here, Warren. In keeping with Brian’s designation of your position as ‘most important’ communicator in the world, how about taking a position on the scandalous publications ban on the worst kept secrets in Canadian political history. Did anyone dream an innocent blog could contribute to the likely downfall of a North American government?
Now is the time for an IABC leader (who just happens to be Canadian) to show some leadership and take a fearless stand on freedom of speech in this new information and knowledge economy. Just do not pass on too much of the information you are privy to at the moment, Warren. Most of the ban is still in place and we do not want you locked up in some Canadian jail when you should be accepting your new position as leader of IABC.
April 13th, 2005 at 7:33 am
In practice, how would IABC implement advocacy? I support it, yet I wonder how the process should actually work.
Does the chair simply state their own personal opinion? Does the organization identify, analyze and formulate positions? Who would be the decision-makers in such an endeavor?
Are positions vetted, given IABC’s traditional consensus culture? While you can’t gain everyone’s approval, and some will invariably disagree, how exactly would IABC pick and choose topics, and then stake positions?
Input around these issues could help pave the road ahead.
April 13th, 2005 at 8:38 am
Wonderful launch of this much-needed community, Warren! Glad to see it’s open beyond members and that you’ve committed to keeping this blog fresh. All the best …
April 13th, 2005 at 8:45 am
You have touched on some of the issues that need to be “sorted out” around advocacy as we move forward, Charles. I, too, would like to hear input from members about this issue.
As you know, I am never short of opinions but they are just that, my opinions. The association needs a process for identifying issues and then determining an association response - rather than the personal opinions of the leaders at the time.
One thought I have had is to establish an international group of senior communicators to serve, for lack of a better term, as the IABC editorial board. This group would serve to surface “issues” and develop position statements for the association. Just a thought.
I would like to hear thoughts from members as to how this might be accomplished.
April 13th, 2005 at 8:51 am
Hey Shelley. Good to see you in the Café. Thanks for the kind words. Hope you become a regular!
April 13th, 2005 at 10:53 am
Charles makes a good point that there needs to be serious thought given to the “how” of advocacy and this seems a very good forum for gathering input.
Before I read Warren’s suggestion of a group of senior communicators, that was the first thing that popped into my mind. Specifically, is this something that might be appropriate for IABC Fellows to participate in?
April 13th, 2005 at 2:56 pm
Does this mean I have to start drinking coffee in the afternoons, too? So far so good on the Blog. Keep up the good work.
April 13th, 2005 at 8:16 pm
About Warren giving speeches:
Sometime soon a Ragan publication called Journal of Employee Communications Management will publish a piece I wrote, and in it is the opening and closing of a speech Warren could deliver pretty much anywhere in the world.
My view of advocy is pretty straight forward — promote the profession as being very, very important. Fight for a serious seat at serious management tables, for the most senior communicator within an organization.
DEfine business communciations, and get real about the parts that are minor — almost anything for an HR department, for instance — and promote the parts that matter, like PR, when defined properly.
I don’t think “taking stands” for various issues is advocacy, or at least not in my terms. Which is not to say it should not happen, and last night I almost asked Warren to explain to the world just how Quebec politics works. And then I backed off because Warren isn’t king yet, and the current king couldn’t do it.
As for the authority to speak, as raised by Charles …
Among other things, IABC’s board should take a while to figure out a system where members actually elect the top dog, from a roster of people competing to be top dog. They would campaign based on their vision, and whoever wins gets to says whatever he or she wants. Sort of like presidents and prime ministers and CEOs of companies.
But, for now, Warren gets to write his own speech, because he is the CEO / chairman (Freeman certainly is not tasked with representing the organization, is she? She’s done nothing, but I’ve assumed that’s because it was not her job.)
If he doesn’t want to write the basic speech, I’ll write it, for half my normal speech writing fee. Or just lift the front and back of my speech from JECM, for free, credit line appreciated but not necessary, , and fill in the gap in the middle.
BAK
BAK
April 13th, 2005 at 9:43 pm
The following comment is from Neville Hobson, ABC. He experienced technical problems when trying to post so sent it to me via email.
Interesting idea, Warren, especially your use of the word ‘international.’ I’d see this group comprising members from each Region worldwide from Chapters and at large (and not just Fellows, Robert) who would bring truly international perspectives to the table. That way, I believe we would surface the types of issue that are the right ones for IABC to be addressing that would be relevant for an international association.
This group (I’d suggest calling it that and not a board: too command-and-control sounding - how about something simple like the advocacy group?) will need authority and be seen to be having that authority. I’d say the group leader would have to be someone on the Executive Board. Maybe not the chair, but probably the vice chair. There’d also need to be a transparent way of operating. The worse thing that could happen is to have a group like this which is off there discussing and deliberating and the next thing anyone ever hears is that IABC’s doing this or that. So openness in how this group works is essential as is clear and frequent communication.
Here’s one issue that the group could start with - ethics in the profession. This is by no means purely a national issue relevant only in one country or another: it’s a global issue, and one that’s ideally suited for an association like IABC which has an ‘I’ in its name. There’s been substantial discussion on a number of blogs (in particular) in recent months on this topic as well as media commentary, including a cul-de-sac view on whether IABC should even take a position or not. Perhaps the minimum ‘position’ IABC should take is the simple one of purposefully and strongly advocating its own code of ethics in every country where there are members.
Ok, so I’ve provided some comment and opinion on not only the advocacy group idea but also a topic for the group to get its teeth into.
How does that look?
April 13th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
I agree on a number of points, Neville, particularly: that the association must have a representative response - representative of the entire memership; that the process needs to be transparent; and that we should not call it a board. I look forward to hearing from other members on this topic.
By the way, I also agree we all must live and promote the association Code of Ethics we agreed to be guided by when we became members.
April 13th, 2005 at 10:31 pm
Thanks for posting that comment, Warren. Looks like this thing is working again now!
Brian said: “IABC’s board should take a while to figure out a system where members actually elect the top dog, from a roster of people competing to be top dog. They would campaign based on their vision, and whoever wins gets to says whatever he or she wants. Sort of like presidents and prime ministers and CEOs of companies.”
I agree, but IABC’s current consensus approach, as Charles mentions, means this couldn’t work. And ‘take a while’ likely means something might happen for the Chairman after Warren.
But this is precisely what I believe we should be enabling the leader to do - comment on and advocate issues without having to spend 6 months on getting board and other consensual approvals first.
Major shift in how IABC is structured and operates.
April 14th, 2005 at 4:49 am
IABC Cafe Has Comfy Chair
Warren Bickford and IABC staff have done a good job of relaunching the IABC blog. The extent to which members and non-members of the International Association of Business Communicators want to engage in discussion can be seen by the many comments being…
April 14th, 2005 at 6:51 am
A major shift in how IABC is structured and operates, yes. But an appropriate one, in my opinion, and one that accepts the realities of the world today. Of course, such a shift doesn’t happen overnight, but perhaps it’s time for the shift to begin. Seems to me it already has begun, as evidenced by this discussion and others.
Now, before anyone complains that the views expressed here only represent a handful of IABC malcontents, I would suggest that such a complaint represents the consensus culture that now exists in IABC — one that I would argue no longer works.
I believe most IABC members agree on the big things — that communication is important, as Brian states, and that we bring a lot of value to business. We also agree that communication must be practiced ethically and we define “ethically” in a specific way as stated in the Code of Ethics. Why not start with these things? We’ve been preaching these principles to the choir for too long. Time to reach the more important audience: business leaders.
April 14th, 2005 at 7:23 am
This is good. In terms of advocacy, I see two components emerging in this conversation, and I happen to agree with both.
From Neville, advocacy = positions. Taking a stand on issues, from the macro level (ethics) to the micro level (current events).
From Brian, advocacy = promotion. Increasing awareness and understanding of the communication function among business leaders.
Is that analysis correct? What else should advocacy mean in IABC?
It would be interesting to also hear from people who have not posted before, particularly women and people working in organizational settings (non-consultants). This under-represented group (in terms of participation here and in MemberSpeak) constitutes the largest demographic in IABC.
April 14th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
Just to add to the mix of comments already made, I think the board could agree on some responses that the chair and/or president could make without any kind of vetting process or approval. For example, a clear violation of the ethics policy, the nature of which has been defined and agreed upon, should be something to which we respond immediately. When Neville and I interviewed Michael Wiley from General Motors, we asked about concerns that Bob Lutz, the vice chairman, was commenting on his blog without any approval process at all. His answer? “By the time someone gets to be vice chairman, there’s confidence that he knows what he should and shouldn’t say.” I’m not suggesting we go quite that far in IABC, but there are bound to be certain types of issues where the answer is so clear-cut based on the code of ethics that no further checking is required.
April 14th, 2005 at 8:20 pm
Picking up a bit on what Brian was saying, I could see the chair commenting on the distinguishing features of organizations that embrace communications as a way of doing business, and ones that view it as something you get the wordsmiths to deal with after all the decisions are made. There are many examples of companies that ride out a crisis, or go through a major transition with stronger relationships because of their adoption of strategic communications.
That being said, few journalists are going to want to talk to someone like the IABC chair until a major issue hits the news. Then, the chair’s comments will obviously reflect on the company/organization that’s in the news. I could see the chair avoiding company bashing unless there’s been a blatant breach of ethics, and instead commenting on best practices, and letting the reader/listener/viewer draw their own conclusions about how it applies to the case being discussed.
Would IABC publicly censure a company that appears to have breached IABC’s code of ethics? I think it would be much easier to make a stand on what companies should do, rather than create an investigative arm to root out offenders.
April 15th, 2005 at 5:08 am
Shel and Eric give excellent examples of an appropriate advocacy role for IABC’s chairman. Since the news media have probably never heard of IABC, however, some work would have to be done to educate business reporters about our association.
Provide an immediate statement/response?? Our members might not recognize such a nimble organization!
That’s a problem we could live with.
April 15th, 2005 at 8:07 am
[...] e, please pop into the discucssion on advocacy taking place in the comments section of the Welcome to the IABC Café post. It would be great to hear from you. [...]
April 15th, 2005 at 11:12 am
Please refer to the news release archive from 2000.
http://www.iabc.com/info/news/2000/sept.htm
The statement (advocacy, position, et al.) was timely and censure-oriented; it was distributed on a wire service (pro bono).
Surprised? For historical purposes, let me tell about about the response back then:
a) a yawn from most IABC members
b) criticism that IABC should be serving members, not the profession
c) emotional pleas not to partner with other associations on anything
d) feedback that IABC had exposed itself to legal liability
e) threats to resign if IABC dared comment on a member’s company
f) flack that the issue was U.S.-centric, not global
g) concern that the statement was issued in tandem with a third-party conference (purely a timing opportunity)
h) some said nimble = reckless public positions
i) on the other hand, others wanted a much stronger statement
j) the more strident wanted members within those companies banned from IABC
Let me be careful: there is no connection between the response and subsequent policy on advocacy. IABC, as many of you know, had to deal with other serious issues just two months later.
Fast forward to 2005: What next? How? Scope (local issues or global only)?Who? Process? Promotion? Positions? Censure? Policy?
And what hasn’t IABC considered that might come back to haunt it in another five years, as everything seems to do?
April 15th, 2005 at 12:20 pm
This IABC member would rather see our association fighting off the kind of criticism listed above for doing the right thing than to see it fight off the kind of criticism it has received lately for doing nothing.
April 15th, 2005 at 2:29 pm
Agreed. My intuition tells me that Warren - and the powers that be - are interested too, in view of the fact that Warren linked to this discussion.
Now is the time for all good people to tell IABC what advocacy could look like. New voices welcome. The window of opportunity for change is open.
April 15th, 2005 at 5:15 pm
Hello boys -
Female business owner, PR practicioner and former pres of local IABC chapter here (You wanted estrogen, right cp?). And also, a novice blog participant - where do yall find the time!!??!! I’m trying my best to keep up to speed but there’s just so much that I feel like I “must” read…..
OK, to the point: Advocacy is and will continue to be one of THE cornerstone issues at the chapter level - at least from my humble perspective.
Taking a visible position internationally means that local chapters can take advantage of momentum, offer a local perspective and get coverage locally.
Which in turn supports member morale (hey, that’s MY IABC), member recruitment (who’s this IABC?), employer involvement/support (do my underlings belong that that?), participation (that reminds me - there’s a lunch/tele/whatever today), and overall respect for the profession and the organization.
Advocate/position when needed (Mitch Albom gets a time out - BAD boy!), tell a story when appropriate (guess what? our research foundation found that lorem ipsom dolor), and let the local chapters use that to their advantage.
As for the process, I dunno. Beaurocracy ain’t my thing, but I’m always willing to help. Bottom line - it needs to happen some way, some how.
BTW, I am SO enjoying all of the conversations, even if life gets in the way of my being an active participant more often. Warren, you’re doing a great job.
April 15th, 2005 at 9:36 pm
Hi Lisa. Welcome to the Café. Glad to have you and please stop by often. I am in Montreal for an Executive Committee meeting but will be posting a longer response to the many opinions and ideas tomorrow some time.
April 18th, 2005 at 6:31 am
Even though I feel like I have I lot to say on this issue, here’s a brief take:
We keep looking for the Holy Grail: measurable connection to business performance, trusted advisor status to the C level, now professional advocacy.
Indeed, IABC should advocate, because that’s where our competition lives — PRSA specifically (I believe in its charter) is an advocacy organization. Other organizations have and will pop up, sometimes around a specific issue, to preach to the uncoverted.
In my mind, advocacy has to be part of the wider strategy — elevating IABC’s perception of value among members, the communication community (including the media) and the business community at large.
Anyone can advocate — the blogosphere is rife with opinion — but the trust associated with such opinions differs widely.
Taking positions and seeking out opportunities to share them is PR, no?
Charles’ post of the Bridgestone situation from five years ago is a worthy lesson. We can’t reinvent ourselves as a lobbying organization for the profession if that causes us to lose focus of our main mission — supporting members. The ideas about special groups to focus on these things are good ones… Let’s go! By the same token, let’s also be sure we’re in good shape about increasing membership value - that in itself will help our advocacy efforts…
Sean Williams
April 18th, 2005 at 9:20 am
Some great ideas and discussions on this issue. Congratulations, Warren, obviously you’ve struck a chord (maybe even enough for a fuller chorus) of interest.
My only concern is that the IABC Café is (deliberately) in the public domain. If discussions (and any eventual decisions) affecting the strategic direction of the association are open to all, are we squandering some (collective) competitive intelligence, in the interest of transparency?
Unless, of course, you want to invite the competition (or complementary organizations) to contribute to the discussion, in a “holistic” way, regarding the role(s) of communications- and PR-related associations and the like.
April 18th, 2005 at 3:15 pm
Squandering competitive intelligence? Maybe - but who would lose if the information here caused other organizations to join the push for professionalism?
Supporting members? Perhaps the single best thing anyone could do to support members is to speak out about what professional best practices are.
If this keeps up, lapsed members like me may come back. Go, Warren, go. P.S. Warren, there will come a day when you get too busy for this. Plan for that day now so the blog can carry on.
April 19th, 2005 at 10:02 am
Hey, Tim. Why wait? Would love to have you back in the association. And good point about being too busy. Thanks.
April 19th, 2005 at 10:34 am
[...] Many of you have been following the discussion taking place in the comments section of the Welcome to the IABC Café post. It began with some best wishes [...]
April 19th, 2005 at 10:28 pm
[...] My good friend Judy from Toronto raised an interesting issue in the comment thread at the Welcome to the IABC Café post: My only concern is that the I [...]
April 20th, 2005 at 3:13 am
Is there a size limit on comments?
April 20th, 2005 at 4:59 am
Hi Brian. I don’t know for sure, but it looks like there may be. I will check it out with the techies and get back to you.
April 20th, 2005 at 6:55 am
We have not set a limit on comment size, but there are some practical limits:
First, MySql’s text datatype allows for columns of 65kb, I believe, which is about twice the size of the US constitution, below.
Second, you are posting form data to us. Although our firewall does not limit form post payload size, some firewalls do. You’ll have to ask your friendly neighborhood IT folks to be sure.
Third, there is always pilot error.
FYI I posted this huge comment using the same interface everyone else does and it came through 100% intact.
:c
THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
——————————————————————————–
(See Note 1)
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
(truncated by request)
April 20th, 2005 at 10:16 am
Well, that certainly contributes to the discussion. Actually, printing IABCs by-laws from time to time would be a better solution.
April 21st, 2005 at 4:57 am
Or the IABC Code of Ethics. Or, for that matter, the Grunigs’ Excellence Study report, which I think might actually be shorter than the Constitution.
April 21st, 2005 at 9:30 am
Regarding Charles Pizzo’s observations above concerning my definition of advocacy. Awareness and understanding is only part way there. Then the audience (business leaders, clients, prospects, regulators, etc.) must take actions to the benefit of the professional communicators.
BAK