Sure, it's naive to think that sports should always be a bastion of pure competition, untainted by greed, but when someone just rubs the corporatism in your face, it's always going to go down badly. MisCommunicator of the Week Award goes to FIFA President (at least for now), Gianni Infantino, for his ridiculous proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. Let's be honest. Corruption has always been a feature of world sport. But usually it is kept below the surface, so that...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Maybe it’s just that I’m old school, but I remember a time (pre-social media) when even politicians were capable of disagreeing without being disagreeable; when the purpose of speech was to persuade, not just to go viral; and the humanity behind the politics was common, not rare. Communicator of the Week Award, goes to PMQs and the entire House of Commons for the respectful, dare I say, reverent manner in which it held Sir Keir Starmer’s final appearance at the despatch box. Starmer was...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
You may think that walking around with a bin on your head is just plain silly. You’re right… and that’s the point. Communicator of the Week Award of course goes to the intergalactic space warrior himself, Count Binface (aka Jonathan Harvey). When Nigel Farage first called the by-election with the intention to stand in it, Reform believed it to be a master stroke to distract from the serious questions of corruption surrounding the £5m and other donations Farage had received. 24 hours later and...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
He’s not the Messiah, but he is certainly changing things. Communicator of the Week Award goes to Andy Burnhm, who looks set to become the next UK Prime Minister. Andy Burnham gave a big speech this week. It was about his vision of the future for the country. There were some interesting ideas and a clear sense of direction, which is in stark contrast to the leadership style of Keir Starmer. But the reason he wins this award is not because of what he said, but because of what he didn’t do....
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
There is an old adage that when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging! Mis-Communicator of the Week Award goes to Nigel Farage for his terrible almost comical response to direct questioning about the £5m gift he received from crypto billionaire, Christopher Harborne. Normally a very sure-footed communicator, Farage has lost a step in recent weeks. He was roundly and soundly criticised for calling for ‘pure cold rage’ by contrast to the dignified calls for calm by the parents of the...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
This week, a massive fire ripped through and destroyed a warehouse in North London. The warehouse was home to numerous small businesses, one of which was a brand creating beautiful interior products with West African designs, called Eva Sonaike. Imagine watching your life’s work go up in flames and knowing that nothing would be salvageable. Devastating! It would be easy to wallow in regret and self pity, but that isn’t how Eva is built. Tears? Yes. Disbelief? Of course. But also an unshakable...
2 months ago • 1 min read
There's a famous scene in the first season of the West Wing. Things haven't been going well for President Bartlett and his administration, mainly because he is too cautious to really fight for what he believes. Finally exasparated, he makes the decision to forget about the politics of reelection and speak up for what he believes. His chief of staff relieved that the President has finally decided to stop holding back, writes down an edict to every member of the White House staff that reads:...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Sometimes it really is just about looking the part! Communicator of the Week Award goes to the Carters (Jay-Z, Beyonce, Blue Ivy) for their stunning look at the Met Gala event this week. Of course, communication is primarily about what you say and how you say it, but that doesn't mean that how you look is irrelevant. I recommend to all my clients to have a go to look for their speeches and presentations. Think of it like armour that makes you feel like you are in control. And The Carters...
4 months ago • 1 min read
There is a line in the brilliant musical, Hamilton, where the character King George (who steals the show in every scene he is in) says to the Founding Fathers of the newly independent America..."What comes next? You've been freed. Do you know how hard it is to lead?C ommunicator of the Week Award goes to King Charles for his marvellous speech to the US Congress, in which he deftly reminded the Americans of the principles that the country is supposed to stand for, but which it seems to have...
4 months ago • 1 min read