The First Podcast: Mergers and Acquisitions

In a previous posting, I mentioned the formation of a series of podcasts around the theme of Organisational Communications.

Today we have the first programme.

The first looks at communications challenges arising from Mergers and Acquisitions. I hope you'll find it interesting as joining us for the discussion was experience from the commercial, public sector, and international organisation perspectives.

Present were:

Euan Semple, former Director of Knowledge Management at the BBC, now social media consultant.

David Paul, Managing Director of B2B communication specialists, Imarco Frontline.

David Galipeau, Head of Web Communications, UNAIDS. (Joined us from Geneva using Skype).

and myself, from Activ-Media.

To subscribe: Right click on this link, copy shortcut, and paste into your feed aggregator.

To download:  Broadband version or Dialup version.

To simply listen: Click on either track in the playlist below, depending on your internet connection:

If you have ideas for future programmes and would like to participate, drop a comment on this posting.

Comments

[Philippe Borremans]

Hi Matt,

Great initiative. If you want to discuss PR, on-line communications, blogging and new media don't hesitate to call me. Either as PR Manager & blog "evangelist" for IBM Corp. or as an independent consultant or as a founding member of the International Association of Online Communicators.(http://www.onlinecommunicators.org)

[Matt O'Neill]

Hi Philippe,

Thanks for the comment. That could be very interesting.

Also, I didn't even know there was an IAOC. Sounds very interesting. I will definitely be investigating!

Cheers,

Matt

[Jonathan Priest]

Very interesting podcast. Particularly liked the topic of accountability versus influence. Even when there is an ability to communicate openly, if the organisation is very top down, there are no mechanisms (or desire) to assimilate individual concerns, ideas and asipirations. Taking the effort to put together a podcast raises the level of debate and provides focus. Social computing is often simply that, hopefully you can combine the two elements to create some tangible outcomes.

[Alan Stevens]

Matt,

Interesting podcast. Well done. There are a number of tweaks that you might think about, including "chunking" the discussion, previewing the next issue, asking for interaction and so on.

I've been podcasting for a year or so, and it's a big learning process. Best of luck, and I look forward to the next one. If you ever need an expert on using different types of media to get a message across, give me a call (or just buy my book "The Pocket Media Coach" at Amazon). And no - this wasn't posted as an advert!

[Stephen Cotterell]

Matt

Thank you for creating a great podcast. If this is the first step what will the next few look and sound like?

You asked for feedback. So here is my uniquely personal perspective on your first podcast.

It is from someone who used to work in senior management for a global organisation, saw the writing on the wall, moved and embraced a better, more productive and much less introspective networked world.

While it was not explicitly stated during your podcast discussion it seems to me that there is a growing tension between some old ideas and newer, real life, online communication and ideas generation experiences.

For example, there still seems to be a solid belief in ideas that worked ages ago in different contexts will still work even thought the playing field has shifted dramatically.

Ideas such as: command and control; knowledge is power and other mantras.

How could they continue be effective in a post-hierarchical flatter more networked world?

Your podcast underpinned for me the value of some very different 21st Century communication based ideas.

How might these be developed?

Here are a few suggestions, some orginal, some not.

- Everyone has the opportunity to be creative and share ideas
- We are all volunteers now
- There is no hiding place
- Good ideas become great ideas when developed in non-judgemental environments
- Attempting to control "the message" and communication processes is a bit like King Canute's efforts to hold back the tide
- Senior teams will become excellent performers once the start embracing new ways to communicate, face to face and remotely.
- Resisitance is literally futile.
- Of all the things "sold" in the world, knowledge is the one thing that remains in the hands of the seller.

Keep up the great work.

One final point and a suggestion.

How do you intend to let people know about future podcasts?

What's stopping you inviting the likes of Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell and Stephen Covey to join in with future discussions?

Regards

Stephen

[Amir Khodaparast]

Dear Matt,

I would like to paste below an extract from our website:-

"...Our work seamlessly integrates dispersed people and processes from autonomous organisations within common collaborative ecologies centred around better communication and collaboration systems and strategies..."

I would be most grateful for the opportunity of working with you on your endeavours.

Kind Regards,
Amir

[Blaire Palmer]

Hi Matt,
I would love to talk to you more about doing a podcast. I am a creative thinking partner who works with leaders in the business world to help them to generate ideas and communicate them throughout their organisation. I help companies shift from making space for ideas to building their growth around ideas.
I am a former BBC presenter and producer and still do a fair amount of broadcasting and writing.
I am happy to chair debates and produce my own podcast on creativity and leadership, should this interest you.
Well done on this project.
Blaire

[MJ Ray]

Sorry for posting this reply here, but soflow no longer lets me reply to forums, your own site is inaccessible and your About page here doesn't give any contact details that I can use, so I'm running out of options. Have you considered making yourself easier to contact?

- What rights exist for employees / employers dictating how email / internet can be used in the workplace?

I'm not aware of any specific email/internet rulings, but it's probably going to be similar to personal telephone use, which hits the news occasionally, as in http://www.unison.org.uk/bargaining/doc_view.asp?did=144

- What are the legal issues around 'internet' usage in the workplace?

This is just begging for a rant against those stupid stupid "only the intended recipient may read this" footers - as footers, you only see them after you've read them. I've also received stuff from PR officers which included the footer forbidding me from showing it to anyone (including the rest of the group asking the question), which when asked, the PR officer said they couldn't override! Great PR!