Anyone working in healthcare today knows just how demanding and complex the industry is, with daily shifts in consumer needs, financial pressures, evolving regulations and reforms. The business of healthcare has entered a new era that leaves communicators and leaders with the daunting challenge of keeping employees focused, committed and engaged in what can feel like the eye of a hurricane.

Welcome to my weekly round-up of the best-of-the-best recent leadership and communication blog posts. 

• Communication Tips for Introverts and Extroverts
  By Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy (@fosslien and @molliewest via @susancain), Susan Cain
  
  Introverts and extroverts have different needs. Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy provide quick tips you can apply immediately to help introverts and extroverts work together seamlessly.
  
  “I’ll go if I don’t have to talk,” says Elaine when Jerry asks her to join him for coffee on Seinfeld. Some of us need more quiet time than others...”
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Context

con - text  [kon-tekst] – noun

1. the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect: You have misinterpreted my remark because you took it out of context.

2. the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.

To Obtain Alignment, Context is Key

At the heart of organization-wide alignment is a common context. Context influences how we interpret information. It’s the lens through which we view and make sense of the world.

No matter our role, we all face really challenging questions from time to time – those pointed, unexpected queries that can leave us squirming or wishing we could head for the door.

The Difficult Questions

For leaders, some zingers are from investors shooting at you from multiple angles, like rapid fire:

• Why did earnings fall short?
• What are your plans to innovate?
• Where will you find the cost cuts?

Welcome to my weekly round-up of the best-of-the-best recent leadership and communication blog posts. 

• 4 Tips For Improving Management Information Cascade
  By SnapComms (@snapcomms)
  
  “Staff would rather communicate with their immediate supervisor than any other level of management. This is particularly true during uncertain times. Staff may start to distrust the ‘corporate mouthpieces’ such as the intranet, and turn to their managers for interpretation ... So how can we improve manager cascade as a critical part of effective internal communications?...”
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What does it take to help leaders communicate and lead more effectively? Even the most personable and engaging leaders can benefit from new leadership tips.

Leadership roles change every day and leaders need to grow and improve with them. Here are 20 leadership blogs (listed in alphabetical order), similar to this one, that I like to check in with on a regular basis.

Welcome to my weekly round-up of the best-of-the-best recent leadership and communication blog posts. 

• 5 Deadly Communication Mistakes That Kill Team Spirit
  By Dianna Booher (@diannabooher via @Forbes), Forbes
  
  “Many teams exist in name only. Their “spirit” is ghosting. Members may be assigned to the same project, but they no more feel like one big happy family than Hamlet and his crew. Conflicts constantly erupt. People hoard information. Distrust makes collaboration difficult at best. At the root of it all, typically poor communication destroys team members’ confidence that what they hear is rational, relevant, or real...”
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Ginette Meluso, Vice President of Business Communications and Executive Support at AmerisourceBergen, has impressive experience in communication strategy across a variety of sectors, including government, agency and corporate environments. With nearly 20 years of experience in the field, Ginette embraces continuous learning of all things communications and is an advocate for leaders and associates alike. She led her team in building AmerisourceBergen’s internal communications function from the ground up through an expansion that now serves an enterprise of 21,000 associates. Passionate about being in service to others, this creative, results-driven, strategic communication professional is definitely someone to know. We discuss her compelling insights in our Q&A.

Q&A with Ginette Meluso,
Vice President of Business Communications
and Executive Support at AmerisourceBergen