As 2011 draws to a close we look back more than 200 blogs published by CEC Insider during the calendar year.  The posts featured below were our top 5, having been downloaded by more CEC Insider readers than any others.  They address five communications topics that, while all different, are sure to remain of interest to communicators in the new year.  

3 Skills to Improve Your Job Security

• Job security does not exist. One of the most effective ways to ensure your future employment is to develop new skills continuously.   Since launching the CEC’s overhauled competency framework in the spring, nearly 1,000 communications have already taken the Skill Maturity Assessment to indentify and address the skill gaps of themselves and their team. In this blog, we examine the three weakest skills of most communicators.

               Additional Resource: CEC’s Communications Skill Maturity Assessment and Diagnostic

  Spot the Symptoms of Change Fatigue

• Don’t wait for your annual employee engagement survey to address change fatigue in your organization.  After all, with 82% of employees experiencing at least one major change in the past 6 months, odds are that the negative effects of a high-change environment are being felt throughout your employee ranks.  See what we communicators can do spot the symptoms and protect your business’ bottom line. 

              Additional Resource: CEC’s study on Building a Change-Ready Organization

 Coaching Leaders: 10 Tips for Effective Presentations

• CEOs may be experts at setting strategy and managing a leading organization, but unfortunately not all of them can walk up to a podium with confidence and truly engage their employees, investors, or stakeholder audience.  That’s where Communications can shine.  These 10 presentation tips are sure to effectively prepare your senior leaders for their next speaking engagement.

              Additional Resource: Communications Leadership Coaching Overview

 5 Questions That Will Change the Content of Your Next Message

• Stop assuming that your stakeholder audience knows what you know and start giving more consideration to their vantage point.  Consider these five questions when crafting your next message and you’ll find that the content reflects

              Additional Resource: Tips for Improving the Content of Your Messages

 The 7 Freshest Ways to Engage Your Audience

• What happens when someone zones out of a conversation? Their nods of agreement go on auto-pilot. Their eyes glaze over. Their mind wanders. Why? Because they’re not engaged in the discussion. They’re being talked to, not with.  Here are 7 ways to ensure audience engagement as you look to 2012.

              Additional Resource: Stakeholder Engagement Topic Center