Ed Barks's Blog: C-suite Blueprint

I’ve never given much weight to the World Economic Forum’s Davos confabs. They strike me as a venue for a cadre of clubby billionaires and politicians (and clingers-on) posing as do-gooders. Isn’t it ironic that the only ones who seem to grow consistently richer are the billionaires themselves?

Yet at least one thing changed this year (and no, it is not hard to discern why). One aspect of the recent gathering impressed me for its insight, its boldness, and its aim directly at the world’s biggest...

This past summer I wrote about quite a few of the research reports and position papers I’ve published — and updated — over the years in hopes that you would find them useful in your communications and public policy endeavors.

They cover the gamut of my expertise, from public speaking and media strategy to messaging and advocacy campaigns.

Media training, Capitol Hill fly-ins, remote interviews, and Q&A techniques are just a few of the topics addressed. There is much more, too. See the complete l...

The trend seems to be going from bad to worse regarding the future of journalism.

To be sure, there are still bright spots, like non-profit entities taking ownership interest in limited instances. Yet the overall trend does not bode well as some recent events presage.

Public broadcasting started many decades ago as ETV — Educational Television — featuring children’s programming. It morphed over time into one of the most respected and reliable news sources, both in rad...

What did you do on your holiday hiatus? Me? The best part was when my wife and I took a road trip to visit our daughter. I hope you have similar warm memories.

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss wasn’t as fortunate. Just prior to the holidays, she ignited a firestorm by spiking a “60 Minutes” piece revolving around Venezuelan men who were rounded up in the U.S. and shipped to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT prison.

Let us first take a step back to summarize the back story. CBS is n...

It’s a cornerstone of how to communicate with power in public forums. I call it the Three Keys to Great Presentations.

The system merits occasional emphasis. Yes, it is that important to any executive or spokesperson who hopes to shine in the business or advocacy arena.

For many professionals, public speaking represents a sometimes crippling phobia. Indeed, a good friend recently shared the trepidations she experienced prior to a talk before office colleagues.

Here’s the good news: Little do spe...

Where to start? You have agreed to deliver a talk to an important audience.

The format may be anything from a staid panel presentation to a glittering industry keynote. It may even be a remote appearance on Zoom. No matter the forum, diligent preparation is a must.

There are many moving parts to pull together as you arrange to deliver any type of presentation, face-to-face or remote. This checklist is designed to make your life easier by helping you streamline the process:

Engage your brain and sharpen those pencils (figuratively). It’s quiz time.

Below is a handful of questions designed to test your media relations knowledge. They are not particularly tough. Rather, the intent is to get you thinking about issues you may have blotted out of your mind or that you encounter only infrequently.

There is no answer key as I hope most of the solutions are self-evident. If, however, you do find one or two stumpers, feel free to contact me for the correct choice. Or you ca...

Questions are often thought of as confrontational. That is not always the case.

There are some queries I actually enjoy entertaining. They may address a sweet spot professionally, ring a personal note, or bring to mind a pleasant memory.

Here are a few of the questions that are music to my ears.

Oh, how I love this one. It tells me that the inquirer grasps the need to improve over time.

It habitually takes a lot of time and effort...

Communications strategy and sustained professional development. Those are the central tenets I’ve been emphasizing throughout my quarter-century-plus as a consultant.

Why the concentration on those issues? Communications strategy is sorely lacking in too many businesses. When an issue arises, the knee-jerk reaction is to turn to tactics. You’ve probably heard ideas like these:

From presidents to professional athletes. From actors to CEOs.

Examples abound of those in the limelight stalking out of media interviews, sometimes cool and collected, sometimes full of fight.

Is going off in a huff ever a good idea? Generally, no. Calling it quits is often the sign of a thin-skinned amateur.

Any spokesperson’s talents should include the ability to deflect hostile or off-point questioning, and to bridge to their message when needed.

Now, cutting things sho...