Hey Mel Communications & Training

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Hey Mel Communications & Training

Experts in communication - training, strategy & planning. Are you a team leader or a business owner? Does your team need to improve their communications?

Do your leaders need some help improving team engagement? Maybe you have a strategy or a significant project you need to roll out and you're not sure how to communicate it most effectively? I might be your new best friend! I run workshops and training sessions on all things communications - storytelling, authentic communication, effective writing, change communication ... all tailored specifically

to your needs. If you've got a problem I might be able to help you solve, let's chat! In the meantime, check out the range of free comms resources on my website.

15/09/2025

This fortnight’s edition of the Less Chatter More Matter newsletter is here to tackle all of your change comms challenges… and, let you vent a little about your favourite pet peeves!

We’ve also added some insights around leadership communication, including why it’s important to a new leader, and what you can do to improve.

So, if you’re ready to get more effective, get reading here: 👉: https://mailchi.mp/heymelcomms/15-9-25

Sign up now to get valuable insights straight to your inbox: https://training.us6.list-manage.com/profile?u=a4e0f5f80596568d857875e0d&id=89b2354fad&e=%5BUNIQID%5D&c=742f306292.
[Image description: A light pink background with an image of Mel presenting on change comms as the image at the bottom half. There are pink decorative corners and white decorative imagery. The dark blue title says: "Tackle your change comms pet peeves with us this fortnight!".]

14/09/2025

“This change is happening. You will do this differently. End transmission.”

Not an inspiring change message? Agreed … and yet, this is often the vibe I get from reading change-related messages.

You’re talking to humans, not robots. So if you want your messages to work, then they need to be written in ways that sound human, and tap into what makes humans change.

So, how do you get ‘the vibe’? Here’s my top tips for change messages:

1. Balance head and heart - we listen to logic, but make decisions based on emotions. So tap into them!

2. Use the reader’s perspective - it’s not about you / the business, it’s about them. So talk about what’s in it for them.

3. Talk about what’s not changing - people can get overwhelmed when it feels like a lot of change is happening, and that just encourages them to hold on to the status quo. So also point out what’s staying the same.

4. Use concrete language - avoid being vague just to cover your butt, and inspire confidence by being more concrete in the words you use.

5. Tap into a sense of identity - whether it’s part of a team, an informal ‘tribe’, a cohort, or a company. People like to be part of the in-group, and if they can see this is something ‘people like me’ are into, they’ll come along for the ride.

6. Reframe the change - especially when it’s complex, reframe it into more granular and simple terms that make sense to different people.

7. Pique curiosity - we hate not knowing things! So think about how you can fire up the curiosity in your audience using teasers or hints.

8. Personalise your messages - there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Make your messages specific and relevant to different groups.

What else would you add to the list?

[Image description: Eight white tiles surrounding a pink tile in the centre. The pink tile has the words: Top tips for change key messages. Each of the white tiles has the tips mentioned in this post.]

11/09/2025

Think back to your first leadership role. Were you handed the tools to communicate well with your team, or did you just wing it and hope for the best?

The truth is, most leaders never get formal training in communication. Which is why in this week’s episode of Less Chatter, More Matter, we cover the five skills that can make or break you as a leader.

If you’re stepping into leadership, or coaching someone who is, this episode will give you a clearer path forward.

Listen in here: https://www.heymelcomms.training/135 🎧
[Video imagery description: Mel in front of her microphone talking to the camera.

10/09/2025

Stepping into leadership can feel like being thrown in the deep end.

A new title doesn’t magically bring the skills to inspire, communicate, and lead a team; without the right support, new leaders often fall back on the behaviours of past managers.

Sometimes that works. Often, it doesn’t.

The result? Teams that feel unheard, frustrated, or left in the dark.

However, with just a few core communication skills, new leaders can build trust and connection from day one. Luckily, we’ve put these skills in a handy blog for you so you can master them early.

What do you think: is communication the most important skill a leader can have? 💬

Read the blog here: 🔗👉 https://heymelcomms.training/blog/leader-comms-skills
[Image description: A transparent white overlayed flower background with a pink, flower bordered image of Mel speaking in the middle. In the bottom right corner is the HMC logo in red, and the title above the image says "The leadership communication skills new leaders need" in dark blue. ]

09/09/2025

"Pay peanuts, get monkeys". (No offence to monkeys.)

Or under-resource and under-lead transformation, get the same thing you've always got.

I've seen many so-called 'transformation' projects fail to actually transform anything, because they weren't resourced properly from the start, and leadership shied away from the hard stuff because it was expensive or too uncomfortable.

You don't get transformation when you're not willing to invest in big, hard stuff, and stick to it.

You get a few changes that won't really shift the dial. Maybe a restructure or a new platform or two, but at the end of the day it's the same thing, wrapped in a different bow.

And as wonderfully talented as change and comms pros are, we are not miracle workers.

So if your business is talking about making fundamental shifts to its strategy to put it in a better position in the future, then think about how you will actually make sure that transformation happens.

And don't get surprised if you were aiming for the Eiffel Tower and only get a handful of Duplo. Because that's all you ever invested in.

[Image description: Heading on the tile reads: Under-resourced change comms: Expectations vs Reality. Below is a picture of the Eiffel Tower with the heading 'What you're expected to build...'. Next to it is a picture of three Duplo blocks with the heading 'What they give you to build it'.]

07/09/2025

Want people to think of your business as experts in the sector? Want to be the first people the media call when they want a comment on an issue you’re passionate about? Then get that thought leadership going!

Thought leadership is a big driver of reputation, and can be a strategy that helps achieve business goals.

So… how do you do it? Here’s four steps to developing a thought leadership framework:

1. Identify 1-3 issues that are pertinent to your business / industry, and that align with your strategic goals. For example, if you work in insurance, climate change is an issue you may want to lead on.

2. Develop your organisation’s positions for each issue - so what is your stance on each issue, and why? Back it up with data and first-hand experiences.

3. Identify and prep the right spokespeople for each issue. It’s not always the CEO - you could have a senior team member who’s an esteemed researcher, for example. But they will need training and support.

4. Plan and deliver your thought leadership content, considering who your audiences are you want to reach, and the best way to reach them.

The great thing about a framework like this is it helps your business get very clear on what issues you will take a stand on, and what you won’t. It means you can focus your efforts on a narrow range of issues, and get better outcomes, rather than trying to have something to say about everything.

[Image description: A blue tile with white and pink text that lists the four steps mentioned in this post.]

04/09/2025

Working on change projects often comes with frustration. Decisions can shift, expectations aren’t always realistic, and messages can get lost in layers of unnecessary complexity.

In the latest episode of the Less Chatter, More Matter podcast, we chat with Gilbert Kruidenier about the challenges faced in change and communications and how to work through them.

Gilbert draws on more than 20 years of experience and his book Bad Change to explain how to manage workloads, clarify roles, and make communications simple and effective.

This episode is full of ideas you can try in your own workplace, from better managing approvals to keeping your messages human and understandable.
Listen in here: https://www.heymelcomms.training/134 🎧
[Video imagery description: Mel and Gilbert in front of their microphones talking to the camera.]

03/09/2025

Anyone who’s worked in change or comms knows the frustrations: shifting priorities, last-minute rewrites, or being told to “just send an email” like it’s a magic fix.

So, we’re jumping in with some smart, practical ways to handle the tough stuff like managing corporate comms knockbacks to avoiding burnout when you’re asked to juggle two roles in one.

Though the truth is, frustrations will always come up… but they don’t have to derail us.

Find out how, right here: 🔗👉 https://heymelcomms.training/blog/frustrations-change-comms
[Image description: A white background with a cartoon figure thinking in the middle. There is a blue thought cloud above them with the title "Five frustrations in change and comms, and how to address them" in white and pink text. The HMC logo is red in the bottom left. ]

02/09/2025

Imagine being 55 years old, having worked all your life, and now facing homelessness because of rising living costs, or a relationship breakdown.

Or being a 30-something-year-old finally taking the brave step to leave an abusive relationship, but with nowhere to go.

These are the situations facing more women than ever before in Brisbane.

It could happen to any of us, or any of the people you love.

But ... we can do something to support women facing these situations.

Which is why I'll be joining the Salvos Sleepout again this year, with Jessica Ndenda and the The Belle Evolution team, to raise funds for the Brisbane City Women’s Homelessness Service.

But that's not all... to help fundraising, I've got a very special, VERY limited offer! 🤩

Book in a lunch & learn session for your team and instead of paying me, make a $100 donation to my fundraiser! ❤️

Here's what you need to do:

- Go to this link, and make a minimum $100 donation: https://sleepout.qld.salvationarmy.org.au/melanie-loy

- Send me a copy of your receipt, and we'll start chatting about booking you in!

I'm only offering 10 lunch & learn spots between now and the end of October 2025, so get in quick and help me to help other women! ⏰

[Image description: Pink tile with blue and white text. The headline reads: Get a Lunch & Learn for your team ... and support Brisbane women experiencing homelessness! Below is an image of the Salvos Sleepout logo with the date of the event (Friday 12 September) and location (RNA Showgrounds). Below the image are the three steps to take: 1, donate, 2, send a copy of your receipt, 3, book your session.]

01/09/2025

This fortnight’s edition of the Less Chatter, More Matter newsletter is packed to the brim with news and insights.

In fact, we interviewed Howard Krais, communicating expert and teacher of all things listening about the importance of listening and how it can change your internal comms.

We also dived into the way silos are built in the workplace, and how you can use comms to break them down.

Or even, prevent them to begin with.

Jump into this edition and sign up for more here: 👉: https://mailchi.mp/heymelcomms/1-9-25

Sign up now to get valuable insights straight to your inbox: https://training.us6.list-manage.com/profile?u=a4e0f5f80596568d857875e0d&id=89b2354fad&e=%5BUNIQID%5D&c=742f306292.
[Image description: A dark blue background with the title "On this fortnight's newsletter: Are you really listening?" in white. Beneath it are two cartoon people seated and one is talking. Behind it is a soundwave image. The white HMC logo is in the bottom left.]

31/08/2025

I've been involved in a LOT of engagement surveys over the years - from the comms perspective - and there's one big problem with so many of them:

The questions about 'communication' are useless.

You might get a token broad question like: Communication at my organisation is effective.

But then they'll also lump in some leadership and culture questions into the comms mix too, and call it 'communication'.

Then ... the easiest lever to pull to fix ALL the problems is comms, of course. It's visible, tangible, and a much easier thing to blame than deal with the cognitive dissonance of finding out people think your EVP and leadership are less than stellar.

So my challenge to any organisation that's still using these big, expensive surveys is this: don't do the survey unless you're genuinely interested in learning from the results, even if they're hard to stomach.

Also, it's data that can be skewed in so many ways (for example, a team might have only 8 people, so one person's very negative answers will skew the whole outcome), and everyone's 'insights' from the data will be different.

But even better than a survey? Get out there and talk to people. Find out what's working and what's not - you might be surprised by what they have to say!

[Image description: A blue tile with the heading: So you got your engagement survey results... below is a four-panel black-and-white hand-drawn cartoon featuring two people speaking. The person on the right does all the talking, while person on the left looks increasingly disappointed and then mad. The person on the right says: We got the engagement survey results and they're not good ... people say our leadership, recognition, and career opportunities are terrible! I think we all know what the problem is ... not enough communication!]

28/08/2025

It's time to get out there and support local small businesses!

I'm only speaking from the Australian perspective, but I'm aware across the globe there's many small businesses who are now facing huge challenges due to shipping being paused to the USA. It represents a big drop in potential sales and people's livelihoods being threatened.

So - drop into the comments and let us all know what local small businesses you love that we should consider buying from!

This is my latest haul of gifts for friends, courtesy of Fox and Cactus.

[Image description: A photo of Mel's hand, holding products she bought from a small business called Fox and Cactus. They include a clip that looks like a cartoon cat holding a knife, stickers, and ghost earrings. ]

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