" Having been familiar with the inimitable style of Sharon O'Dea and Jonathan Phillips over a number of years, including their popular Intranetizen website from years ago, I was excited to review their new book, Digital Communications at Work . With Sharon's off-beat and opinionated communication style and Jonathan's analytic and scientific approach to problem solving, I had high expectations. I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. The book is highly readable and, at the same time, gives you all the information you need to be an effective digital communicator. Structured in four parts - discover, develop, deliver, future - it provides a nice framework you can apply to all aspects of digital communication. However, the chapters also work on their own, making it easy to pick and choose particular areas to focus on if that suits you better. Most insightful are the real-world examples and advice frequently scattered throughout the book; probably the most valuable parts, if I'm being honest. You can tell they have both been in the trenches implementing the approach they advocate, and the hard-won wisdom from those battles is like gold.

Being someone who likes to make evidence-based decisions, I was also happy to see many cross-references and third-party research used frequently to support their viewpoints. They also don't shy away from talking about AI, its impact, and how best to adapt as a digital communicator. For example, there's a section on new skills internal communicators will need, such as prompt engineering, and the importance of managing content in such a way that AI can deliver effective results - not just regurgitate rubbish that already exists within an organization. Overall, a mandatory addition to the library of any self-respecting communications professional. While largely directed towards internal communicators and digital workplace professionals, many of the lessons apply to all aspects of communication. ".