You wouldn’t know it by my lack of recent posts, but I have been actively engaged lately in communication activities. A lot of the activity has surrounded my transition into the role of IABC/Chicago chapter president for the 2010-2011 board year (beginning July 1).

Before things get rolling, I’m going to spend next week as a volunteer youth leader and take a trip to “Never the Same Camp“. Early mornings, late nights, a lot of running in-between lots of prayers. Not sure how that will be different than the past few weeks.

Anyway, I’ll be off the grid. Be good.

On Feb. 16, 2010, IABC/Chicago held a professional development session titled, “Making the Most Effective and Efficient Use of Your Time.” Barbara Talisman, president of Talisman Associates, Inc., delivered the presentation.

UPDATED 2/28/2010: I finally was able to upload the video to the IABC/Chicago YouTube channel. I’ve deleted the PodPress videos, which took too long to load, and embedded the YouTube video. Enjoy!

In this 8:45-minute video, Barbara is interviewed by IABC/Chicago volunteer Wanda Whitson. They discuss:

• The benefits of a social media policy for organizations, and the risks if companies don't have one
• Some of Barbara's favorite social media tools
• An example of a successful social media campaign for an external audience
• Who 'owns' social media within an organization
• Then, two session attendees share one learning that they obtained from the session

For information on upcoming IABC/Chicago events, go to http://chicago.iabc.com.

For information on the consulting services offered by Talisman Associates, Inc., go to www.3talisman.com.

UPDATE: A coworker told me about the “Pound for Pound” promotion that will support local food pantries. I just signed up!

While I avoid making New Years resolutions that include the words “diet,” “exercise” or “resolution,” I did decide to help organize a weight-loss challenge at work.

Maybe it was the endless commercials for the television show, “Biggest Loser.” I did stop watching them after I read about an Australian study linking television watching to an earlier than necessary death. No sense tempting fate.

Whatever the reasons, I joined 22 fellow employees who are throwing $10 into a pot that one person will earn on March 8. That person will have the greatest percentage weight loss between today and March 8.

Most of us are using the challenge as a motivational tool to eat better and exercise more. I’ll use it as an opportunity to trash talk my colleagues, now that football season is winding down and my Chicago Bears have gone into hibernation. Lately it stinks to work with Vikings and Packer fans.

First challenge: The IABC/Chicago board meeting tomorrow night at the Ben Pao restaurant. I might have to pass on the egg rolls and fortune cookies.

Any helpful ideas for losing about 25 pounds in eight weeks? Please don’t suggest that I cut off a limb or stop eating completely. I may like to trash talk my colleagues, but I hate eating my words.

What are the links between effective communication and a company’s profitability? In this YouTube video interview that I recorded for IABC/Chicago using its Flip camera, Jill Folan, a senior communications consultant with Watson Wyatt Worldwide, shares some findings and insights gleaned from the firm’s “2009 Communication ROI Study Report.” (The report itself is available at this link.)

The interview was conducted just two weeks after the study results were released, at a Dec. 15, 2009 lunch event organized by IABC/Chicago’s professional development volunteer staff.

Folan was interviewed by IABC/Chicago member Julia Winn, who also created the video.