Transcript Sample Communication Strategy - HUIT Project Management Office

Communication Strategy
Communication Strategy Purpose
•
The purpose of this document is to provide a set of guiding principles for members of the communication team and
those with responsibility for communicating to the organization. It is intended to help achieve consistency across the
range of communication outputs and to ensure a joined-up approach to communications and engagement thereby reenforcing “One Business”.
•
The communication strategy defines the framework and direction for communication efforts. It provides guidance for
consistent and clear messages to the appropriate people in the most effective manner.
•
The communication strategy consists of:
–
Communication Objectives – why we initiate these communications
–
Stakeholder Audiences – with whom do we need to communicate
–
Vehicle Analysis – how existing communications vehicles can be leveraged
–
Roles and Responsibilities – who is responsible for each activity within the communication lifecycle
Communication Objective
To communicate the change to the organization using a range of media and
approaches
• The communication efforts will focus on the following objectives:
• Create awareness and understanding of the change
• Support understanding and buy-in of employees through effective, interactive communication
processes
• Support acceptance of the change
• Foster employee behaviors needed to support the change
• Enable and encourage feedback
• Create consistent messaging for leaders to use
• Ensure that all information is accurate, timely, and approved for sharing
Communication Strategy
To increase commitment to the change and help foster and sustain behaviors in line with the future vision, a structured
Communication Plan will be executed.
Key Messages #1:
What will the future look like?
Key Messages 3#:
What does this mean for me?
• New ground rules and
behaviors. “The way we do
things around here”
• Support for employees
throughout the transition
• Ways people can get
involved with the transition
process
• Generate fun and
excitement
• Vision
• Business case -The driving forces
behind the focus on the change
• The benefits of the transition to the
impacted stakeholders
Key Messages #2:
How are we getting there?
• Update on transition initiatives
progress and impact
• Changes to the work environment
• Recognize and celebrate successes
and quick wins
• Elicit feedback and comments on
change program and progress
Communication Commitment Curve
Communications is a key component to moving audiences from awareness to commitment to the change, and eventually
engagement. The commitment curve will allow the Communications Team to track audiences’ understanding of the messaging and
gauge where specific groups fall within the curve. Based on this knowledge, the Communications Team can identify how to best fulfill
any gaps and gain a better understanding of how best to engage specific groups and/or individuals.
There are four phases within the communication commitment curve –
• Awareness - informing audiences appropriately about the project, listening, and realizing questions and perceptions
• Understanding – audiences have a clear understanding of how the change will impact the organization, employees and
themselves
• Involvement – audiences begin to ‘buy-in’ to the project and begin to take ownership by becoming involved in supporting
messaging
• Commitment - during this phase stakeholders and leaders begin to view themselves as part owners of the project and take
accountability for successes/failures
“I’m into it -- I own it”
Commitment
“I’m participating in it”
“I know how it affects me”
“I know about it”
Awareness
Understanding
Involvement
Communications Guiding Principles
These fundamental assumptions are used when delivering and evaluating all communications. They will
serve as directional signs that will help those who develop and deliver communications to achieve the
aforementioned objectives.
• Make use of a broad range of communication and feedback vehicles
• Ensure consistent messages with the intention of ‘one voice’
• Deliver open, honest and accessible information in a timely manner.
• Engage employees: maintain an effective dialogue at every stage
• Organise content in a way that is logical and informative and uses simple language
• Messages should be proactive and consistent, regardless of the source or media used
• Communicate face-to-face when feasible
• Seek out and plan opportunities for open, two-way communication; Outbound communications
should provide opportunities for feedback (e.g., all communications should include a contact
number or mechanism to provide feedback or ask questions)
Communication Messages by Key Audience
Key Audiences
Description
Information Needs
Executive Steering
Committee
Top leaders (e.g., CEO,
Presidents, CFO)
• What is the strategy? Is the strategy achieving its goals?
• How does the strategy tie into company goals and other projects?
Key Senior
Leadership
Leaders that have an influential
role within the change, however,
do not sit on the Executive
Steering Committee.
•
•
•
•
•
What is the strategy? How will it be deployed?
Is the strategy achieving its goals? Are we meeting our milestones?
How will it impact operations?
What are the key messages I should be communicating?
What actions should I be conducting on behalf of the program?
Change Agent
Network
Executive stakeholders who
serve as advisors and advocates
•
•
•
•
•
What are the key messages I should be communicating?
What is the strategy? Is the strategy achieving its goals?
How does the strategy tie into company goals and other projects?
Are we meeting our metrics?
Are we mitigating any risks or issues?
7
Communication Plan and Approach
The Communication Plan is constructed to take advantage of the relative merits of each media vehicle. Based on the
message to be conveyed, its deliverer, and the audience to receive it, each piece of communication will be assigned to the
appropriate communication channel.
Media /
Format
Recommended Audience
Advantages
One-on-One
Meeting
•
•
•
•
Senior Leadership
Select Key Stakeholders,
as necessary
•
Group
Meetings
(Town Halls)
•
•
•
•
Senior Leadership
•
Business Units / Functional
Groups
•
Project Core Team
•
Extended Team
•
Newsletter
•
•
All employees
•
Business Units / Functional •
Areas
•
•
Disadvantages
Personal
•
Conveys a sense of
•
importance and excitement
•
Offers immediate feedback and
opportunity to discuss issues
Offers immediate feedback and
opportunity to discuss issues
Ability to shape a consistent
message to a large group
Natural workgroup can easily
understand and discuss how
the topic can impact its function
Logistically efficient and
inexpensive
•
Very efficient and inexpensive
Ability to shape a consistent
message to a large group
Conveys a sense of
importance and excitement
Wide organizational reach
•
•
•
•
•
•
Time consuming
Inconsistent messages are more likely
Expensive and inefficient
Message can become buried among other
agenda items
May be logistically difficult or difficult to
invite the “expert” to speak
Due to the above, inconsistent messages
become more likely
Timing of existing meetings my not always
occur at the appropriate time
Timing of newsletter may not coincide with
desired communication schedule
Message can become buried among other
topics
Poor outlet for immediate feedback and
discussion; message can be interpreted
differently
Detailed Communication Plan and Approach
BI Communications
Start Date
Finish Date/ Delivery
Date
Targeted Audience
Vehicle (Event Name)
Key Messages (what)
Expected Outcome (why)
Responsible: Content
Provider
Responsible: Sender/
Spokesperson
Status
10/10/2011
10/17/2011 BI Senior Leaders
Assessment "Go - No Go" Report Out Meeting
Assessment findings and recommendations
Proposed L.E.M.
Engagement: Buy-in
Kathy Parker
All
Complete
10/20/2011
10/28/2011 BI Assessment Participants
Assessment Participants Thank You E-mail
Thanks for participation
Assessment and next steps highlights
Preview additional communications (report out meeting)
Awareness: Engagement
Kathy Parker
Bill Cunningham
Drafted
10/25/2011
Assessment Participants - Outside BI (D.
Spadorcia, M. Lankton, D. Bengston, C.
11/3/2011 Clarke, B. MacLane, etc.)
Assessment Participants (Outside BI) Thank
You E-mail
Thanks for participation
Assessment and next steps highlights
Preview additional communications (one-on-one meetings)
Awareness: Engagement
Kathy Parker
Bill Cunningham
Drafted
10/20/2011
11/8/2011 Brian MacLane and Jay Fishman
Travelers Senior Leadership Plan Meeting
Discuss business case, strategy and priorities
Awareness; Engagement
Kathy Parker
Bill Cunningham
Not yet started
10/26/2011
11/8/2011 BI Field/Home Office Leadership
Fishman All Field Leadership Meeting - BI
Breakout
Assessment Results
Leadership Engagement Model
Transformation Next Steps
Awareness
Kathy Parker
Bill Cunningham
Not yet started
•
Notes
Update messages post 10/20 meeting
discussion
The tactical communication plan/calendar is:
– A map of communication activities to be employed based on understanding of audience needs, the overall
timeline, and the communications landscape
• Depicts tactics in rows and other key information in columns (audience for a particular tactic, vehicle to
be employed, key messages, tactic purpose, start date, finish date/delivery date, individuals
responsible for content development/review, individuals responsible for distribution
(sender/spokesperson), status, and notes).
– A working document used to manage ongoing communications activities
• As such, it will be updated periodically to reflect date changes, changes in priority, etc.
– Maintained in Microsoft Excel
Communication Roles & Responsibilities
Communication roles are critical in the effective rollout of the Communication Plan. Because the project's communications touch
numerous stakeholders, it is important to note that the roles outlined below act as ‘advocates’ for the project.
Role
Responsibilities
Communication Team
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Act as communication coaches throughout construct and transition
Provide continuous updates to executive steering committee
Build and maintain project communication plan
Develop and coordinate distribution of communications
Measure success of communications and change and identify areas of improvement
Gather input into communications from needed sources
Facilitate two-way communication (monitoring mailbox, soliciting feedback)
Facilitate review / approval process as needed
Primary Contacts (e.g.,
SME)
•
Provide guidance regarding recommendations to the Communication Team on development of
communications
Act as advocates for the transformation and provide feedback to the Communications Team
Change Management
Team Leader
•
•
•
Executive Steering
Committee
•
•
•
•
Provide recommendations on the process for informing stakeholders
Provide guidance regarding communications
Communicate specific messages to Executive Steering Committee and within Program level
communications
Review and approve communications as needed
Facilitate review/approval process as needed
Deliver communications as “spokesperson” as needed
•
•
•
•
Approve communications as requested
Distribute communications as requested
Provide content, advice and guidance on communication as requested
Help facilitate two-way communications as needed
Communication Approval Process
Define and outline the communication
approval process for the project, program
and/ or product team
Draft
Review
Distribute
Produce
Review
Revise
(If Needed)
Review
Revise
Communications
Team with
input/content from
Change
Management
Team Lead and
SMEs, as needed
Change
Management
Team Lead and
SME, as needed
Communications
Team
Executive Steering Communications
Committee
Team with input
from Change
Management Team
Lead, as needed
Final Approval
Executive
Steering
Committee
TBD based on
message and
vehicle.
Communications Measurement and Feedback
Monitoring
It is important to measure the effectiveness of communications to understand whether key messages are being understood, whether the
messages are having an impact, and whether two-way communication vehicles are being utilized. With the information gathered from
the measures listed below, the Communication Team will be able to target communications so they better meet different audiences
needs and leverage preferred communication vehicles.
Focus
Internal Communications
Measures
Goals of Measurement
• Informal feedback from Leadership Team,
• Goal is to assess the effectiveness of
Directors, Managers, and staff
communications and determine gaps for future
• Formal feedback through brief surveys and touch
communications
points. Focus questions on the quality and
• Goal is to capture lessons learned from the
timeliness of communications, as well as
project to be shared with other efforts
additional opportunity for two-way
• Where possible the informal feedback
communications.
opportunities and survey questions should
focus on the value and impact of specific
communications
External Communications
• Assessment of the accuracy, objectivity, and
focus of coverage in the media
• Goal is to assess effectiveness of both reactive
and proactive external communications
Questions and Answers
• Assess ability to respond within established
timeframe (e.g., within 48 hours for
[email protected] at the beginning of the project and
within a week as the project progresses)
• Assess quantity, focus, tone, and complexity of
questions submitted
• Monitor the number of ‘hits’ received on the FAQ
document
• Goal is to assess level of responsiveness
• Goal is to determine level of understanding and
resistance
• Goal is to determine the number of times
employees are accessing the FAQs