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Mark Hill (markhill@clara.co.uk) looks at the processes behind the development of a good communications programme. Mark Hill (markhill@clara.co.uk) is an independent communications specialist with more than 20 years' experience. Here he looks at the processes behind the development of a good communications programme. For more than 10 years working in internal communications I have been developing my own model communication programme. This is a very edited summary of the model that I use. While it might not be necessary to always include all the elements in this diagram, everything I've included is here because I've seen it working well somewhere. Whenever I find myself in front of a new client or a new project I go back to this structure and use it as a starting point - I hope that you may be able to use it in the same way.
What will communications look like in this organisation when it is working perfectly? How we are moving towards that goal?
Do our communication objectives help deliver the business objectives or do they merely communicate business objectives? For example do they help us reduce costs through better employee engagement or do they merely communicate that we want to reduce costs and in so doing alienate some sections of staff? Can we achieve them through communication and can we measure our success? Communication Strategy The communication strategy document is the heart of this programme: 1. Identifying the gap When setting our objectives we made judgements about how the business is now and how we need it to be. For example, we might have decided that we needed team leaders and first line managers to have a better understanding of the need for change. We've agreed that this would help us deliver our business objectives and that it is a gap we can bridge through improved communication. We need research to understand our audiences - and why they are feeling as they do:
As communicators we can use this understanding of how people feel to change the company's policies and plans in order to make them more effective.
This section is the 'nuts and bolts' of how we are going to close the communication gap.
3. Agreeing a review process We need to agree a timetable and process to review the strategy. Communication Plan Does this tell us which messages are being carried through which media and consequently reaching which audiences? Can we use this to share information with key line and project managers in a simple format? Have we agreed forums in which we can talk through the communication plans with line or project managers so that we work together? Media We implement our channel management strategy to decide which story goes where and use our core communication skills to make the media as relevant and exciting as possible. Measurement
Summary If you've got this far and would like further information I am happy to send you the full model - which has fewer questions and rather more answers.
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Communication Mission and Vision
