We are often asked what being strategic with your communication means, how to get there and why it presents so much value to organisations?
In the first section below, we summarise the experience of leaders who don’t have a communication strategy to work with. Check to see if you can relate to any of these. You might have similar or other concerns.
Next, we explain the strategic work undertaken to develop a strategy tailored for your organisation. And finally, there’s an insight into the internal and external benefits that clients report.
Your experience
If you are a CEO or manager and you are experiencing any of the following, a communication strategy might just be the trusted guide you are seeking. Are you:
- Spending a lot of time in reactive mode and frustrated you are not getting to planned communication or proactive activities?
- Not finding the time to hear outsiders’ perspectives of your organisation, listen to community or stakeholders or be aware of changes or challenges coming down the line?
- Being asked to make decisions on communication questions on the hop while knowing the decisions are inconsistent and don’t align with overall objectives?
We hear these concerns frequently. We use insights from our research to inform a communication strategy specifically for your context and requirements.
What’s involved in shaping a communication strategy?
In developing a communication strategy we do a level of research;
- into your operating context,
- the sector or industry you operate in and any impending changes such as to regulations,
- your stakeholders and their needs,
- your unique factors and the opportunities these create and
- audit your existing communications.
From this strategic assessment we provide you with insights.
Making the assessment involves thinking critically and creatively, doing so while being mindful of your business or project objectives and brand values. We develop messaging that supports both.
It also informs the action plan which ensures communication and marketing activities align with your overall direction and values. The strategy highlights which are the significant relationships that require investment and by whom. It tells your team which tools to use, on which platforms and for which stakeholder group.
This takes the pressure off your constant need to make decisions on the run. The strategy provides informed answers to suggestions that get put to you on a near daily basis. This might be ‘we should be on social media’ or ‘we should get media coverage for that’. These ideas are often from well-meaning people who might not understand where your audiences look for information or what interests the media.
If you don’t have a communication team or have a part-time or junior person in that role, it’s likely you are not getting to this research or hearing these insights.
Value to CEOs and manager
Many leaders are caught in the management of their people and programs. More frequently we are seeing they just don’t have the time to be as involved in doing the strategic work.
But they all value having new insights and can see the benefits of using this strategic work to shape how they:
- develop and improve important relationships,
- connect with and understand their community, staff and media,
- improve staff morale
- raise awareness of the good work they do,
- use insights to change behaviour, change direction and manage change processes and
- enhance their reputation.
Over the longer term these activities build understanding and produce advocates for the work you do. They also save time and other resources by investing in strategically chosen activities rather than trying to do everything.
Please get in touch if you have any questions about a communication strategy for your organisation.
If you haven’t worked with a communication strategy before, you can learn more in this article.