A few words before I dive into the Communication plan-posts… It is certainly the fastest and easiest way to give good “how-to”-advice about “how to get the communication up and going”. But I want to share some initial thoughts on the process first.
A good communication plan is where it all begins. Of this, I think the vast majority of professionals within this field agrees. But how do you get to the point where you can actually create such a thing? Because in order to make that plan a good one, you need to fill it with initiated content. You need to understand the business goals, strivings and challenges. And this, you can only get from the experts of the business in question. Often I have heard that “the organization must invite communication at an early stage!” and if they don’t, bad luck. They’re the ones at loss, because the communication won’t be as edgy as it could have been. This is a rather passive position.
In order to get to the relationship with the business where you get the privileged information you need, you need to be useful to them. And then, you will not only get the privileged information you seek – you will be part of creating it. Invite yourself to the business planning meetings, book appointments with the managers and interview them. Prepare your questions carefully, so you ask the right kind of questions and don’t waste the managers time. Because time is one of the most precious assets of businesses lifes, and that often goes twice for the management level. Be considerate of this, and when you have gotten the access and had the opportunity to ask your questions, be swift with your feedback as to what the next steps will be, and how you are planning to execute this. Be humble in the cooperation, you have both expertise that you respectively can benefit from. Regard this work at all times as teamwork, and this will set the tone for the rest of your cooperation.
Here are some sample of questions I think is useful for initial interviews with managers, before starting the process of communication planning:
- what is the overall objective for your business?
- which are your milestones?
- what challenges do you face in the business?
- Are there delicate matters that we as a team should consider?
- how have communication helped you so far in reaching your goals?
- how have communications helped you overcome or handle the challenges?
And when you start the communication plan process, remember to explain the differences between a business plan and a communication plan, the difference between business targets and communication targets, etc. A communication plan should always deliver to the business plan, but it does not mean that they hold the same content.
Leave a Reply