Nine Basic Components of Effective Communication Plans

Event

Communication should occur when something impacting others has happened or is about to happen. Some examples of this are:

• Urgent/Emergency
• Information about something that does, or may, impact employees directly, e.g., market, strategic or organizational change
• Request for action
  • Confirm receipt
  • Accept request
  • Confirm agreement
• Request to meet to resolve disagreement or conflict
• Request for clarification
• Process change impacting related individuals
• Acknowledgement/Thank-You – highly impactful and often left unsaid

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the communication process will “just happen”. It doesn’t! Poorly planned and executed communication can derail any initiative, leading to miscommunication and strained relationships within your workplace.

Message

Start with the end in mind. What do you want to have happen as a result of this communication? Do you want the recipient to take action, or is this an “information only” situation? Let them know your purpose as soon as possible.

Help your audience answer questions such as: What will change for me? Why are we doing this? How does this fit with our overall mission?

Walking in another’s shoes can help you understand what would be most important to the target audience. [Check out our insight, Heartbeat of Your Business: Walking in Others’ Shoes, to learn more].

Make sure that your communication is targeted, simple, consistent, clear and accurate. Then, make sure you are aiming your communication directly at the things your target audience cares about. For example, managers are often measured by how efficiently their team works. Senior leaders are more interested in strategy and value.

Have at least two other people proof important communication for clarity before sending it out.

Because we exist in a web of relationships spun together through communication, we believe that the ability to share your meaning – your message — is a core business competency. [To learn more about mastering business relationships, check out Five Keys to Powerful Business Relationships].

Communicator

You are responsible for whether the communication is heard or not. As communicator, you should…

• Be an effective communicator with great listening skills and an awareness that poor communication puts any business initiative at risk.
• Be a trusted source and be capable of connecting with your audience. [Check out our insight Connect Before Task: Getting on the Same Brainwave].
• Ask important questions like: What did you hear me say? Or, what did you think I was trying to say?

Audience

Target communication to those who need the information or from whom you are requesting action.

At the beginning of any project or process design effort, gather the key players in a room. Have participants brainstorm names of individuals or departments that will be affected in any way possible and gather all relevant contact information. Doing so will allow for quick communication and decrease the likelihood of leaving out someone with whom communication is essential.

Communication rarely “trickles down”. If it does, it is usually inaccurate, incomplete and/or untimely, damaging important business relationships along the way.

Timing

Communicate regularly and effectively both internally and externally.

Effective communication should occur over time, not all at once, using a variety of communication formats to reinforce key messages. Never assume you can say something only once. Often people have to hear things multiple times for the message to sink in.

Communicate changes to those most directly affected before announcements are made more broadly, especially difficult or sensitive topics like organizational/personnel changes.

Anticipate and beat the rumor mill. The rumor mill can negatively impact the effort by miscommunicating information or misdelivering it. Your communication plan needs to proactively anticipate your audience’s expectations, concerns or fears and then find various communication approaches to address or reduce them.

Tools & Format

Repeat the message constantly and in as many different methods as possible, e.g., verbal, written, Intranet, Internet, company meetings, email, message boards, video, etc. [Check out our article Communication: A Key to Cultural Change]. Failing to monitor and examine how people use these tools to facilitate relationships would be as naïve as not recognizing that we use different personal communication styles.

Audience members’ personalities, preferences and styles vary greatly from person-to-person. Connect first with the audience to open the lines of communication and to identify potential obstacles and relationship barriers.

Keep in mind that the first time people hear a message, their first concern often is: “Am I in trouble? Is this going to hurt me?” The second time they hear the message, they can hear more of the content. It often takes three times to really hear a key announcement that directly impacts people. 

Follow-Through

Effective communication goes beyond simply relaying information. It means being responsible that what you meant to communicate was actually heard and understood. It means following up and listening.

“They’ll call if they don’t understand”, we might tell ourselves, and that is a big mistake. Did they actually receive or read the message? Did they fully understand what it was you were trying to communicate? Could they have misinterpreted your message?

Our casual communication style that works with friends often backfires at work where words matter—in getting things done, avoiding legal problems and building powerful, empowering business relationships.

Maintenance

To figure out kinks in the process, ask audience members to complete the cycle by responding to the communicator to indicate receipt, understanding, opinion and/or agreement to the request.

On a larger scale, provide a forum or other opportunity for people to ask questions, deepen their understanding of the change and express their concerns. Take this time to objectively listen and hear what they’re asking of you and your team. There is gold to be mined through deep and careful listening that will allow you to improve the communication plan and tools. [Learn more about listening in our article, The Importance of Listening in Business].

Accountability

Designate an internal change communication coordinator whose primary responsibility is to manage the development and execution of the communication plan. If no one has this role, communication will fall too low on others’ priority lists.

Many times, this accountability falls on to the project manager or the department head. This often proves to be ineffective. These individuals are typically responsible for, and focused on, achieving certain tasks within a defined timeline and budget. They often are unable to listen for where communication is needed, determine where it is missing and objectively resolve communication breakdowns when they occur.