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Strategic Planning for Communications

Strategic Planning for Communications. Gloria Walker, ABC, FRSA Chair, Europe/Middle East Region. What Communicators Want. International collaboration Lead trends in new media landscape Demonstrate value of communications to CEOs and managers

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Strategic Planning for Communications

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  1. StrategicPlanning forCommunications Gloria Walker, ABC, FRSA Chair, Europe/Middle East Region

  2. What Communicators Want • International collaboration • Lead trends in new media landscape • Demonstrate value of communications to CEOs and managers • Opportunities to reach audiences more effectively, i.e. using social/digital media • Provide bigger functional role within organisations • Global Alliance survey, 2009

  3. If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there!

  4. “The strategist is the one who helps the organization adapt effectively to its changing environment.” • - Karl Albrecht, management consultant, futurist, • speaker, and prolific author, 1983

  5. Strategic Planning • Mental process of thinking through what you want and how to get it. • Essential to have a plan to direct and manage the organisation. • Picture of the future in relation to the present, focusing on relevant issues • Makes informed decisions • Not a budget

  6. Benefits of Strategic Planning • Clearly defines the purpose of the organisation • Establishes realistic goals and objectives consistent with the mission in a defined time frame • Ensures effective use of resources by focusing on key priorities • Provides a base for measuring progress and establishing a mechanism for informed change • Builds a consensus about where the organisation is going • Increases productivity through increased efficiency and effectiveness

  7. When do strategic planning? • When an organisation is getting started • Strategic plan, marketing plan, financial plan, operational/management plan, communications plan • In preparation for a new venture • At least once a year • Action plans should be updated regularly • Review progress at least quarterly

  8. Strategic Plan Components • Executive Summary • Key points • Communication Process • Management tool • Roles and responsibilities • Background • How did we get here? • Who are we? • Vision, mission, values statements • Situation analysis • What is our current situation? Why? • Stakeholders/publics/audiences • SWOT, etc

  9. Strategic Summary • Goals • Objectives • Where do we want to go? • What do we want to do? • How do we get there? • Schedule (Action Plan) • When, who, how much, how long? • Budget • Monitoring and evaluation

  10. Strategic Planning Triangle Vision Mission Values Goals Objectives Objectives Strategies Tactics Strategies Goals Programs

  11. ExecutiveSummary

  12. Executive Summary • Provide an overview of the salient business issues the plan will address. • Describe the business issues in terms of problems or opportunities that form the need for the plan. • Describe the impact of each issue on the organisation if it is not dealt with in a timely manner. • List any research on which the plan is based. • Describe in detail what you expect the plan will achieve and what the expected outcomes will be. (goals and objectives)

  13. Describe how the plan will be implemented, along with its time frame (strategies and tactics) • Explain how the plan will be evaluated and at what cost. • Provide a summary of the cost of the plan or your annual budget so decision makers can get an idea of the cost. • Write the executive summary after the plan is completed.

  14. CommunicationProcess

  15. Communication Process • Describe/explain communication used as a management tool – how it supports organisational strategic management and helps the organisation deal with issues that will affect the achievement of the mission, goals and objectives. • Two-way symmetrical model – IABC Excellence Study • Discuss management’s roles and responsibilities in organisational communication. • Discuss managers’/supervisors’ roles and responsibilities.

  16. Discuss how communication can help solve organisational problems and exploit opportunities. • “What’s in it for me?” Provide information for managers/supervisors who must help you implement your plan and whose help you must have to be successful.

  17. Background

  18. Background • List in chronological order (earliest to most recent) any major events that have led to the need for this plan. • For example – • Organisational history • Legal matters • Regulatory impacts • Market changes • Significant research • Stakeholder issues

  19. Situation Analysis

  20. Situation Analysis • What are the most important issues facing our organisation? • What are the most important business issues that the communication function should address with a strategic communication plan? • What is our external environment that will affect our business? • What is our internal environment?

  21. Internally and externally • Greatest strengths? • Biggest weaknesses? • Best opportunities now and in the future? • Greatest threats now and in the future? • Does our organisation have any unique competitive advantages? Disadvantages? • What will be our strategic response to those opportunities? Threats?

  22. What changes do we need to make in order to continue to be successful? • In terms of audiences and stakeholders, what are our biggest concerns? • what reputation or relationship problems do we have with any specific audience or stakeholder? • In terms of employees, what are our biggest concerns? What needs to change? • Skills? Behaviours? Attitudes? • What are expectations for the communications function in helping to address these issues?

  23. Environmental Scan • Organisation is dynamic and open • Must react and adapt to changes in environment and markets • Observe trends and changes in public opinion, market, regulations, etc • Monitor, evaluate and disseminate information to key decision makers

  24. SWOT Analysis • A platform to begin building a success-driven plan • Starts with a clean slate • Considers all activities equally • Choose those that will contribute the most to achieving desired goals

  25. INTERNAL Strengths Weaknesses Now and future EXTERNAL Opportunities Threats

  26. Other Research • Interviews • Surveys • Audits • Focus Groups • Media Analysis • Competition Analysis • Just ask people!

  27. StrategicSummary

  28. Tactics Measures Budget Plan B Final Goal Objectives/ Strategies Barriers Priorities Target Date

  29. Setting Objectives • Objectives should be clear and compatible • Based on business priorities • Objectives are measurable! • To do (what) by (when) with what effect (numerical, impact) • SMART • Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Relevant • Time-sensitive

  30. Tactics • The step-by-step details that must happen to accomplish a strategy. • Often appear to be small things viewed separately, but when combined form the necessary whole for strategy completion. • Many departments/functions may be involved. • Tactics are highly visible. • Tactics involve many people. • Most strategic plans fail because they do not include tactical detail.

  31. Track and Document • Strategic Plan usually 3-year period • Major emphasis on current fiscal year • Tactical plan must support strategic plan • Both plans should be written documents • Regular progress meetings • Record of actions completed and changes made • Share with management

  32. Planning Worksheet

  33. Planning Worksheet

  34. Business Plan Author Date Business PrioritiesDept Objectives Key business issues to address What can we deliver to support the business priorities? Priority One Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

  35. Objective Person In Charge: Start Date: Completion Date: Tactic: Steps to be taken Person Responsible Start Date Due Date Team Member’s Initials (accountability)

  36. Additional Worksheets • Implementation plan • Set up a calendar showing what is planned for each month • Identify areas of conflict/tension • Agree best way forward • Budget • Expenses by quarter and total expenditure • Monitor against this • Evaluation • How research results of plan activity to evaluate success or failure and then take corrective action; tied to objectives, not tactics (research technique, when, cost)

  37. Getting Started

  38. Getting Started • Prepare the plan • Any plan is better than no plan • Objectives • To do what by when with what effect • Resources • People, money, time, technology • Measures • Monitoring • A test of your project management skills!

  39. Available Resources • The Communication Plan – The Heart of Strategic Communication by Les Potter, ABC (3rd edition) • MyComm – IABC website • The Internal Communications Handbook • Websites

  40. http://europe.iabc.com 40

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