After a quiet weekend, it’s back to the noise and chaos today. We’re having some work done on our home. This project has been almost 3 years in the making with lots, and I mean, LOTS of planning. Lots of scoping and re-scoping (mainly de-scoping due to material price hikes, thanks #covid!). Plenty of research – for the right builders, the right layout, the right materials etc. The right time in general. And it got me thinking…having this long to plan is a luxury in today’s society. With everything so fast-paced and needing to be done yesterday.
As a #communication and #engagement professional, I couldn’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been brought into the room once the decisions have been made with no opportunity to shape any of the thinking along the way. And then get told ‘we just need to tell people. And the deadline is next week.’ I’ve even had a few scenarios since I started #gwcommsgroup where I’ve been brought in mid-communication, where, because it’s not been properly planned, it hasn’t gone down well with folk and they need some help.
My top tips for #changecommunication include, spend as much time as you can upfront planning, for example partnering with leaders to agree positioning and key messaging, create your #comms critical path, consider your impacts (#empathy is key), map your stakeholders and gather insight on your audiences. And my absolute favourite: be clear on your objectives and outcomes! What’s the old saying: fail to plan, plan to fail.
You’re unlikely to have 3 years of planning for an internal comms project (and are unlikely to need that long, let’s be honest – if you’re planning to communicate in 3 years time then you definitely need to be future proofing; thinking ahead to how the landscape will have changed in that time!). That aside, take as much time as you can afford to do the thinking, and the delivery shouldn’t take nearly as long. And importantly, you’re more likely to meet your strategic objectives and deliver successful outcomes.
What other tips do you have for planning successful #internalcomms, #campaigns and #changeprogrammes ? (Image is not our home 🤣) https://www.gwcommsgroup.com/employee-and-change-communications-specialists/