Whether it’s a new process, a revamped strategy, or a technological overhaul, effective communication is essential for a smooth transition. A well-crafted communication plan outlines the who, what, when, where, and how of sharing information, ensuring everyone is on the same page and aligned with the change journey. Let’s dive into the key components of creating a powerful communication plan.
Tailoring Your Message to Your Audience
Effective communication means understanding who you’re talking to. Different groups will need different information. Start by identifying everyone who’s affected by the change. This could include employees or different groups of employees, customers, partners, and even the wider community. By mapping out your audience, you can tailor your messages to their specific needs and interests. Think about different functions, think about geographic locations, think about management levels, and think about people outside your company who may be affected.
Communication messages could be intended to explain why things have to change, what is going to change, when and how it is going to change, how the change is going (progress update) and what (if anything) people need to start doing, stop doing or what should change in the way they have acted in the past.
When you start completing the template, do take a bit of extra time talking to others on your change initiative project team to check if you truly identified all stakeholders to include in your communication plan and whether you have correctly identified all the specific messages that stakeholder groups would need. Did you select the best way to communicate to those stakeholders – given their need to understand specific details and take actions? A comprehensive communication plan up front does save you a lot of time during the implementation of a change initiative.. There are no short cuts to considering and documenting your communication plan.
Some considerations:
- The communication plan can evolve over time. Do not consider it a static plan which you simply execute. It is okay to review it as the project progresses and to add items later.
- Do review the plan on a regular basis. When you make a plan it is important to check on the progress: ensure you are actually taking the planned actions and others are taking the actions they were assigned to support your change initiative. Being proactive in monitoring the plan helps you to take mitigating actions in a timely way when the change initiative project changes course for example.
- Ensure key people are aware of the communication plan. When people do not know that there is a plan they may take communication matters into their own hands while trying to help the change initiative. Their uncoordinated actions may not be helpful even though their intentions may have been noble. Share the Communication Plan with key managers and participants in the change initiative to ensure all communication efforts are coordinated and executed as planned.
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