Directing your communications
Caveat: the post below is the second in a series of fairly direct translations of blog posts I wrote for work. The original posts are aimed at improving communications awareness among employees, and are mostly targeted toward governmental organizations looking at participatory policy-making. This may still show somewhat in the terminology being used. It is the second step out of four stages we use when developing the communications process on a strategical, tactical and operational level for major issues and projects.
How to take control of your communications
Imagine the scene: a movie set full of actors, extras, designers, cameramen, lighting and sound technicians, and a director. Who's in charge? The director. He decides who does what, when, and how.
But what if the director only says: "Make a movie," then flops down on his chair and lets everyone do their own thing? You end up with chaos: everyone interpreting the script in their own way, and deciding for themselves how to produce and perform it. The actors change their lines, the designers run around with the wrong costumes, the spotlights get aimed in the wrong direction and thus miss the action....
Communication and participation are no different: if you leave communication about your project or policy making to outside forces, you'll be forced to sit back and wait to see the results. You (no longer) have control over the story, and every player puts their own spin on it.
But how do you keep a firm grip on those communications? How can you become the "director"? By thinking ahead and imagining what your movie should look like. By identifying who is running around on your set, and determining what role you want each of them to play. Who are your actors and who are your cameramen? Who is operating the lights and who is doing set design?
Or, in communication terms: who are you going to inform? Who do you want to consult? Which players will be your co-creators, and to whom will you be giving decision-making powers in the project or policy-making process?
To help you assign those four important roles, you can put together a "Circles of Influence" chart. This is a diagram in which you assign roles to each and every stakeholder in your project, using insights gathered during.
Do you have to deal with influential pressure groups who might protest against your proposals? Involve them as co-creators at the earliest opportunity. Are there contributors who don't much care what you want done, as long as they know what it is they should be doing? Telling them about the job is all that’s necessary. Does your project involve residents who are best placed to know how to improve their neighborhood? Give them their own budget and let them decide how to spend it.
In short: draw up a strategy beforehand. A method to help you do that is to carry out a setting analysis. Use the knowledge that provides to fill out the circles of influence chart (see below). Then you'll know exactly who to involve, and in what way. Ask your Communications team for assistance: they can help you carry out the setting analysis and show you how to use the results to fill out the circles.
(Click for bigger)
Thanks to
tanaqui for betaing services
This entry was originally posted at http://scribblesinink.dreamwidth.org/270905.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
people have commented.
How to take control of your communications
Imagine the scene: a movie set full of actors, extras, designers, cameramen, lighting and sound technicians, and a director. Who's in charge? The director. He decides who does what, when, and how.
But what if the director only says: "Make a movie," then flops down on his chair and lets everyone do their own thing? You end up with chaos: everyone interpreting the script in their own way, and deciding for themselves how to produce and perform it. The actors change their lines, the designers run around with the wrong costumes, the spotlights get aimed in the wrong direction and thus miss the action....
Communication and participation are no different: if you leave communication about your project or policy making to outside forces, you'll be forced to sit back and wait to see the results. You (no longer) have control over the story, and every player puts their own spin on it.
But how do you keep a firm grip on those communications? How can you become the "director"? By thinking ahead and imagining what your movie should look like. By identifying who is running around on your set, and determining what role you want each of them to play. Who are your actors and who are your cameramen? Who is operating the lights and who is doing set design?
Or, in communication terms: who are you going to inform? Who do you want to consult? Which players will be your co-creators, and to whom will you be giving decision-making powers in the project or policy-making process?
To help you assign those four important roles, you can put together a "Circles of Influence" chart. This is a diagram in which you assign roles to each and every stakeholder in your project, using insights gathered during.
Do you have to deal with influential pressure groups who might protest against your proposals? Involve them as co-creators at the earliest opportunity. Are there contributors who don't much care what you want done, as long as they know what it is they should be doing? Telling them about the job is all that’s necessary. Does your project involve residents who are best placed to know how to improve their neighborhood? Give them their own budget and let them decide how to spend it.
In short: draw up a strategy beforehand. A method to help you do that is to carry out a setting analysis. Use the knowledge that provides to fill out the circles of influence chart (see below). Then you'll know exactly who to involve, and in what way. Ask your Communications team for assistance: they can help you carry out the setting analysis and show you how to use the results to fill out the circles.
(Click for bigger)
Thanks to
tanaqui for betaing services
This entry was originally posted at http://scribblesinink.dreamwidth.org/270905.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
people have commented.