Determine the level of intimacy needed to convey a message. For example, bad news impacting a few individuals, such as an impending layoff should be conveyed with a HIGH level of intimacy (a face to face, 1 on 1 meeting would be a good idea). Conversely if the message is public and being conveyed to millions of people, such as a press release, the intimacy requirement is LOW.
Note: using the following delivery methods requires coordination with the established practices for content management:
- Employee communication channel
- Customer-facing channel
- Supplier-facing channel
- Public communication channel
Senders, Receivers, and Approvers - and finally when defining key message attributes, determine the participants of a message. WHO the message comes from and goes to, as well as who approves it, drive the desired impact of the message. The sender may not be the only one responsible for approval. Do not underestimate the importance of identifying an approver of a message. Several considerations come into play when determining the participants:
Schedule and Feedback
Once key messages are developed, they need to be scheduled for delivery. A method for receiving feedback also needs to be implemented.
# of Receivers - depending on the number of receivers, a message may need to be cascaded through several levels in an organization and through many delivery methods. A message to 5 people may be scheduled differently than to 5,000 people.
Current Status - make the communication plan a living document. A message goes through a life cycle. For complex communication plans, an entire workflow with history of the message may be needed.
Predecessor message - what message must precede this one? It is very important to think through the logical succession of messages: who gets told first, second, third. In this example, the sponsor communicates the message to the approver and spokesperson at the same time. It can then be delivered to the executives and stakeholders at the same time. Following that, the managers are informed before those directly affected. Then the message is broadcast internally, followed by an external broadcast. Determining the proper sequence depends on the norms and practices of the organization as well as the desired impact and urgency of the message.
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- documenting both the planned and actual dates help schedule the work as well as lessons learned for future work.
Effort to prepare, send, and receive - estimating the number of hours or days is important to depict the overall effort of communication. This should help in scheduling resources and budget.
Feedback and Notes - documenting responses and observations help craft follow-up messages, clarifications, and lessons learned for future work. In the age of social media, feedback is sometimes provided even if it is not solicited. For public messages, it is important to scan public social media for trends. There are several tools and companies that can assist in summarizing trends. Sometimes it is desired to send a message and allow receivers to provide feedback through a specific website, hotline, or support group.
Results
Getting back to the reason we communicate within the context of process change: we are sending a message to receiver(s) with an expectation we are effecting a change. To determine if the communication met its objective, we should define how to measure the impact at specific intervals.
Key Performance Indicator - what is going to be measured to assure we are meeting the expected goal?
Measurement before and after message is sent and at defined intervals - quantifiable and qualitative measures impacted by message.
And Finally, Managing Noise - sometimes messages aren't received as the sender intends for a variety of reasons. Make sure you have a plan for mitigating risks and resistance.
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