As we near the end of the week, let’s work on the communication plan you began to think about yesterday.
If you haven’t gotten that far, why not start with a plan for the next month?
Again, you’ll need to define the key messages — what do your people really need to hear, know and understand?
When do they need to know? Creating key messages tied to your key milestones will help you lay out your timeline.
What vehicles can you use to spread the word? Remember, anything printed or visual needs to be a secondary or even tertiary form of communication — reinforcing messages you’ve already shared in person. After all, if something is really important, shouldn’t your team/organization hear about it first from you? Then you can use memo’s, newsletters, posters, and other visual communication tools to reinforce what you have shared in person.
Define how you will reinforce the actions and behaviors you need your people to take and demonstrate.
Give some thought to the celebrations you will have (they don’t need to be super-spectacular spectacles!) as your team/organization reaches those critical, initial milestones.
Be sure to put all of these things on your calendar. As you know, if you haven’t made it a priority and blocked out the time to take care of it, all that other daily stuff will become your priority. It will be easy to get to the end of the month and realize you haven’t accomplished all you wanted to — so take the time to schedule your actions now.
Create your vision.
Articulate it simply.
Share your passion for it.
Demonstrate your own commitment to reaching it.
Reinforce the behaviors you see in others striving for it, as well.
Drive to completion.
Celebrate along the way.
