Top tips for creating a sustainable comms plan
When we start in a new role or a new year, we often get very excited about the possibilities! So it’s natural that when writing a comms strategy or plan, we can over-promise. The fact is, many comms teams are simply under-resourced, as are many project teams, and teams in general!
When HMC works with clients to create a communications framework or plan, we ask a few questions to understand the capacity and capability of the team that will be implementing it. There’s no point giving all the bells and whistles if it simply isn’t feasible. Here’s some of the things we’ve learned and implemented over the years to create sustainable comms plans
Repackage and repurpose existing content
The same piece of content can be repackaged for different channels, often with just a few tweaks. For example, if you’ve had a CEO Town Hall and it was recorded, you now have a transcript you can turn into an intranet article, a video to post to your digital channels, audio that can be uploaded to a private podcast feed… and if you can automate some of this, even better!
Build capability among leaders and project managers
Oftentimes, team leaders and project managers will need to do the bulk of communication because they aren’t able to get the level of support they need from an already-stretched central comms team, or the project doesn’t have the funds to support a comms resource. So building capability will be key - engaging your leaders and project managers in training around effective communication, and giving them the tools can use, can make a big difference.
Avoid creating new channels (except if they consolidate others!)
New channels only create more work - not only is it another channel you have to create content for, but the hardest part is getting people to use the channels! Unless a channel consolidates others (eg, using an intranet to consolidate social media messages and chats), then avoid the temptation to create a new one.
At the same time, see if you can optimise the channels you already have - perhaps your intranet has more functionality that isn’t being used, or Yammer is humming along but you could be using it for more strategic comms work.
Do your research
Don’t waste your time (or others’ time) on creating comms that aren’t required or not relevant. Check in with your audiences to understand what they need, and how they need it. For example, if they’re in a contact centre all day on phone calls, then a live town hall is not going to be useful. But, they may have an internal social media group or messaging app they use to stay informed that you could take advantage of.
Develop (and stick to) clear governance and comms principles
It’s really easy to say ‘yes’ so that you don’t have to have a conversation about ‘no’. When we start saying yes, we starting increasing the workload on things that aren’t necessarily strategic, and we set a precedent for everyone else to ask more as well. So having a well-defined set of principles and governance guidelines you can share with stakeholders and keep referring back to will help to maintain the guardrails. And when asked, you can point to these approved principles, rather than just saying ‘no’.
Leverage your network
You might have a group of friendly EAs or Change Champions already in your organisation, or you could create a community of comms and engagement practitioners that you can leverage to help share your messages. These people are great because they’re already well known by their own teams, and they can share messages in a way that’s more relevant, via the channels those teams actually use.
Create opportunities for self service and self-publishing
This is where digital platforms can be really helpful! Encouraging people to share their stories to Yammer, Teams, or dedicated SharePoint pages means less reliance on the central comms team, and more relevant news to those who need it. You also have the opportunity of picking up some of this content and repackaging it for group channels if appropriate. Be aware that you should provide some training or guidelines for self-publishing.
Self-service means providing tools people can use to develop their own comms, such as basic comms plans and email templates. These can be really successful and again, reduce reliance on a central comms team.
Use smart tools
Work smarter, not harder! There are plenty of tools out there that allow you to schedule comms to go out through different channels, or automate posting and sharing of content. Check out what’s available to your business, and think about your current processes - what could be automated or streamlined with the help of a few tools?
Want some FREE tools to help you level up your communication practices?
Of course you do! Sign up to our 12-Month Communications Toolkit and each month you’ll receive a free template, tool or tips to support your communications!
Does your team need some support in building their communication skills?
We can help! Check out our communication training here! From business writing and communication skills, to crisis communication and leadership communication skills, we have you covered.
