Communicating at Berkeley
Planning for Effective Communication
Whether you are drafting a campus memo, responding to an email message from a customer, or developing a major outreach campaign that will last for several months, the time you spend planning these communications can make the difference between success and missed opportunity. A comprehensive communication plan will probably include more than one audience with more than one goal, as well as more than one communication channel.
Planning for effective communication starts with these questions. The steps below will help you answer them.
Why are you communicating?
What are you communicating?
Who needs to receive the communication?
How can you best reach the audience?
How will you know whether you communicated effectively?
Step 1: Clarify your communication goals
Why are you communicating and what do you want to accomplish with this communication?
Are you announcing a new service to your customers?
Are you seeking feedback?
Are you hoping to influence attitudes?
Are you asking people to make a decision or take action?
Are you aiming to achieve consensus?
Are you building a shared understanding of strategy or challenging the culture?
Why does anyone need your communication -- why should they pay attention?
We've developed an example (see below) of possible goals for communicating about a significant change.
Step 2: Know your audience
Think about who needs your information, whom you need to hear from, and their roles in the organization. Do your research to understand your audience(s), and then think about what you've learned. Ask yourself questions such as:
How much do the audience members already know about my topic...do they need background information?
What are the specific benefits for each particular audience? What aspect of this topic matters to them?
If they are being asked to take action, how difficult will it be for them?
Different audiences may require variations of your message. For example, if you are communicating about a new business process....
A Vice Chancellor might be interested in the strategic or financial benefits.
Business officers might want details about how the process will affect their work, or when they can schedule training for staff members who will be carrying out the process.
Staff members in your own unit may care about the success of the new process and what they will need in order to provide customer support.
Step 3: Craft your messages
Use concise language to tailor your messages to your audience members. Keep it simple, avoid jargon, and include references where readers can get more details if they wish. Test your message out on readers who don't already know the subject. See Communication Tips for more on how to write and structure communications.
Step 4: Choose your channel
A communication channel is simply the method or mechanism you choose to convey your communication. Your choice of channel depends on the audience you're trying to reach, whether you want an interactive discussion or just to provide information, and whether the message is long and complex or short and simple. See Communication Channels for more details on Berkeley campus communication channels.
Note: Once you have drafted your plan, make sure you have agreement from staff or team members who are assigned responsibilities in the plan as well as project sponsors; otherwise, your communication plan may not be carried out.
Step 5: Evaluate the outcome
Check with members of your audience -- did they receive the communication? Was it clear and useful for them? Did it achieve your goal? What will you do differently the next time?
Communicating about Change: A special case
When your communication involves change, your goals might include some of the following:
To provide information
To clarify the reasons for a change
To describe the benefits of the change
To draw a picture of the new organization
To describe how the change will take place
To provide information on support and resources
To gather information
To get input from diverse groups affected by the change
To learn what issues and concerns are raised by the change
To get feedback on how the change is operating
To affect attitudes and behavior
To show that change is a beginning
To create an atmosphere that supports the new organization or culture
To build trust by demonstrating honesty and inclusiveness
To create a positive, collaborative work environment
To offer support
To acknowledge resistance, anger, or sense of loss
To discuss responses to the change
To show how loss will be balanced by the advantages of the change
To provide tools (such as training and information) for managing transitions
To reduce isolation and foster teamwork