STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION CARWH Conference October 21 st , 2018 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION CARWH Conference October 21 st , 2018 Alison L. Palmer, MSc What is strategic communication? Communicating with purpose, to fulfill a mission e.g.: Gaining support for your research Credit: Sebastien Wiertz
CARWH Conference – October 21st, 2018 Alison L. Palmer, MSc
Communicating with purpose, to fulfill a mission
e.g.: Gaining support for your research Engaging “knowledge users” Engaging project partners Getting a job
Involves:
Credit: Sebastien Wiertz
Explore two key skills for strategic communication
■ Stak akehold eholder er mapping ping
– Why? To identify and better understand your stakeholders (SH) – How to use your map to prioritize SH, communicate effectively – PRACTICE!
■ Facilitation litation
– Why? To make the most of your – and everyone’s – time in meetings – How to scope, plan a meeting process, and manage effective meetings – PRACTICE!
A way to figure out who your audience is, what their need/context/situation is, how to communicate effectively with them
■ SH can include de: : federal, provincial, or municipal gov’ts; WCBs; labour groups; professional assoc’ns; health authorities; First Nations orgs; funding agencies, workers… ■ Can also
de: your supervisors, advisors, colleagues
“Stakeholders are individuals and organizations who are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected as a result of project execution or successful project completion.” – Project Management Institute (PMI)
Clarify your
OB OBJECTIVE JECTIVE
IDENTIFY FY
pot
ential tial stakeho eholder lders
ANALYZE ZE
those se stakeho eholder lders
MAP or VISUALIZE ZE
this s infor
tion Filter er your map to
PRIORI ORITIZE TIZE your
stakeho eholder lders s
STRATE TEGI GIZE how
best t to comm mmunic icat ate e with th those
stakeho eholders lders
The information you gather about potential stakeholders depends on your objective…
You might research stakeholders’:
Toolsfordev.org
Pr Proje ject ct go goal al: to develop a compendium of policy levers and best practices for controlling exposure to antineoplastic drugs
■ OBJE JECTIVE CTIVE: : Mobilize the compendium to influence change in policy and practice ■ IDENTIFY NTIFY: : Who are the key stakeholders? ■ ANALYZE YZE: : What information should I gather about these stakeholders? ■ MAP/VISU /VISUALIZE LIZE: : What kind of map should I develop? ■ PRIORITIZE: IORITIZE: Which are the priority stakeholders? ■ STRA RATE TEGIZ GIZE: E: (at the right time…) How should I communicate with those stakeholders?
■ Acknowledge your audie ienc nce e and place them front and center: – Understand what they care about, what they know, what their role is – Develop clear messages tailored to each audience – Determine the mechanism for delivering your messages (+ champion?) – Tell a story if you can, make it compelling
Same principles apply…
Understand them as an audience Understand yourself as a communicator
■ Challe lenge ge yoursel elf f to communicate differently, more effectively – build confidence ■ Reflect on what worked and didn’t work ■ Ask for feedback! – Did that make sense? – Was there anything I could have clarified?
■ Pair up with someone at your table (make sure it’s someone you don’t know!) – practice those key messages on your partner ■ Switch! ■ Debrief and offer each other feedback
Clarify your
OBJEC ECTIV TIVE
IDENTIF TIFY
pot
entia ial l stakeholde holders
ANALYZE ZE
those se stakeholde holders
MAP or VISU SUALIZE ZE
this infor
mation Filter er your map to
PRIORITI ORITIZE ZE your
stakeholde holders
STRATEGI TEGIZE ZE how
best st to communic
ate e with h those se stakeholde holders
What t que quest stions
e about ut your SH? Mandate? Jurisdiction? Role? Authority and/or influence? Interests, important projects/past work? Readiness? Proximity? Capacity? Devel elop
sages that align with your
stakeholder(s)
■ Boréalis. Stakeholder Mapping: How to Identify and Assess Project Stakeholders. (2018) ■ Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). Five-Step Approach to Stakeholder
■ Project Management Institute (PMI). Stakeholder analysis: a pivotal practice of successful projects. (2000)
Goal: l: To provide some guidance for getting more out of your meetings
FOLLOW-UP UP EVALUATE FACILI LITATE E DESIGN GN THE HE PROCES ESS S CONFIRM IRM OBJECT CTIVE IVES SCOPE
Our focus
Do your background research
■ What is the issue? ■ What work has already been done towards the issue? ■ What is the desired outcome of this particular meeting? ■ Who is your audience? – What do you know about them? – What role might they play in helping you to achieve your outcome? – If there’s more than one audience, what are the dynamics between them? ■ Are there recent circumstances that you should consider?
“Review the new project funding proposal” “Discuss our project progress to date” “Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the new approach”
■ Be realistic: istic: consider each step of the conversation, timing required ■ Devel elop
r out utputs uts: : for each step! ■ Make sure it’s logical: are the steps clearly linked? ■ Consid nsider er forma mat: t: can you make some parts more interactive? ■ Consider nsider prompt pts: s: what questions can you pose to get conversation going, and keep it focused?
Time Agenda nda item Obje jecti ctive Format at and tasks ks Prompt mpt que question stions 9:00-9:05 Introductions Make sure everyone knows who’s in attendance, roles Take attendance Confirm notetaker 9:05-9:15 Project scope Review project scope to determine whether it needs to be adjusted Open discussion Have things changed? Do partners, timing, funding match scope? 9:15-9:30 Project deliverables Confirm lead for each, whether additional steps are required Go through list one by one 9:30-9:45 Project timeline Determine whether adjustments required Open discussion Is timing realistic? 9:45-9:55 Wrap-up Confirm all clear on next steps; arrange next mtg Confirm distribution
Any further questions?
First t mee eetin ting g of partner tners on a n new w project ject
Execute your thoughtfully detailed plan! Clarify groundrules, set an appropriate meeting climate Manage discussion, deal with challenges if they arise:
– Distracted attendees – Meeting over the phone – One participant dominating conversation – Lots of awkward silences – Conversation going off-topic
■ Ask to facilitate in your job – e.g., at rotating staff meetings, journal clubs, collaborative project meetings ■ See if you can facilitate through your volunteer work – e.g., boards, committees ■ Ask for input and feedback ■ Observe others carefully as they facilitate ■ Reflect – clarify your hesitations, concerns, and explore them
■ Effective Group Facilitation – Course through SFU, Hollyhock by Julian Griggs ■ Bens, I. Facilitating with Ease: Core Skills for Facilitators, Team Leaders and Members, Managers, Consultants, and Trainers. (2000) ■ Schwartz, R. The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive Resource for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches. (2002)
■ Identify a type of meeting you can see yourself facilitating (team mtg, mtg with project partners or thesis supervisors) or use example provided ■ Develop a draft facilitators’ agenda ■ Review the agenda with your partner, provide each other feedback ■ Switch!
FACILI LITATE TE DESIG IGN THE THE PROCESS SS CONFIRM IRM OBJECT ECTIVE IVES SCOPE
What do you need to know in order to ensure this meeting goes well? Identify steps, objective for each, format, prompts
■ Communicating strategically with stakeholders – know your
■ Effective facilitation – take the time to plan your process ■ Questions? ■ Feel free to pose any follow-up questions: apalmer@carexcanda.ca