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 Engaging “knowledge users” Engaging project partners Getting a job Involves: • Creating clear objectives Identifying the priority audience(s) that can help you get there • • Communicating effectively with that audience to meet your objective
Our plan for today’s workshop 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!
What is stakeholder mapping? A way to figure out who your audience is, what their need/context/situation is, how to communicate effectively with them “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) ■ 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 o include: de: your supervisors, advisors, colleagues
What’s the process? MAP or STRATE TEGI GIZE how IDENTIFY FY ANALYZE ZE Filter er your map to Clarify your VISUALIZE ZE best t to comm mmunic icat ate e PRIORI ORITIZE TIZE your pot oten ential tial those se OBJECTIVE OB JECTIVE this s with th those ose stakeho eholder lders stakeho eholder lders stakeho eholder lders s stakeho eholders lders infor ormation tion
What to analyze? The information you gather about potential stakeholders depends on your objective… You might research stakeholders’: • Mandate/mission • Jurisdiction • Authority and/or influence • Interests, important projects/past work • Readiness • Proximity • Capacity
Toolsfordev.org What can this look like?
Ex Exam ample: ple: ne new w re resea search ch pr project ject 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?
Developing your communication strategy ■ 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
What about with audiences you already know (supervisors, peers)? 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?
Practice! Analyze SH, develop key msgs MAP or STRATEGI TEGIZE ZE how IDENTIF TIFY ANALYZE ZE Filter er your map to Clarify your VISU SUALIZE ZE best st to communic ommunicat ate e PRIORITI ORITIZE ZE your pot oten entia ial l those se OBJEC ECTIV TIVE with h those se this stakeholde holders stakeholde holders stakeholde holders stakeholde holders infor ormation mation Devel elop op key messages sages What t que quest stions ons will you pose e about ut your SH? that align with your Mandate? Jurisdiction? Role? Authority and/or objective and your influence? Interests, important projects/past work? stakeholder(s) Readiness? Proximity? Capacity? ■ 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
Suggested resources ■ Boréalis. Stakeholder Mapping: How to Identify and Assess Project Stakeholders. (2018) ■ Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). Five-Step Approach to Stakeholder Engagement. (2011) ■ Project Management Institute (PMI). Stakeholder analysis: a pivotal practice of successful projects. (2000)
Facilitation! Goal: l: To provide some guidance for getting more out of your meetings DESIGN GN CONFIRM IRM SCOPE THE HE FACILI LITATE E EVALUATE FOLLOW-UP UP OBJECT CTIVE IVES PROCES ESS S Our focus
Scoping 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?
Objectives
Objectives: are these good examples? “Review the new project funding proposal” “Discuss our project progress to date” “Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the new approach”
Design the process ■ Be realistic: istic: consider each step of the conversation, timing required ■ Devel elop op clear 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?
Sample facilitators agenda First t mee eetin ting g of partner tners on a n new w project ject 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 Take attendance knows who’s in Confirm notetaker attendance, roles 9:05-9:15 Project scope Review project scope to Open discussion Have things changed? determine whether it Do partners, timing, needs to be adjusted funding match scope? 9:15-9:30 Project Confirm lead for each, Go through list one deliverables whether additional steps by one are required 9:30-9:45 Project timeline Determine whether Open discussion Is timing realistic? adjustments required 9:45-9:55 Wrap-up Confirm all clear on next Confirm distribution Any further steps; arrange next mtg of notes questions?
Facilitate 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
Suggestions for getting practice ■ 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
Resources ■ 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)
Practice! Developing a facilitators’ agenda CONFIRM IRM DESIG IGN THE THE SCOPE FACILI LITATE TE OBJECT ECTIVE IVES PROCESS SS Identify steps, objective What do you need to know in order for each, format, prompts to ensure this meeting goes well? ■ 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!
Key takeaways ■ Communicating strategically with stakeholders – know your objective and know your stakeholders ■ Effective facilitation – take the time to plan your process ■ Questions? ■ Feel free to pose any follow-up questions: apalmer@carexcanda.ca
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