Strategic Communications Worksheet Physicians Leadership Development Program Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 1 Strategic Communications: Key Elements 1) Group Exercise: Elements covered during development stage a. Define Scenario and Conduct Analysis b. Determine Goal c. Identify and Profile Audience d. Formulate Messages e. Select Channels, Activities and Materials f. E stablish Relationship/Partnerships 2) Additional elements covered during implementation stage a. Implement the Plan b. Evaluate and Make Mid-Course Corrections Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 2 Step 1: Define Scenario and Conduct Analysis What topic do you want to communicate about? What is the current situation (level of understanding, intensity, technical vs cultural, etc.)? What is your desired future situation (increased understanding, minimize risk, inform, etc.)? Is there a specific scenario needing addressed (think of Domino’s example)? Is there a specific belief or perception needing challenged (think of Starbuck’s example)? A) Define Scenario (create a brief description): (Example: addressing the public’s perception regarding the hospitals’, medical professionals’, and staffs’ role in healthcare reform) B) Conduct Analysis: (Example: create a short list of history surrounding issue, facts, details, actions, internal and external perceptions, etc.): Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 3 Step 2: Determine Goal What is your basic desired outcome? What reactions are you trying to provoke? Who is most affected by the issue? What is your call to action? How will you measure success? Goals may be tangible or intangible in nature. Sample Internal Goals: Build staff awareness and understanding of hospital’s future goals, its current situation and the case for change. Ensure available technology is fully leveraged as a business and communications tool. Sample External Goals: Inform Representative(s) on physician group’s position on new legislation impacting healthcare. Manage patient, media and public’s perception regarding hospital’s new prescription policy. Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 4 Step 3: Identify and Profile the Audiences Once you’ve identified your key issues, it’s time to identify and profile specific audiences to target with a communications initiative. Profiling your audience is essential when choosing the most effective ways to communicate your message. 1) Identify Primary Audience: (Example: hospital administration, board of directors, media sources, state regulators, legislative representatives, lobbyist, patients, co-workers, community partners, etc.) 2) Identify Secondary Audience(s): (are others impacted, who are your supporters, are others able to influence your primary audience, etc.) Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 5 POTENTIAL ROLES & GOALS INTERNAL ROLES Hospital Board Hospital Leadership (CEO, VPs, Directors) COMMUNICATION GOALS Leverage community network, serve as community ambassadors, highlight hospital successes, assist with advocacy initiatives Serve on communications team or as communication lead, represent hospital in public meetings, formulate communication strategy, determine hospital position on key issues, serve as hospital spokesperson(s) Managers and Supervisors Understand and represent hospital’s position, serve as a primary communicator to team, build credibility and key relationships, represent hospital to staff and community Medical and Hospital Staff Align with hospital’s position, serve as communicator to patients, co-workers and community, understand goals and initiatives supporting hospital’s long-term viability and sustainability, effectively communicate technical knowledge Hospital Foundation and Volunteers Align with hospital’s position, serve as communicator to donors, co-volunteers, and community, communicate hospital’s benefits and value EXTERNAL ROLES Patient and Families Foundation Donors COMMUNICATION GOALS Understand hospital’s position on serve and care, serve as an advocate or positive public voice Understand hospital goals and initiatives are valuable in supporting long-term viability and sustainability, serve as an advocate or positive public voice, serve as a resource for support on donor related issues Community Partners and Parties Directly Involved Understand hospital goals and initiatives are valuable in supporting long-term viability and sustainability, serve as an advocate or positive public voice, serve as a resource for support on issues Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 6 Step 4: Formulate Messages Your messages are closely tied to your goal and objectives. They deliver important information about the issue and compel the targeted audience to think, feel, or act. They can: Show the importance, urgency, or magnitude of the issue Show the relevance of the issue Put a “face” on the issue Be tied to specific audience values, beliefs, or interests of the audience Reflect an understanding of what would motivate the audience to think, feel, or act Be culturally significant or memorable Message Point(s): 1) 2) 3) Proof Point(s): 1) 2) 3) Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 7 Considerations for Message Construction Both the channel and the purpose of communicating environmental information influence message design. Information may be designed to convey new facts, alter attitudes, change behavior, or encourage participation in decision-making. Regardless of the purpose, messages must be developed with consideration of the desired outcome. Factors that help determine audience acceptance include: • Clarity—Messages must clearly convey information to assure the public’s understanding and to limit the changes for misunderstanding or inappropriate action. Clear messages contain as few technical/scientific/bureaucratic terms as possible, and eliminate information that the audience does not need in order to make necessary decisions (such as unnecessarily detailed explanations). • Consistency—In an ideal world there would be specific consensus on the meaning of new findings, and all messages on a particular topic would be consistent. • Main points—The main points should be stressed, repeated, and never hidden within less strategically important information. • Tone and appeal—A message should be reassuring, alarming, challenging, or straightforward, depending upon the desired impact and the target audience. Messages should also be truthful, honest and as complete as possible. • Credibility—The spokesperson and source of the information should be believable and trustworthy. • Public need—For a message to break through the “information clutter” of society, messages should be based on what the target audience perceives as most important to them, what they want to know, and not what is most important or most interesting to the originating agency. Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 8 Message Worksheet 1) Audience (s) 2) What are the barriers and benefits to your audience(s) thinking, feeling, or acting on your issue? 3) What change in attitude (the way they feel about the issue) do you want to motivate in your audience(s) to meet your goal? What change in the behavior (day-to-day actions) of your audience(s) are trying to achieve? 4) What are the three most compelling sentences (including proof points) you could use to motivate the audience? These are your messages. Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 9 Step 5: Select Channels, Activities and Materials 1) Select Channels (Examples: Television, radio, newspapers, social media, websites, community centers, government offices/groups, non-profit associations/offices, etc.) 2) Is it necessary to select multiple channels for multiple audiences? 3) What are the activities, events, and/or materials to be used? What is the most effectively way to carry your message to the intended audiences? (Examples: news releases/conferences, editorial board meetings at newspapers, radio shows, community events, print materials, one-on-one meetings, letters, etc. Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 10 Step 6: Establish Partnerships Identify groups, organizations, or businesses may exist that would aid you in reaching your goal by providing funds, expertise, support, or other resources. Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 11 Step 7: Implement the Plan Use the following steps to determine time, budget and staffing needs: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) List all activities Under each activity, outline the steps, in order, that will lead to its completion Assign a budget estimate to each step Assign a staffing needs estimate to each step Working backwards from the activity completion point, assign a date for each step in the activity. Step 8: Evaluate and Make Mid-Course Corrections 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Specify times to take stock of progress in completing communications plan. Determine strengths and weaknesses. Identify obstacles. Create and implement new approaches for success. Consult with communications technical assistance advisors. Montana Medical Association: 2014 Physicians Leadership Development Program Page 12
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