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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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