It happens more often than not. The leadership team has carefully planned a rollout of some sort, a big announcement or staff changes, but to keep the circle tight and confidential, they exclude the communications team from the initial planning. This problem is compounded by the fact that a company’s internal communications leader rarely sits in the C-suite and only has indirect input to the leadership table.
Then, about a month, a week, or even a day (!) before the launch of whatever has been cooking in the executive board room, the project team finally brings in the communications team so they can, well, communicate it.
This is the point where the communicator is put in the unenviable position of asking dozens of questions to glean the important details essential to an effective, comprehensive communications strategy and smooth execution. The responding blank looks, and the squinted eyes of the project leader tell the inconvenient truth: No one on the project team either knows the answers or has considered these implications. When did you say you wanted to launch this?
This scenario leads to three options:
A. Delay the launch while the answers to questions are discovered or decisions are made.
Risks: The news will leak, or a delay will cause negative financial, human resources or public relations impacts.
B. Launch as scheduled but with an incomplete message to your stakeholders.
Risks: Confusion leads stakeholders to fill in the blanks with their own imagined details and spin up the rumor mill. Inevitably, additional communications will be required for clarification.
C. Move ahead as planned, which generates a crisis situation for the project team to meet the deadline.
Risks: Everything. This option comes with rushed decisions and long, late hours; 14 versions of the communication; texts to executives imploring them to check their email for the latest draft; and begging favors of the legal department to drop everything and review the (supposedly) final communication. The hurried approach increases the likelihood of mistakes, from typos to significant inaccuracies.
I'd like to offer an alternative scenario: Bring communications to the table at the beginning of the project, when the planning, timing and stakeholder impacts are under consideration.
Why it matters:
1. Effective communication is key to any successful rollout or change management issue. Waiting too late in the process to develop communications can give the rollout or announcement the appearance of being half-baked.
2. The communications team is likely aware of various initiatives, events and process changes currently in development across the organization. This knowledge can help determine the right timing to make big announcements for maximum exposure with minimal disruption.
3. The actual process of writing the message forces an organized approach, common sense sequencing, looking at an issue from all angles, and ensuring that the basic details are included and accurate.
4. The communications team is adept at confidentiality and discretion. They can be trusted with sensitive or competitive information, such as an executive change, a layoff or merger, at the same time as other key individuals. The desire to limit the size of the team is understandable, but it’s not enough reason to hinder the effectiveness of the communications.
Leaders: Don’t keep the communications team in the hallway waiting to be brought in at the 11th hour to help cross the finish line. Include them early on to help formulate the strategy launch or major organizational announcement. You’ll have a smoother rollout, increased stakeholder adoption, fewer follow-up tasks and less stress for everyone in the organization.
Communicators: Keep knocking on the door and asking for a seat at the table. Demonstrate your value with data. Do a post-mortem after the next big communication. Gather feedback from the project team to determine what worked and what didn’t work. Survey employees for understanding and adoption. Then present your findings and recommendations to leadership.
For a seamless, successful rollout, begin your project with the end in mind and with a multidisciplinary team that includes the communicators.
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