HOW TO GET YOUR STRATEGY ACCEPTED

MASTERCLASS EUPRIO CONFERENCE 2012,

GÖTEBORG

Monique Jipping & Tom De Smedt

WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO:

• Short introduction• Case: analysis• Case: approach and alignment• Case: presentation and debate• Implementation• Roundup

INTRODUCTION

The communicator’s influence

• “In my organisation, recommendations of the communication function are taken seriously by the senior management”

• “In my organisation, the communication function is likely to be invited to senior level strategic meetings”

Main barriers for professional communication management

Poor reputation of Comms / PR in society

Shortage of Comms training

Diffuculties of proving Comms’ impact on organisational goals

Lack of understanding of Comms within top management

EFFECTIVEADVICE =

Quality x Acceptance x Management

YouKnow yourself

ProfessionKnow your profession

ClientKnow your customer

context

environment o

f the

organization

advice triangle (hannah nathans)

processes

strategy

tactics

instruments

OPERATION

MANAGEMENT REFLECTION

PROCESSSUPPORT

DirectingCoordinating

ExecutingProducing

MonitoringVision development

FacilitatingCoachingTraining

Dimensions of communications management(BETTEKE Van Ruler)

Workflow communications strategy plan(van der hilst communications)

STEP 1 YOUR POSITION

STEP 2 ANALYSIS> ORGANIZATION> COMMUNICATIONS

STEP 3 COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

STEP 4 PLAN> APPROACH> ALIGNMENT> INSTRUMENTS> ACTIONS, PLANNING

STEP 5 PRECONDITIONS (TIME, BUDGET, TEAM ETC)

STEP 6 EVALUATION

Listen and collaborate(steven van belleghem, www.stevenvanbelleghem.com )

COLLABORATION

CONVERSATION

CONTENT

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Comms Unit

Management

Organisation

Strategy development

Strategy validation

Strategy implementation

Comms Unit

Management

Organisation

Strategy development

Strategy validation

Strategy implementation

Strategy development is a non-linear

process of co-creation

So:• Prepare your strategy• Prepare your management• Prepare your organisation

Before/While developing your strategy…

• Know your context– Organisation, communication, influences

• (Ab)use your corporate strategy– Embed and learn from experiences

• Learn form your own research– SWOT, DESTEP, etc for communication potential

Before/While developing your strategy…

• Involve and connect– Input and support– Information, participation, co-creation

• Know your allies (and your ennemies)– Invest in your friends– Academic and external experts

• Share and communicate– Leverage effect of internal communication– “Yours” isn’t “ours”

CASE

Reasoning and mindset managers

Broader organisational concerns

Experiences from the past

(Implicit) long term strategy

Personal interests

Political interests

Influence other stakeholders

Other vision on Comms

IMPLEMENTATION AND ROUNDUP

Ready for validation?

• Timing– Use or create momentum

• Procedures

• Prepare your selling strategy

“Selling” your strategy: do’s and don’ts

• Choose your presentation strategy (crescendo vs. big bang)

• Avoid multiple choice• Avoid DIY and ad hoc "bricolage"• Avoid compromises (hard to defend, and even

harder to implement)• Avoid polls and contests (“Democracy kills

creativity”)• Think about package of proposals• Go for the unrefusable• Let your bosses get the credits