The natural tendency, when facing a communication issue, is to skip critical planning steps and jump right into tactics. However, skipping strategy often means missing opportunities to effectively engage people—or worse, producing unintended negative consequences.
Think about these five components (which we call the 5M Framework) as you plan your communication:
- Mission: What specific business outcomes does this communication need to achieve?
- Members: Who are our audiences/stakeholders? What do we know about them?
- Messages: What are the key things we want them to know, believe, or do?
- Media: What communication channels, content, and spokespeople will best connect with each audience?
- Manager/champion support: How should we equip key influencers, so they can help make this a success?
The more complex your situation, the more planning time required. But always spend at least five minutes thinking about each point.
