Why
When managing change within a project it is important to develop a communication plan to inform impacted users (stakeholders) within your organization at the right time, with the right message and from the right source.
When
Building a Communication Plan is one of the first steps in preparing for the change and occurs at an early stage in your project. It should be updated throughout the project as communication needs change.
How
In building the plan you will need to identify who will be responsible from the project team to manage the creation and execution of the communications to the different stakeholder groups throughout the lifecycle of the project, and post Go Live.
When developing your communication plan address the following:
| Date |
- When should the given message be communicated?
- What is the negative impact of communication too soon or too late?
- How frequently should the message be repeated?
|
| Audience |
- Who is the target audience of the piece of information?
- What are the needs, priorities and special interests of the audience?
- How can you best frame the message so that it addresses the audience’s interests?
- Would you need to tailor a special message for each segment of the audience?
- How might they respond to the message and if the response may be negative or open to misinterpretation, what else needs to be said?
|
| What is the reason for the communication? |
- What are you trying to achieve as a result of the communications?
- What do you expect the target audience to do, say, think or feel as a result of this communication?
|
| What are the Risks |
- What is the worst thing that can happen if I communicate this information?
- What is the worst thing that can happen if I choose to not communicate this information?
- How badly can this information be misinterpreted?
- What can be done to minimize the misinterpretation and negative perceptions?
|
| Project Activities |
- What method and medium would you use to announce this message?
- What communication network will I use – formal or informal?
|
| Key Messages |
- What are the essentials of the message?
- What is the most positive interpretation it can receive?
- What is the most cynical response it can receive?
|
| Considerations |
- Are there resource implications for the communications strategy?
- How do you gain sponsor buy-in to communication plan?
- Are there any restrictions on who can receive the communications?
- How will I deal with anger about the restricting of communications due to confidentiality considerations?
|
Resources
Download the Communications Plan Template
Continue to Coaching plan
Return to Managing Change
in the Change Management guide