Effective Communication Strategy

Identify and Analyze Your "Audiences"

First, split your organization's audiences into "Internal" and "External" categories and then list the appropriate groups and subgroups for each. Your internal audiences may include staff, volunteers, and board members. You may further want to place these into subgroups. For example, the staff group could include executives, program managers, hourly staff, salaried staff, etc. Your external audiences could include media, donors, members, etc.
Once you've completed this exercise, determine the needs for each group / subgroup. Sometimes organizations choose to take a formal approach by conducting surveys (either delivered via email or phone) to determine needs. Some conduct their surveys more informally. How you do it is up to you. What you need to determine is the How, What, When:

• HOW should each audience receive information from your organization?
• WHAT type of information do they need from you?
• WHEN is the frequency for communicating?

EXAMPLE: Using donors as the audience example, you may determine that a newsletter (the "How") detailing what your organization is doing for the community (the "What") on a quarterly basis (the "When") is the best way to communicate.

Audit Your Communication Vehicles

By this point, you've determined how you want to communicate to each group. Most likely, the majority of the "how's" you've included in your audience analysis are communication vehicles you already use: your Web site, memos, letters, emails, newsletters, and press releases.
Ask for some help getting objective feedback from the end-users of these pieces to see if you need to make some adjustments.

Ask a marketing firm to provide limited pro bono consulting to do this for you. If you can't find a firm that can help, send out a sample to your core audiences for their review. Ask your staff to anonymously complete a written survey on your internal communications pieces; send your members the most recent newsletter and ask for feedback; and/or ask your Web site users to complete an online survey about usability and message presentation.

Important note about your Web site: because of the nature of the Web, this will be your most dynamic tool - you can have the most up-to-date information available, and the site is interactive. If you don't have a presence on the Web, consider establishing one (you can even apply for a grant to provide funding for Web development).
When you get feedback, use it to make improvements that work within your budget and timeframe.

Build and Consistently Use Key Messages

Once you have your audience analysis and the vehicles you're going to use, then it's time to develop some key messages around your organization's mission. What are the 3-5 things you want people to know about your organization? Once you determine these facts, incorporate them into all your communication pieces, wherever appropriate.

Let's say your organization works to help the homeless. What are the 3-5 service areas of your organization? Do your staff and/or volunteers know what they are? If not, include them in appropriate communication vehicles targeted to your internal audiences. For external groups, include those 3-5 key messages on your Web site as a footer in your emails, in every press release, etc.

The important thing is to remain consistent. If your organization is addressing a crisis that is covered by the media, make sure your internal audiences are getting and delivering the same key messages.

Identify Your Organization's Communicators

You're almost done with your overall communications strategy. Now you have to choose the primary "deliverers" of your messages. You should have one group (or person if you're smaller) that creates all your internal communications to ensure consistency in style and content. The same guidance applies for external pieces: identify one representative (or more, if your organization is larger) to address any media inquiries, etc.

Gauge Your Communications Effectiveness

Once you start putting your strategy to work, it's time to test it and gather feedback to continuously improve this function of your organization. When donors provide gifts, ask where they heard of you. You might begin to spot a trend that will help you further target your communication efforts.
(Source http://www.ccfbest.org/communications/creating.htm)

The Communication Process

Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. The communication process involves six basic elements: sender (encoder), message, channel, receiver (decoder), noise, and feedback. Supervisors can improve communication skills by becoming aware of these elements and how they contribute to successful communication.

Sender Encodes

The sender initiates the communication process. When the sender has decided on a meaning, he or she encodes a message, and selects a channel for transmitting the message to a receiver. To encode is to put a message into words or images. The message is the information that the sender wants to transmit. The medium is the means of communication, such as print, mass, electrical, and digital. As a sender, the supervisor should define the purpose of the message, construct each message with the receiver in mind, select the best medium, time each transmission thoughtfully, and seek feedback. Words can be verbal - written and spoken. Words are used to create pictures and stories (scenarios) are used to create involvement.

Written communication should be used when the situation is formal, official, or long term; or when the situation affects several people in related ways. Interoffice memos are used for recording informal inquiries or replies. Letters are formal in tone and addressed to an individual. They are used for official notices, formally recorded statements, and lengthy communications. Reports are more impersonal and more formal than a letter. They are used to convey information, analyses, and recommendations. Written communications to groups include bulletin-board notices, posters, exhibits, displays, and audio and visual aids.

Communication and the need to exchange information are no longer constrained by place and time. Email, voice mail, and facsimile have facilitated communications and the sharing of sharing of knowledge. Email is the computer transmission and storage of written messages. Voice mail is the transmission and storage of digitized spoken messages. Facsimile (fax) is the transmission of documents.

Verbal or spoken communication includes informal staff meetings, planned conferences, and mass meetings. Voice and delivery are important. Informal talks are suitable for day-to-day liaison, directions, exchange or information, progress reviews, and the maintenance of effective interpersonal relations. Planned appointments are appropriate for regular appraisal review and recurring joint work sessions. Planning for an appointment includes preparing, bringing adequate information, and limiting interruptions. Telephone calls are used for quick checkups and for imparting or receiving information.

Teams using information technology have access to information, share knowledge, and construct documents. Meetings take place electronically from multiple locations, saving the organization's resources in both the expenses of physically bringing people from different locations together, and the time lost by employees traveling. Teleconferencing is simultaneous group verbal exchanges. Videoconferencing is group verbal and visual exchanges.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal messages include images, actions and behaviors used to communicate. Images include photographs, film, charts, tables, graphs, and video. Nonverbal behaviors include actions, body language, and active listening. Actions and body language include eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, posture, and appearance. The effective communicator maintains eye contact for four to five seconds before looking away. Gestures should be natural and well timed. Grooming and dress should be appropriate for the situation. Listening requires good eye contact, alert body posture, and the frequent use of verbal encouragement.

Receiver Decodes

The channel is the path a message follows from the sender to the receiver. Supervisors use downward channels to send messages to employees. Employees use upward channels to send messages to supervisors. Horizontal channels are used when communicating across departmental lines, with suppliers, or with customers. An informal channel is the grapevine. It exists outside the formal channels and is used by people to transmit casual, personal, and social interchanges at work. The grapevine consists of rumors, gossip, and truthful information. The supervisor should pay attention to the grapevine, but should not depend on it for accurate information.

Information technology is revolutionizing the way organizational members communicate. Network systems, electronic links among an organization's computer hardware and software, enable members to communicate instantaneously, to retrieve and share information from anyplace, at anytime. The receiver is the person or group for whom the communication effort is intended.

Noise is anything that interferes with the communication. Feedback ensures that mutual understanding has taken place in a communication. It is the transfer of information from the receiver back to the sender. The receiver decodes or makes out the meaning of the message. Thus, in the feedback loop, the receiver becomes the sender and the sender becomes the receiver

(source: http://foulger.info/davis/research/unifiedModelOfCommunication.htm

http://www.stfrancis.edu/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/comproc.htm)