Project Communications

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Project Communications
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Communication Objectives

• Develop and implement communicationsboth top
  down and bottom up
• Share key messages during the project among
  teams, and ensure continuing communication
  campaigns
• Foster confidence in the change process, in the
  leadership, and in the joint project team

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Critical Success Factors For Effective
Communications

• Affected employees should receive some form of
  communication at the start of the project
• Keep the message consistent and the media varied
• Consideration needs to be made for who, what,
  when, where and how
• Maintain a clear view of stakeholder
  communications needs
• These can be assessed via focus interviews,
  surveys and QAs from meetings.
• Try to utilize established media before
  introducing new ones
• The most effective communications medium is the
  human being
• Identify/recruit key influencers.
• Utilize the grapevine
• The aim of communication is clarity

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Guidelines To Initiate Communications

• Develop and validate a communications charter
• Determine appropriate media and develop a project
  roll-out communication
• Conduct roll-out events
• Develop an executive level status report
• Identify key measures and success indicators
• Develop a communications campaign plan
• Identify and recruit key influencers
• Support the preparation of Leadership Council
  meetings
• Implement communications campaign plan

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Finalize A Project Communications Process
5. Publish short cycle flash report as needed
9. Help prepare Leadership Council meetings
4. Develop As-Is model
1 Validate communications team charter
List all established/new media options Identify
effective media characteristics Create
media/characteristics effectiveness
matrix Evaluate media/constituency
coverage Evaluate media/message frequency
Team edit Link objectives/deliverables Identify
key activities Identify detailed action steps
Conduct presentation skills workshop Conduct
speaking skills workshop Help plan/design
storyboards Help design/produce
presentations Coordinate consistent messages
across all teams Manage/design open day
presentation format (display walls)
6. Identify key measures and indicators for
communications team success
7. Develop communications workstream process
logic Develop initial schedule Identify
detailed action steps Establish linkages w/
project milestones
Edit charter
2. Prepare project roll-out communication
3. Conduct roll-out event (s)
Conduct survey Combine surveys with existing
information Conduct feedback survey
Plan event logistics Evaluate constituencies Prep
are info-pack handouts Manage mini roll-out
videos Capture meeting QAs Identify key
messages
8. Identify and recruit key influencers (informal
communications network)
10. Implement effective communications
campaign
Include all constituencies Encourage questions
from all member at team meetings Enlist/give
feedback
Identify key stake holders Identify key
deliverables for each stakeholder matrix
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Consider These Factors When Selecting
Communication Media

• Circulation
• Production quality
• Gestation cycle time
• Frequency
• Credibility within the organization
• Direction of information flow (top-down /
  bottom-up)
• Content focus / bias
• Content subject flexibility
• Opportunities to combine other media

Be aware of organization media fatiguebe
economical
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Consider A Variety Of Established/Potential Media

• Roll-out event(s)
• Mini roll-outs
• Roadshows
• Guests / Gurus
• Team briefings
• Manager meetings
• Department meetings
• Informal discussions with boss
• Information packs
• Letter from CEO / president
• Corporate Newsletter
• One sheet posters
• Bulletin boards
• Communications room / war room

• Special editions to company magazine
• Paycheck stuffers or inserts
• Explanatory pamphlets
• Project logo / icon
• VMS
• Electronic mail
• A/V presentation
• Video presentation
• Video updates / kiosk displays
• Video take-out
• Telephone hotline
• Promotions / incentives

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Roll-Out Communications IsCritical To Building
Project Credibility
Partnering for Growth

• 1. Background Why we must change
• Marketplace forces
• Market influences
• Emerging markets
• Competitive benchmarks
• 2. Overview What must change
• What company issues are driving the project
• Who is involved in leading the change
• Company executives
• CIS (who, expertise, role)
• 3. Project Approach
• Project purpose / mission / objectives
• Who will be involved
• What will be done
• Where we will begin
• How we will work together
• Project schedule.

Strawmodel agenda for effective roll-out
presentations
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Be Prepared For Difficult/Controversial Questions

• What are the project objectives?
• Why are we doing this project?
• How good . . . or bad . . . are we?
• What was the driver for change?
• How does this differ from what weve been doing?
• How do we know when we are winning?
• Why does the project last so long?
• What about the areas not covered in the project?
• Is our strategy changing again?
• Will we develop better processes or products?
• Is the project proactive or reactive?
• How much empowerment will the teams have?
• Can employees volunteer and contribute?
• Will we be able to offer input?
• Will all team recommendations be adopted?

• How will this project affect our own internal
  improvement initiatives?
• Will the project provide improved job security?
• Is this project actually downsizing?
• How many and when do the layoffs begin?
• Is leadership going through change?
• How do we know our company will continue to
  invest in improvements?
• How will this project benefit me?
• How will we be kept informed?
• How much will this project cost?
• Who is CIS, and why do they need to be involved?
• What can CIS do that we cant do ourselves?
• Will CIS stay involved after the project is over?
• How many consultants are involved and how much do
  they cost?
• Wouldnt this investment be better off put in our
  salaries and education / training?

These questions and their answers may serve as
good topics for future communications.
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Cautions For Communication Roll-Outs

• Dont call it a Roll down.
• Conduct as early as possible to officially start
  the project
• High level executives and the project sponsor
  must play a visible role
• Roll-out should ideally cover the affected
  population, and potentially the entire company,
  within one to two days
• Provide for remote or shift workers
• Conduct multiple sessions, and go to the people
• Leadership / management must be informed of time
  and content prior to roll-out
• To encourage their people to attend
• To verse them on managements view to prevent
  cynicism and avoid surprises

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An Open House Can Be AValuable Communications
Event

• Shares overall project perspective and pathway
  going forward
• Acts as a powerful focus for all workstreams to
  finalize and articulate their charter
• Show-cases to entire organization the critical
  nature of the project
• Highlights key accomplishments and project
  milestones
• Enables demonstration of executive / management
  support for the project
• Solicits company-wide involvement and feedback
• Reinforces the theme of the project
• Generates enthusiasm around the opportunities
  provided by the project
• Promotes continuing communication

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The Open House Concept CanBe Used Throughout
The Project

• Summarizes progress to date
• Reinforces original project goals objectives
• Touches a broader audience than those directly
  participating to date
• Make the company as a whole feel more involved
  and informed
• Boosts morale, refocuses everyone, gives a sense
  of accomplishments
• Gives ownership of content to company team
  members and recognizes contribution of
  participants
• Creates a fun, informative atmosphere
• Allows people to visit at the pace they wish
• Gives Leadership Council and other executives an
  opportunity for visibility
• Gains support and involvement of other leadership
  and management

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Critical Success Factors for Open House Events

• Team members present for guidance and explanation
• Interactive
• Participants in small / manageable groups
• Builds facilitated and documents
• Portable
• Wide and deep (level of coverage / detail)
• Focus on results and accomplishments
• Consistent theme
• Use of color and illustrations / photographs