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| Photo courtesy: http://cdn.theatlantic.com/ |
By Clive Mutame Siachiyako
Moving from theory to practice can be frustrating and depressing when your employer thinks as a graduate you are well 'baked' to zigzag all corners of your profession. When it comes to public relations (PR) it gets more subtle because communication is the most visible single activity we engage in, which requires extra delicacy. Anything incorrectly presented in the communication could have lasting and severe career damage as well as other injurious effects to the employer’s name and brand.
Sometimes PR practitioners find themselves getting into some ‘gamble’ due to lack of an effective, distinct and appropriate communication strategy for the employer. This is truer in cases where an organisation operates without a communication strategy. Worse still, at times those organisations that have them tend to have old ones that have been overtaken by events. As a result, new technologies and other communication tools that need to be integrated to the PR communication kit may not be added to the basket of the strategy. Some institutions even make it as serious issue to have a Facebook page for the institution simply because it is not part of the communication basket.
It gets nastier when you graduate without the required savvy to design a basic communication strategy. Unfortunately, most training institutions do not include this aspect. Learners are only trained to practice PR without having the right acuities to design a platform to practice PR. Having knowledge about communication strategies places the practitioner at the edge of effectively beating others at the art of PR. The ability to walk the theory of PR requires intellectual and practical acuity on shaping a communication platform.
WHY communication strategy? The workplace necessitates frequent internal and external communication. Networking communication between colleagues, human resources and management staff within the organisation is simply vital ingredients to the PR. Institutions also communicate with outside entities. They network with suppliers, clients and the general public using varied platforms. Therefore, a corporate communication strategy plan lays out how to handle the various forms of communication dispersed by the institution. Understanding the benefits and purpose of the plan helps you develop your own communication strategy.
A communication strategy creates standardised ways to interact with colleagues, managers and other business contacts. Instead of leaving the method up to the employees, the plan spells out how they should communicate. It helps maintain an institutional brand. An external communication would fit within the standardised elements of the communication. Elements such as logos, format, language, colours, and others all have to be spelled out. This creates consistency in workplace communication, helping to reduce confusion or missed information.
The strategy ensures that all significant information is dispersed to the correct people, both internally and externally. Having all people on the same page is essential to a highly efficient workplace. If some staff members are unaware of key information, they may be unable to complete their duties properly, or do work that they don't actually need to perform. Without standardised communication strategies to external business contacts, you may have clients or suppliers who are unaware of policy changes, upcoming events and other relevant company information.
An institutional communication strategy affects its image. If the institution has a standardised, professional method of communicating with the public and its external business contacts, it would present itself as a professional institution with strong organisational standing. If communication is sporadic and information comes from different people inconsistently, as a PR person, you present your institution as a disorganized unit. You also risk having conflicting information released if you do not have a specific communication plan in place.
It is also a morale stimulator to staff. Lack of communication or inconsistent information dispersal leaves employees feeling frustrated. Staff members may feel left out, particularly if management fails to communicate key information. By sharing information consistently with employees, the company creates a sense of transparency that allows staff members to feel they know what is going on. As Demand Media emeritus Shelley Frost puts it, “if there is a lack of strategic communication, employees may be left wondering what is going on with the company and may start feeling that the management team is intentionally withholding information.”
