Communicating key messages so they really hit home
16/01/12
Communicate … Communicate … Communicate … You may be thinking I've done it, I've got the t-shirt ... but what on EARTH will it take to get our managers on-side and doing 'whatever it takes' to make it happen?
Sound familiar?
The art of great communication is not just about sharing the “what” (messages/strategy/brand/values), but also the “how” and the “why”.
Of course, sharing knowledge and giving people a sense of direction they can believe in is important, but unless they understand the true value (the 'why') of playing their full part in making it happen, progress will be painfully slow - if it happens at all.
It’s about listening, understanding, engaging and motivating people which requires action, emotion and intelligence.
It must engage the heart, the soul and the mind.
So, what does this mean for your next leadership or management event?
1. Start with the end in mind and be clear on the expected outomes from the event … what do you want people to know, think and do differently?
2. Find out what the audience believes are the key issues ahead of the event - identify the elephant(s) in the room. Addressing these will demonstrate the audience has been listened to - a recognised driver to engagement - and will help ensure they take on board the key messages.
3. Use the early research not only to shape content and messaging, but also to provide benchmarks to measure progress (pre, during and post event) and demonstrate the value of the event against the pre-agreed outcomes.
4. Mix it up! Words and pictures are only 3% - 7% effective at getting the message across so consider cutting edge methods and technologies to stimulate delegates into thinking, feeling and behaving differently - this will out-weigh any message delivered by PowerPoint!
5. The credibility of message delivery is crucial. Your presenters/ facilitators may need pre-event support to help them deliver in an authentic and credible way. You need leaders who can take people to a place they don’t believe they can go.
6. And finally... sustaining the impact of a live event requires consistent cascade, on-going communication and most importantly decisive follow-up. Appropriate support to achieve this is a “must” during the planning and de-briefing of any event.
If you'd like to know more, give Mags a call on 01562 700404.
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