It’s your job to communicate about your organization. It’s your job to enable other to communicate about your organization.
Your organization does a handful of things. Maybe it’s your METL. Maybe it’s your boss’s priorities. There are a handful of a key topics you should be communicating. Identify things these things, categorize and keep a list. These things should end up on your task tracker.
Instead of a press release, tweet, single media engagement or PAG; communicate using a package. Each of the steps below build on the next, making you, your team and your package better.
Here’s how to prepare your organization to communicate:
- Get the facts, always start with the unvarnished truth – classified or not, start with the facts. #Getsmart – we bring in subject matter experts, members of our organization who know the most about the topic to talk with us. Listen to how your commander talks about it.
- Write a white paper. Usually this becomes a narrative about the issue; sometimes it’s a fact sheet. Writing the information out helps you form your thoughts. This white paper must include the Forever Lines. This white paper may turn into PAG if you’re planning to talk with the media. Maybe you write a feature story here.
- Build visuals. These are graphics which support the white paper. It doesn’t have to be powerpoint. A photo, info-graph, map – build something visual which supports what you are trying to say.
- At this point, you and your team should already be talking about it. But check your Must Haves first.
- Start working toward a video. You’re going to need to identify opportunities for b-roll. You’re going to have to interview people. You will likely need video graphics.
- Share your communication package widely and without prejudice. Enable, enable, enable.
- Check to see if people understand and look for opportunities to double down.
Think about it, at the end of these 7 steps you will have a paper, graphic, PAG and a video to help you drive the information (and message) home.
Don’t you want to get home?
