BUS3041 WK2 Project

Communication and Strategy

Strategic leadership communication requires planning to align with the strategic goals of the

corporation.

For example, the mission of an organization may be to provide the best level of customer service in an

industry. A leader who decides to use a low-cost although ef�cient communication method—rather than using an expensive, more personalized method—may send a message that does not align with the

high-service mission. Leaders must ensure they support core corporate objectives and strategies when

selecting methods of communication, even if these methods are more expensive.

To communicate strategically, leaders must consider the following interrelated variables:

The sender

The audience

The channel or medium

The message

The cultural context

The sender's strategy is determined by the objectives and what the sender hopes to achieve through

the speci�c communiqué.

The audience strategy is to understand the intended message by analyzing the needs, knowledge,

expectations, and preferences communicated by the sender within the context of the communication situations.

The choice of the communication channel is determined by the leader's understanding of corporate

objectives and the requirements of sending a message that will be effective and cost ef�cient.

Developing a message strategy requires a leader to carefully organize and reorganize thoughts and

ideas that will be included in the message prior to communicating. Leaders who are true strategic

communicators will carefully design a message, test it, and get input from others before sending.

The cultural context must be carefully considered while developing a communication strategy.

Important aspects of cultural strategy include cultural differences in the audience such as geographic

location, gender, age, and ethnicity, as well as the culture of the originating and receiving

organizations, including their overall personalities. Leaders must ensure that their communication

objectives enhance and support the corporate mission and strategy.

The communication elements are basically the same whether an organization is, for example, a large not-for-pro�t hospital, a museum, a university, a small advocacy group, service provider, or foundation.

A communications strategy af�rms and is driven by the organization's goals and outcomes, its vision, as

expressed in a mission statement, and its values and beliefs.

A written communications strategy should be easy to read and should have a format adaptable for

overhead or computer presentations to larger audiences. Most organizations have been through a

strategic planning process at some point; this effort is no different. Remember, the elements of a

communications strategy are basically the same whether the organization has thousands, hundreds, dozens, or a handful of employees.

The organization's communications goals may include:

Developing and implementing communications plans for enhanced visibility and crisis

management

Generating positive media coverage by cultivating relationships with reporters

Increasing the awareness and involvement of speci�c, targeted groups of individuals

Changing attitudes or teaching new skills to clients and staff

Generating support from the public, policy makers, and clients for community reforms across

your state

Encouraging �nancial contributions

The activities in the communications strategy should support the organization's overall

communications goals. It is important to set measurable goals in order to know when they have been

achieved and to be able to gauge the progress along the way.