We’re almost three weeks into January, which means many of us have already abandoned our New Year’s resolutions. So why am I suggesting that now is the time to organize your communication efforts and make sure you are prepared to implement an effective strategy for 2017?
Your staff has now had enough time to recover from the chaos of holiday parties, vacations, family interactions, etc. and there’s a couple of months still for most of us before the weather starts taking a dramatic turn for the better and everyone wants to ditch the office for a few hours in the sunshine. Take advantage of the winter doldrums to get organized and set yourself up for success:
Revisit your communication plan (If you don’t have one, start by creating a draft)
Depending on the type of organization you work for, you will be in a different time within your fiscal year. But regardless of where you might be in that process, it’s a good idea to review your communication plan, address any changing priorities or opportunities, and compare that to your budget.
The communication plan is a living document that should be tweaked regularly to reflect both the actual and desired reality of communication processes and goals. Remember that time is money. Just because you may not need funds for printing costs or are using only in-house staff to create something doesn’t mean it’s free – both spending and staff time should be directed toward identified communication priorities, as laid out in the communication plan.
Conduct a communication materials inventory
Ask members of your organization to send a copy of any communication materials (both print and electronic) they have used in the past few months to a designated individual. Then, review everything you receive and ask the following questions:
Are people using the most recent materials? Does all the branding and design match your corporate guidelines? Does standard text need to be updated? Is your messaging clear and does it include calls to action? Can you define the audience for each item and is the messaging addressing that audience? Should some pieces be retired? Do new items need to be created? Do staff members from throughout the organization know that these materials exist and how to find them? Do they know who to contact for communication assistance?
Organize your files
This one goes along perfectly with the communication inventory – you’ve collected and reviewed your materials and made decisions about what items need to be retired, replaced, or created. Now, it’s time to clear out your files. Ideally, you have a central location where you are saving the most recent versions of your materials and that will need to be edited to reflect the results of your inventory. But it’s also important (and one of the easiest tasks to procrastinate on) to organize your personal files.
Are files labeled in a way that makes sense and follow a naming convention? Have you cleared out outdated versions and clearly labeled final copies? Are they organized, either by topic, date, or other system that makes sense? Can you find specific items without expanding much effort? If you have a new hire or if one of your communication staff members was out of the office unexpectedly, would someone else be able to access files and identify what they needed?
Takeaway: Organization is an unsung hero. It takes time, commitment, and the results aren’t always visible, but it can make your communication efforts throughout the year easier and more streamlined. You don’t need a New Year’s resolution to make it happen.