Whether you’re a communicator supporting a global enterprise, a mid-sized company or a small business, imagine crafting communication strategies that propel your organization toward a shared goal and simultaneously ignite a creative fire within your colleagues. Picture this: you’re guiding a team of business leaders and talented professionals toward a common goal. How do you ensure everyone is on the same page? The secret lies in beginning with the end in mind by determining the desired outcomes.
The Power of Beginning with the End in Mind
When it comes to supporting business leaders with effective communications strategies, I recommend focusing on the desired outcomes right from the start. This approach not only streamlines your efforts but also aligns your team’s vision, ensuring you’re all marching in the same direction.
To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.
– Stephen R. Covey, American educator, author, businessman and speaker
Sounds easy, right? However, like many things, simple isn’t always easy. By asking four key questions and facilitating effective consultation, you’re able to help the team articulate their desired outcomes.
Audience First. Always!
Everyone is busy, and the world in noisy. Fact! Accepting that and working to meet your audience where they are, wherever that may be, physically, emotionally, perhaps even spiritually, is the first step in the process.
By helping the team literally visualize who they want to reach, you establish common ground. Ideally, it’s a real person that they’ve met who represents the audience for the project. Is the audience a level of leadership in an office environment with easy access to technology or frontline worker with limited or infrequent access to technology?
Four Key Questions
Once you know who the audience is, it’s time to brainstorm to get what’s in each person’s head captured. To get everyone aligned, ask these four questions:
- What do we want the audience to think? Define the perception you want to create.
- What do we want the audience to know? Specify the key information they should possess.
- What do we want the audience to feel? Determine the emotional response you aim to evoke.
- What do we want the audience to do? Set clear, actionable goals.
Don’t take the time to debate, revise of refine a person’s view. That will come later. For now, it’s enough to ensure everyone focuses on the audience. If there’s more than one audience, you’ll need to run through this exercise additional times.
Pro Tip: Write each response in the form of a bullet and begin each thought with an active verb.
Once you have a long list of answers under each question, it’s time to return to the list and prioritize it. Encourage the team to focus on the big idea and not begin to wordsmith the thought. Again, that will come later. Ideally, the team lands on three big ideas under each question.
Now that you have three statements under each question, each beginning with an active verb, encourage the team to exchange their thoughts and ideas about how to refine the statement. At this stage. be prepared for strong opinions to emerge over a word or phrase. Draw them out and embrace them. It’s often the case that the clash of ideas produces the best results.
That Was Too Easy
If the team quickly accepts the first draft, consider it a warning sign. While it’s tempting to pat yourself on the back and call it a day, the lack of discussion and debate is usually a sign the team isn’t invested in the project. Additionally, issues are likely to arise later during the project. To prompt conversation, I’ve found asking two questions helpful to guide the team toward a shared destination.
- Are you completely comfortable with what we’ve written?
Notice any facial expressions and body language. If you notice something, acknowledge it with something like, “Joe, you don’t appear completely comfortable with what we have. Please tell me more.” - If you had to make all future decisions based on these desired outcomes, would you change or refine anything?
Reminding the team that these desired outcomes not only affect communications, but the project overall will often prompt a… “Wait, what?” Silence is broken, and the result is greater clarity.
Worse than quick agreement is silence; that usually means that people are holding back. To address this, reframe the silence with, “Okay. Since everyone is silent that means that everybody agrees.” Reframing silence sends the message that not speaking up waives their right to challenge an idea or decision in the future. They can’t easily come back later and complain because they (silently) agreed.
The Importance of Inclusion and Consultation
Inclusivity is the cornerstone of consensus. That’s why it’s important to value every voice. Involve your team and leaders in the process. Encourage them to share their thoughts and perspectives. When you ask someone a question, you’re demonstrating that you value their opinion and want to hear what they have to say. Asking questions builds trust and rapport, as the other person feels heard and respected.
Diversity isn’t just about race, gender or sexual orientation. It’s also about diversity of thought. Additionally, diverse viewpoints often lead to innovative solutions.
Dig Deeper: Asking Questions Fosters Understanding and Unity.
Embracing the Clash of Ideas
Don’t fear conflict and disagreements. Healthy debates are essential for refining ideas and reaching better conclusions. When ideas clash, it’s an opportunity for growth. Embrace it.
Starting with the end in mind empowers your team to work cohesively. By answering the four crucial questions, you’ll create a roadmap that not only supports your business leaders but also resonates with your audience.
Inclusion and consultation are your secret weapons. A variety of voices and perspectives bring depth to your strategy and ensure that no stone is left unturned. And when disagreements arise, don’t shy away; harness that energy to refine your plan further.
Capture the Consensus… The Desired Outcomes
You’ve done some extraordinary work to reach consensus. Now, it’s time to capture it in one place. To make things easy for you, I offer a simple PowerPoint template that you can customize and make your own.
Download the Desired Outcomes PowerPoint template.
Once you’re captured the team’s desired outcomes, be sure to circulate it so that everyone has the same frame of reference.
Beyond the Communication Plan
While the desired outcomes inform communications, the real value is realized when they also guide future decisions. When someone comes up with a “brilliant” idea mid-way through the project, some are eager to adopt it because it’s shiny and new. The idea may truly be brilliant; however, if it doesn’t contribute to one of the desired outcomes, the team shouldn’t pursue it without revisiting the desired outcomes. If the team agrees to change and is willing to adjust, then flex. That’s agility. Otherwise, it’s “Squirrel!”
When the team is intentional and stays aligned, the communication plan, along with its timelines, can be adjusted.
Call to Action
Now, armed with these insights, embark on your next communications project with confidence. Remember, your strategy is to facilitate a consultation that builds the bridge between your leaders and their “goals,” more specifically, their “desired outcomes.”
With the desired outcomes in hand, it’s time for you to craft an effective communications strategy and plan.