UNIT 2-STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

Strategic communication as “the purposeful use of communication by an

organization to fulfill its mission.” Identifies key concepts, including audience
analysis, goal setting, and message strategy. The term strategic has been most
often used in the context of management and decision-making power. Strategic
communication can mean either communicating a concept, a process,
or data that satisfies a long term strategic goal of an organization by allowing
facilitation of advanced planning, or communicating over long distances usually
using international telecommunications or dedicated global network assets to
coordinate actions and activities of operationally significant commercial, non-
commercial and military business or combat and logistic subunits. It can also
mean the related function within an organization, which handles internal and
external communication processes. Strategic communication can also be used
for political warfare.
The importance of strategic communication
. A more detailed explanation of each principle follows. The principles are not
listed in any order of precedence. Leadership-Driven Leaders must lead
communication process Credible Perception of truthfulness and respect
Dialogue Multi-faceted exchange of ideas Unity of Effort Integrated and
coordinated Responsive Right audience, message, time, and place
Understanding Deep comprehension of others Pervasive Every action sends a
message Results-Based Tied to desired endstate Continuous Analysis, Planning,
Execution,
Principles of Strategic Communication
Leadership-Driven.
Leaders must decisively engage and drive the Strategic Communication process.
To ensure integration of communication efforts, leaders should place
communication at the core of everything they do. Successful Strategic
Communication - integrating actions, words, and images - begins with clear
leadership intent and guidance. Desired objectives and outcomes are then
closely tied to major lines of operation outlined in the organization, command
or joint campaign plan. The results are actions and words linked to the plan.
Leaders also need to properly resource strategic communication at a priority
comparable to other important areas such as logistics and intelligence. Credible.
Perception of truthfulness and respect between all parties.
Credibility and consistency
are the foundation of effective communication; they build and rely on
perceptions of accuracy, truthfulness, and respect. Actions, images, and words
must be integrated and coordinated internally and externally with no perceived
inconsistencies between words and deeds or between policy and deeds.
Strategic Communication also requires a professional force of properly trained,
educated, and attentive communicators. Credibility also often entails
communicating through others who may be viewed as more credible.
Understanding. Deep comprehension of attitudes, cultures, identities, behavior,
history, perspectives and social systems. What we say, do, or show, may not be
what others hear or see. An individual's experience, culture, and knowledge
provide the context shaping their perceptions and therefore their judgment of
actions. We must understand that concepts of moral values are not absolute, but
are relative to the individual's societal and cultural narrative. Audiences
determine meaning by interpretation of our communication with them; thus
what we say, do, or show, may not be what they hear or see. Acting without
understanding our audiences can lead to critical misunderstandings with serious
consequences. Understanding subjective impacts of culture, language, history,
religion, environment~ and other factors is critical when crafting
communication strategy for a relevant population. Building relationships and
collaboration with the interagency, coalition, host nation, academic, non-profit,
and business communities can facilitate better understanding of audiences.
Dialogue. Multi-faceted exchange of ideas to promote understanding and build
relationships. Effective communication requires a multi-faceted dialogue among
parties. It involves active listening, engagement, and the pursuit of mutual
understanding, which leads to trust. Success depends upon building and
leveraging relationships. Leaders should take advantage of these relationships to
place U.S. policies and actions in context prior to operations or events.
Successful development and implementation of communication strategy will
seldom happen overnight; relationships take time to develop and require
listening, respect for culture, and trustbuilding.
Pervasive
Every action, image, and word sends a message. Communication no longer has
boundaries, in time or space. All players are communicators, wittingly or not.
Everything the Joint Force says, does, or fails to do and say, has intended and
unintended consequences. Every action, word, and image sends a message, and
every team member is a messenger, from the 18-year-old rifleman to the
commander. All communication can have strategic impact, and unintended
audiences are unavoidable in the global information environment; therefore,
leaders must think about possible "Nth, order communication results of their
actions
Unity of Effort.
Integrated and coordinated, vertically and horizontally. Strategic
Comrimnication is a consistent, collaborative process that must be integrated
vertically from strategic through tactical levels, and horizontally across
stakeholders. Leaders coordinate and synchronize capabilities and instruments
of power within their area of responsibility, areas of influence, and areas of
interest to achieve desired outcomes. Recognizing that your
agency/organization will not act alone, ideally, all those who may have an
impact should be part of communication integration.
Results-Based.
Actions to achieve specific outcomes in pursuit of a well-articulated endstate.
Strategic communication should be focused on achieving specific desired
results in pursuit of a clearly defined endstate. Communication processes,
themes, targets and engagement modes are derived from policy, strategic vision,
campaign planning and operational design. Strategic communication is not
simply "another tool in the leader's toolbox," but must guide all an organization
does and says; encompassing and harmonized with other functions for desired
results.
Responsive.
Right audience, right message, right time, and right place. Strategic
Communication should focus on long-term end states or desired outcomes.
Rapid and timely response to evolving conditions and crises is important as
these may have strategic effects. Communication strategy must reach intended
audiences through a customized message that is relevant to those audiences.
Strategic Communication involves the broader discussion of aligning actions,
images, and words to support policy, overarching strategic objectives and the
longer term big picture. Acting within adversaries' decision cycles is also key
because tempo and adaptability count. Frequently there will be a limited
window of opportunity for specific messages to achieve a desired result. An
organization must remain flexible enough to address specific issues with
specific audiences, often at specific moments in time, by communicating to
achieve the greatest effect. All communication carries inherent risk and requires
a level of risk acceptance within the organization. Leaders must develop and
instill a culture that rewards initiative while not overreacting to setbacks and
miscues. While risk must be addressed in the form of assumptions in planning,
it should not restrain leaders' freedom of action providing it has been taken into
consideration appropriately.
Continuous. Diligent
ongoing research, analysis, planning, execution, and assessment that feeds
planning and action. Strategic Communication is a continuous process of
research and analysis, planning, execution, and assessment. Success in this
process requires diligent and continual analysis and assessment feeding back
into planning and action. Strategic Communication supports the organization's
objectives by adapting as needed and as plans change. The SC process should
ideally operate at a faster tempo or rhythm than our adversaries.

Workplace communication effectiveness can increase productivity

Five tips that workplace communication effectiveness can increase the overall
productivity of your company.

1. Less misunderstanding
When the information is not transferred correctly to the right people, there
might be some miscommunication and misunderstanding which can be a reason
for the downfall of companies. When there is a lack of effective
communication in the workplace, confusion is always present. Some employees
think managers said one thing, others think that they said something completely
different. In this case, how can everyone work for the same goal and increase
productivity? It’s important to have a good communication system so that
everyone understands what the goals are and can work towards them together.
For example, if you create a new Facebook promotion strategy for your
company, you should clearly communicate new tasks and goals with your
employees. If they don’t have a clear understanding of what they should exactly
do, such as posting, liking, sharing and so on, then your strategy will probably
end up in a mess.
Real-life example:
Erica Jeung, client services manager at Petroleum Field Services on confusion
and communication:
“! Not using project management software before resulted in the confusion of
our employees and was to blame for our projects being late, not to mention the
countless communication errors between employees. I have seen a tremendous
difference in our efficiency as a team since we started using Easy Projects.”

2. Empowerment and Transparency

Another way that communication can improve productivity is with the help of
empowerment. If your employees have more information, they will feel more
empowered to complete their tasks with confidence and direction. Those
employees who have more information about specific tasks and know how to
complete them are more motivated to get it done effectively. In addition,
according to the case study of HEC. prof. Charles-Henri. Besseyre des Horts, it
is proven that those companies that are transparent and employees have more
empowerment, are usually more productive.

3. Healthy culture
Healthy and productive cultures within organizations are based on effective
communication. If employees and managers in the company have good working
relationships with each other, the culture of the company improves and becomes
a healthy one. For example, how do you imagine a perfect working atmosphere?
Of course, in such companies, there exists respect, empowerment, thankfulness
and so on. These are the main things that create the culture within a company. If
the communication is bad, for example, if managers are not able to speak with
their workers in a respectful way, if workers are afraid of asking questions and
so on, then the culture of such companies is a weak one. This is proof of the fact
that communication forms the culture of the company. As a result, in those
companies where there is a healthy culture, people feel respected and
understood, which in turn increases morale and enhanced productivity.

4.Increased accountability
When good communication skills are present in a company, workers tend to
keep one another accountable. Just because effective communication in the
workplace provides clear instructions, workers know exactly what is expected
from each of them. This helps improve accountability, which in turn increases
productivity. If there is no accountability in the workplace, there will be no
incentive to get improved.
Real-life example:
Matt Mclntyre, owner of Marketing Mediators LLC, a local marketing strategy
agency in Indianapolis, the US on accountability and productivity:
“My company conducts on-demand, industry-leading marketing for small
business, As you can imagine that means a lot of projects at once that need to be
kept track of. EPN allows us to do that while keeping all staff accountable for
their time. They say creative people aren’t always the most timely and project
management software fixes that instantly!”

5.Clear direction
With the help of good communication among managers and employees, it
becomes clear where the company is, where it needs to be in the future and
which steps need to be taken to get there. All this information provides clear
directions for all employees, which increases productivity and decreases
uncertainty. Giving exact direction to employees makes their works less
stressful, faster, more efficient and enjoyable.

Employee Recognition
What does recognition look like?
At its core, employee recognition is the open acknowledgment and expressed
appreciation for employees’ contributions to their organization.

It could be a high-five for a job well done, a special shout-out during an all-
hands meeting, or even a bonus for meeting a monthly goal Recognition can
take many forms, but whatever your approach, it's one of the most valuable
areas a team can focus on. Implementing the right kind of recognition program
is a critical factor in giving your business the competitive edge. With that in
mind, organizations are increasingly adopting and rethinking recognition
programs. They’re powerful, and they can improve employee engagement,
reduce turnover, increase productivity, boost morale, and build purpose when
used correctly.

Human resources payroll

Payroll is the process by which employers pay an employee for the work they
have completed. ... An effective and efficient payroll process ensures that
employees are paid accurately and consistently and gives HR the chance to
focus on other aspects of their job.

Payroll

Payroll is the process by which employers pay an employee for the work they
have completed. Any business with employees should have a payroll
management process established. An effective and efficient payroll process
ensures that employees are paid accurately and consistently and gives HR the
chance to focus on other aspects of their job.

Payroll seems simple at its core but becomes complicated because of the various
deductions that come into play. Employers must thoroughly understand how to
do payroll, how to withhold taxes from each paycheck, and how to make sure
taxes are paid to the correct government agency. Employers may also be
responsible for deducting and paying premiums for insurance and depositing
funds into retirement accounts or to selected charities.
Payroll management duties can create a huge burden and unwanted stress for
small business owners and can be overwhelming for large businesses. A missed
deadline or incorrect filing of taxes can result in fines or jail time. To avoid
these issues, every small, mid-sized, and large business should use payroll
software.

Press Conference
A press conference is an event organized to officially distribute information and
answer questions from the media. Press conferences are also announced in
response to specific public relations issues.

Corporate press conferences are generally led by the company's executive

management, press liaison, or communications officer. Given limited resources,
particularly during a time of quarterly or annual earnings, it may be difficult to
attract major media attention unless a company has a truly unique or
newsworthy announcement to share.

Press conferences are held by corporations and other businesses, politicians, and
other government officials.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Press conferences are events where information is distributed and where

the media can ask questions.
• These events are held to respond to positive and negative news, for
product launches, or to inform the media and public about any other
information about a company.
• Most press conferences are announced through a press release, which is a
well-crafted written statement outlining the nature of the conference.
• Press conferences are usually conducted by a company's executive
management, press liaison, or communications officer.
• Lesser-known companies can hold press conferences to increase brand
awareness while established companies can share news in the most
positive light and increase their stature.

Media packet

A media packet, or press kit, provides company information to potential

investors and clients. It can sway those in positions of influence to help move
your business forward. Whether you're looking for money, media coverage or
new customers, this package of material will promote the value of your
enterprise. A press kit provides necessary background information to decision-
 makers while keeping your core message at the forefront. When putting
together a media kit, keep in mind what you should include and what is best
left unsaid.

A press release
It s an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the
purpose of providing information, an official statement, or making an
announcement. A press release is traditionally composed of nine structural
elements, including a headline, introduction, body, and other information. Press
releases can be delivered to members of the media physically on paper and
electronically.
Using press release material can benefit media corporations because they help
decrease costs and improve the amount of material a media firm can output in a
certain amount of time. Due to the material being pre-packaged, press releases
save journalists time, not only in writing a story, but also the time and money it
would have taken to capture the news firsthand

News monitoring
Media monitoring is the activity of monitoring the output of the print, online
and broadcast media It can be conducted for a variety of reasons, including
political, commercial, scientific, and so on.
The sources monitors include:
1. Online news sources.
2. Social media platforms.
3. Review sites.
4. Blogs.
5. Video platforms.
6. Podcasts.
7. Discussion forums.
8. Newsletters.