The ability to effectively communicate is one of the most in demand and sought after skills in today’s workforce. As a business professional, you will be expected to not only communicate in a clear and concise way, but to do so strategically. These communication skills are necessary to manage personnel effectively and to drive your organization toward its strategic goals and outcomes. Effective communication starts with planning. By developing a strategic communications plan you will be more intentional in your messages and the actions you ask of your audience. This plan is the foundation for Assignments 2 and 3. INSTRUCTIONS Create a written strategic communications plan for the professional communication challenge or opportunity of your choice. Your plan should include the following components and may be written in a professional report format. See the formatting requirements for additional information. 1. Description a) What is your challenge or opportunity? b) Why is this professionally important to you? 2. Goal a) What goal or outcome do you want to achieve with this communication? i. Is it clear, concise, and actionable? 3. Audience a) Who is your target audience? i. What are the professional positions of the audience members? ii. What demographic characteristics will the audience comprise? iii. What is your relationship to the audience? iv. What background knowledge and expertise does the audience have? v. What does the audience know, feel about, and expect concerning this communication? vi. What preconceptions or biases do you possess that might prevent you from building rapport with your audience? b) What information is available about your audience? i. What research/sources will you use to obtain information about the audience? ii. What conclusions have you been able to draw about the audience? c) What tone will you use to convey your message? i. Is the setting casual or formal? ii. Is the communication personal or impersonal? 4. Key Message a) What is the primary message you must convey to your audience? i. Is the message compelling and memorable? ii. Is the message clear and concise? iii. Is the message aligned with your audience’s goals and needs? 5. Supporting Points a) What three to four points, reasons, or justifications support your message? i. What research/sources will you use to obtain facts/data about your message? 6. Channel Selection a) What communication style will you employ (Tell/Sell or Consult/Join), and why? b) What channel(s) will you use to deliver your message, and why will they be the most effective? c) What purpose is served by each channel you have selected? 7. Action Request a) Is your call to action you are making to your audience clear, concise, and easily actionable? Note: You may create and establish all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment. The scenario is yours to explain.
Strategic Communications Plan: Pitching for preferment to run a war-torn abandoned
establishment
MAIN GOAL:
This challenge is professionally significant because it has a primary purpose that can be achieved
only through the use of strategies required for effective business communication.
AUDIENCE
Justified by our findings of the present condition of the enterprise, our challenge will be to
effectively communicate to the government of Liberia, UNMIL(the United Nations Mission in
Liberia, potential investors, the apparent benefits that will accrue due to the resumption of
duties on the plantation.
PROFESSIONAL SIGNIFICANCE
There are several audiences that the message(s) will have to appeal to, for the purpose to be
accomplished. Among them are those listed below:
•
The government of the republic of Liberia
•
The United Nations Peace Keeping Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
•
The Liberian Company (LIBCO
•
The management of Firestone, the American company experimenting business abroad
•
The local chiefs, elders and youth from the surrounding communities
•
Former employees who flee the plantation due to the war
•
Soldiers of warring factions presently occupying the plantation
JUSTIFICATION FOR APPROPRIATE CHANNELS
Research has revealed that the listing of groups of audiences supra is an indication of the
heterogenous nature of the groups and the need to have the message(s) tailored in a way that the
expected feedback from each group will be guaranteed.
To determine the appropriate channels for communicating with each group, we have to
brainstorm on the action required from the audience base on their stakes on the enterprise as
itemized below:
•
The Government of Liberia, signed the contract with the owners, representing the local
inhabitants base on the legal term “ eminent domain”; and also, to whom the ownership
reverts now that the legitimate company has abandoned the plantation.
•
The United Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), to whom the security of the country was
entrusted by the international community to oversee the peace process in the war-torn
country.
•
The Liberian Company (LIBCO) the superlative share holder who in partnership with the
government, owned and operated but was abandoned the plantation due to the war.
•
Firestone an American tire company experimenting business abroad particularly in Liberia
with about one million acres of rubber planted. They are willing to sponsor potential small
farmers with the requisite funding and materials to help meet the demand of their
processing facilities on condition that written proposals submitted are analyzed to meet
their requirements.
•
The Chiefs, Elders, Traditional leaders and vigilante groups most of whom actively
participated in the prolonged war; who now perceive the advent of the war as an
opportunity to reclaim their land formally used for hunting and subsistent farming.
Based on our research, analysis and our expected feedback from the communication with the
groups indicated above in the mist of very high competition prevalent in post war situations as
presently is, the three channels below are earmarked for delivery to the various audiences not in a
lock step order but rather on a case by case basis.
CHANNELS
Written Communication:
This channel of communication will include emails, letters, articles of incorporation, proposals,
collective bargaining agreements, sales and investment contracts etc.
(The Liberian Company) LIBCO, the legal owners who abandoned the plantation due to the
war.
The Government of Liberia represented by the respective agencies responsible for business
registration and licenses.
Firestone the American company fully grounded in Liberia to satisfy our cash and materials
budget and technical assistance for us to be able to successfully implement the project.
Importantly, the message(s) to these audiences will have to be concise, clear, convincing and
competitive; outlining salient reasons for our preferment for the project. It will require the
compilation and documentation of management contracts, sales contracts, partnership
agreements and the like, that will require a huge need for effective communication.
Radio :
UNMIL opened community radio stations in the fifteen counties in addition to the
national radio station, to help with the information necessary for the implementation of the
repatriation, disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration of former combatants.
We intend to take advantage of said media by having them air our press releases, jingles and
other news items required. Additionally, purposeful communication is required to be able to (1)
coordinate with their transportation facilities used in repatriation to have former employees back
on the plantation and (2) to improve the security by including former combatants occupying the
plantation in their general disarmament and demobilization process by taking them to centers
prepared to accommodate them.
Verbal:
The verbal channel will for the most part supplement the other channels, to be used at
follow up meetings with Government representatives’ original owners, potential investors, and
community leaders to push our agenda. To achieve our objective, we will need to horn all the
channels outlined with the various audiences for us to succeed in legally taking over, have the
plantation secured and start operations.
The message is compelling, with the expectation that the Government will demonstrate their
consent to include the operations on the plantation to form part of the demobilization and
reintegration of former combatants. Message will also compel UNMIL to help ooze combatants
from the plantation and housing units for employees and management to occupy.
STYLES:
We will tell the owners about what we know the situation to be like now that the war is
over, and also sell to them why we feel confident of our preferment to operate the plantation
sand are soliciting its placement in our care.
We will have to consult the local leadership and employ our emotional intelligence techniques to
be able to change the mindset of the activists that may be opposed to a smooth turnover of the
plantation to our care.
The join style will be appropriate to put the people to work and for them to be productive, this
means collective working documents will have to be put together to clearly state responsibilities
of workers, the management with the signatures of both parties thereto affixed, witnessed by
Government and those responsible for the security.
ACTION:
We desire a threefold action as follows:
•
The consent of the owners and the Government to turn over the plantation to us for
operations
•
The United Nations Peace Keeping Mission for Liberia (UNMIL) to help with the
security situation and the oozing of former fighters and their commanders from the
plantation for normal operations to resume
•
For the representatives of the surrounding communities and county officials to fully
corporate with the process.
•
Lastly, for the employee representatives to affix their signatures to the collective
bargaining agreement in which the responsibilities of workers and management will be
spelled out to avoid future industrial relations problems.

Purchase answer to see full
attachment