Strategic planning can be a tremendous communication and marketing campaign, don't miss the opportunity. Build your communication plan before strategic planning begins, don't wait until the end to do PR. You will benefit tremendously with a good communication plan which:

• Will act as a binding agreement. When you tell people you're going to do something, having a communication plan or commitment in writing will force you to carry through with your efforts and you will have given others the opportunity to provide you with input.
• Assures that you will take advantage of all opportunities, including on-going implementation.
• Helps keep communication focused.
• Helps prevent unwanted surprises.

When developing your communication plan, keep the following tips in mind:

• Set up a tracking system (i.e., journal, scrapbook, video spots, photographs)
• Have a creative person develop a look for all your strategic-planning documents and printed material.
• Incorporate two-way communication utilizing your local area network (LAN).
• Consider all of your audiences as "customers."
• Build in community involvement.
• Use the plan to your advantage.
• Segment the community into separate, manageable parts.
• Organize a steering committee where membership allows and encourages discussion. Make sure the members understand their responsibility.
• Possible communication vehicles include: PTA/Home-school meeting programs; community town meetings; media releases.
• Begin early. Announce the district's participation in strategic planning.
• Announce public meetings, dates and locations.
• Request volunteers for action teams.
• Acknowledge significant milestones through the process (i.e., vision, beliefs, environmental scan surprises).
• After the draft plan is completed, allow for a 30-day public viewing. (Mark all draft documents with DRAFT during a review.)
• Incorporate on-going implementation activities.
• Include detailed information on beliefs, missions, etc in a district newsletter.
• Allow the completed plan/final document to be used as a marketing tool for group presentations, discussion starters, town meetings, etc.

Tips for Communicating Change

• Ask people for their opinion before you implement change.
• Be so thoroughly familiar with what you are communicating that you can summarize it in a short sentence.
• Explain the change in language people understand.
• Explain the change in terms of how it will affect them rather than what's in it for the school district.
• Anticipate how people will react, the questions they'll raise and the issues that may result.
• Design your communication to answer those concerns immediately.
• Keep your personal key communicators up-to-date regularly.
• Expect the change to generate a corps of resisters and appreciate them.
• In addition to encouraging them to participate in the implementation of the change, listen to what they have to say:
• Solicit ideas that will strengthen what you want to do.
• Identify the people in your community who you can come to for advice regarding new ideas.
• Be direct in stating the change and explaining the rationale for the change in relation to the overall goals you wish to achieve.
• Keep communicating about the change after it has been made. Recognize and celebrate its successful implementation.

The Importance of Internal Communication

Make sure your people know what is going on. It's demoralizing to hear about what's happening where you work from someone outside the system.

Don't forget your support staff, research indicates that they are the most important communicators/public relations specialists you have in your district.

Keeping staff informed can be done through:

• Staff Newsletter
• Volunteers
• Strategic planning columns, ongoing updates regarding status
• Recognition for those involved in the process
• Focus groups: building/staff/department meetings
• Soliciting their input on mission, belief statements, vision
• Build two-way feedback into already scheduled meeting
• Strategic planning speakers bureau
• Sharing the vision, mission, and strategic goals
• Soliciting community members to participate on action items

Outreach Strategies for Involving the Community

As indicated above, involving the community can be a key ingredient in your vision. When involving the community:

• Include results and activities from each in-district meeting in a newsletter.
• Distribute broadly within the community and school system and post at media centers. Ask for comments and suggestions.
• Have planning team members review and discuss actions with colleagues, neighbors, PTA members, etc. Ask for comments and suggestions.
• Collect comments and suggestions and produce on overheads for discussion and action as the first item on the next in-district meeting agenda.
• Present a draft of the strategic plan at a public forum with community and all school district employees invited to discuss and offer comments.
• Encourage discussion and comments throughout the entire process. The more people who own the plan, the better.
• Prepare a communication plan.

 (These materials are excerpted from the Washington State School Directors' Association's "Passport to Leadership" program materials.)

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In the Toolkit: