A Plan Among Plans: Planning Your Communications

1. A Plan Among Plans: Planning Your Communications The College of Human Ecology’s Integrated External Relations Planning Process Communicator’s Forum Presentation April 17, 2003

2. The Decision to Plan • Changing external environment • Pivotal moment in College history • Convergence of resources (money, talent, vision, leadership, timing) • Identity, positioning, and communication issues (name change, etc.) • New Leader

3. The Guiding Principles • Integrated • Focused on relationship-building • Outcomes-based, strategies to grow out of planning • Supported and championed by leadership

4. Support for Planning • Leadership from “the top” • Consistent buy-in across College • Input from Advisory Council • Creation of a Communications Council • Part of job description

5. Elements of Planning • Identification of constituents • Analysis of relationship via SWOT • Brand Promises • Relationship equilibrium • Identify desired behavior • Measurable Objectives • Leading and lagging indicators • Desired behaviors • Culture

6. Advisory Board Alumni (CHE Alumni Board, SSW Alumni Board) Business Leaders Community Leaders Donors Employers/Internship Providers Extension Service Friends/Volunteers Foundations High School Guidance Counselors Legislature and Local Government Media MN Council of Non-Profits MN Residents Parents Professional Organizations Students (Current Undergraduate) Students (Current Graduate) Students (Prospective Undergraduate) Students (Prospective Graduate) Other programs like CHE University Relations CHE Integrated External Relations Plan U of MN Admin Brand Promise DHA AdminFSoS Admin FScN Admin SSW Admin Faculty Student and Career Services Development Alumni Relations Continuing Professional Studies External Relations Dean and Associate Deans Outreach and Extension External Relations Service College of Human Ecology DHAFSoS FScN SSW Culture

7. College of Human Ecology Strategies for Excellence Strategic planning Mission Goals Students, alumni, donors, etc target audience Efficiency Competence in performance Effectiveness Relationship between results and objectives Inputs Outputs Service Brand Promise Brand promise actualized Accountability brand promise created operational excellence = product excellence Culture Delivery point of product College Faculty Development Alumni relations, etc access to customer via employees SLB February 17, 2003

8. Where we’re headed… • Know and understand constituents • Measurable objectives attached to goals and strategies • Responsive and relevant to external environment

9. Where we’re headed… • Integrated and collaborative internal structure • Short-term and long-term strategies • We’re all headed in the same direction with the goals and initiatives as a framework

10. Current Examples • Designed With You in Mind • Relationship-building with professionals • CHE Today, Knowledge Meets Real Life • Relationship-building with policymakers • Media Relations in cooperation with academic & administrative units • Cycles and “Artificial Cycles”

11. Lessons Learned • Strategic communications planning needs to be in someone’s job description • Short-term and long-term planning and strategies are important • Planning efforts need to be collaborative and supported at top, bottom, and middle of hierarchy

12. Lessons Learned • Change isn’t easy • Building strategic alliances is important • Strategic communications planning must be seen as an investment and essential