| COMMUNICATING:
THE MEDIA |
|
| If
a team's responsibility is to communicate then its members
must
be capable of using every available medium and to use each
one effectively.
|
|
| The
available media break down into physical material - documents
and other publications - and other communications, ranging from
face-to-face discussion through to electronic options. |
| HANDOUTS |
Questionnaires |
Get
feedback but, at the same time, inform |
| |
Memos |
In
some organisations, memos command respect. In others they are
tainted by bureaucracy |
| |
Information
sheets |
Quick
and cheap - An easy way to pump out facts |
| NOTICE
BOARD |
Notices |
Like
memos, can be seen as lacking fashion but useful, especially
as a formal statement to the workforce |
| |
Posters |
More
generally acceptable than notices but generally conveying maybe
only a single point per poster |
| MEETINGS |
Team
meetings |
An
opportunity to voice opinios and introduce visitors to the team
and its activities |
| |
Briefings |
Usually
an opportunity to talk the team up - Briefings can range from
a quick review of how things are to a series of presentations
by team members |
| EVENTS |
Conferences |
Conferences
- sales conferences, training events - provide a ready-made
audience. But, perhaps, an audience already suffering from information
exhaustion |
| |
Launches |
Product
launches get people together and get them into a positive frame
of mind - Project launches, too. A good medium for lightweight
information |
| |
Social
gatherings |
Get
to social events, too, for informal feedback in a relaxed atmosphere
|
| PUBLICATIONS |
News
letters |
News
letters are an excellent way of bringing together a variety
of informative topics. But they are aften seen as rather tired
these days |
| |
Newspapers |
Rather
better than a news letter, a paper has an authority garnered
from the press. It's also an opportunity to mix hard, serious
information with lighter items |
| |
Magazines |
Most
of the advantages of a newspaper but often beyond the team's
budget. Glossy magazines sell. And glossy magazines sell your
ideas! |
| TV |
Video |
Difficult
to make to a standard that will impress an audience - But if
you can crack that (without breaking the bank at the same time)
the video is an excellent way to inform and to motivate |
| |
Teleconferencing |
Useful
with small groups of people but often fails with large groups
or when participants are at mor ethan a couple of locations.
Ideal for frequent discussions when participants would otherwise
need to travel just for the meeting |
| IT |
Multimedia |
CDs,
DVDs (video, too) as well as PowerPoint are the stock in trade
of the professional presenter. Used carefully (and well) these
are powerful tools. But a lot of people switch off when that
first PowerPoint pops up |
| |
Web
sites |
Interaction
is the key to a web site's success: Using the styles of internet
sites will keep a site's visitors online and will feed them
information - The trick is to make it interesting enough for
them to absorb it.
Creating
a Team web site should
be seen as providing a key resource for any good team |
 |
|
|
| If
the skills required are in short supply |
|
 |
Don't
be afraid to get external, professional advice and services |
|
Do
get training for the team members |
|
|
|
|
| |
BRAND
ALL TEAM COMMUNICATIONS |
| |
Standards
for a team's documents should define the team's brand - If
the team has a logo then put it on every document and every
poster and every web page.
This
way, talking up the team is advertising for the team's brand.
This
type of internal marketing can be just as effective as any
external advertising campaign (without the budget, though!)
and it improves the visibility of the team, its efforts and
its results.
It
can motivate people throughout the organisation to support
the team and to participate in the team's efforts. |
