Overall Goals of the Strategic Communication Process

Properly implemented, a strategic communication process results in three outcomes:

• Alignment

  All employees of the organization are doing the highest and best work to move the organization toward its business goals.

• Agility

  The organization is able to change directions quickly to adapt to market changes.

• Pride

  The employees of the organization feel personally responsible for the current and future success of the company.

Casualties

Successful organizational change does not happen without casualties. Not all employees will be willing or able to make the required personal changes to adapt to the new methods and environment. Early identification of those that can't or won't make the changes is essential to a rapid and successful change initiative. The faster the change required, the greater the number of casualties.

Institutional Barriers

A strong vision and powerful communication strategy alone will not ensure the success of a change initiative. The biggest barriers to change will be internal systems and processes that perpetuate old methods. For example, communicating the importance of doing X and training people to do X will not cause them to do X if the compensation system tells them to do Y. Prior to beginning the change initiative, the inspired leader must locate those systems and processes that will undermine the new methods; he or she must change those processes concurrent with the delivery of the communication process.