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Download communication plan in Microsoft Word format.
Communication Plan Template: How Valuable Is It?
Is your company or organization in need of a communication plan that will define how you will use the various communication tools available to help further the goals of the company? Have you considered using a communication plan template—one designed and shared by someone who has already taken on this task? Forming a quality communication plan on your own is really not that difficult, but why should you take on more work if you don’t have to? There are literally hundreds of online templates you can borrow from—templates that can help save you the time and hassle of coming up with your own format. In this article we will describe one such template, outlining the steps involved in the process and the best time for formulating your plan.
When Should I Develop a Communication Plan?
Generally speaking, a communication plan can be developed at any time; however, in order to make the plan comprehensive and far reaching, the optimal window for creating a communication plan is in conjunction with other mandatory annual tasks such as budgeting and organizational planning.
To locate the tools you will need to formulate your plan, the following five resources should be used:
- The company’s or organization’s annual mission statement
- A communication audit
- Surveys and focus groups involving all of your membership
- Input from board members and senior employees
- Informal discussions with staff from each department
The Communication Plan Template: What Should Be Included?
After you have met with all the staff, studied the communication audit and surveys and consulted the mission statement you are now ready to develop your plan. Below are the next steps that are usually required:
- Define Communications Objectives. Objectives will vary from one company to the next, but in essence, your objectives should define how you will use available communication tools to do things like increase teamwork, provide excellent customer service and improve company visibility.
- Define Communications Audience. The audience is the people and groups you will serve, contact or attempt to influence with your communication tools.
- Identify Tools and Procedures. In this section, the heart of the communication plan, you will describe how you will use each available communication tool to meet the objectives described in section one.
- Timeframe. For each objective you should set a realistic, yet challenging timeframe in which the objective will be met.
- Evaluation and Analysis. No communication plan is complete without a measuring tool that can evaluate how well the plan worked. This evaluation can take many different forms, including monthly progress reports, a year-end summary and formal staff meetings in which input from staff is heard and recorded.
Typically, a communication plan will take several days to a couple weeks to develop, but with the help of a communication plan template—a template with the headings and format already provided—you should be able to shave off a few days with regard to this process. It may seem like a hassle, but once created this plan can help provide peace of mind and a sense of order knowing that everyone involved in the organization will be consistently briefed on both company policy and the daily operations of the organization.