Often situations arise when an organisation is required to manage communication systematically and effectively on specific issues to maintain or improve on the good reputation of the respective organisation failure to which an organisation risks being misunderstood and putting its image in disrepute.
Being misunderstood and putting an organisation’s image into disrepute can lead that organisation into a crisis or a series of crises.
The purpose of this article is to remind our esteemed readers in various organisations, chief executive officers (CEOs) and Public Relations practitioners of the fact that every form of official communication needs to have specific objectives, should be well planned and systematically, effectively and timely communicated to the right stakeholders to avoid the risk of being misunderstood and contradicting yourselves; and in the process, risking tarnishing the good image of an organisation.
Failure to manage communication can create confusions not only in the organisation but also in the eyes of the stakeholders.
An organisation that creates confusion or contradicts itself in communicating to stakeholders can lose some or all grains of confidence some or all stakeholders had in that organisation. It is from such a background that having a well established PR unit or department with well trained and experienced PR practitioners becomes critical; especially in sensitive and volatile situations.
For organisations without a specific Public Relations (PR) unit or department, a situation of managing issues can sometimes be cumbersome and regrettable.
Little do most organisations realise that failing to establish a functional PR department or marginalizing the presence of a well trained and experienced PR practitioner(s) in an organisation, can put the organisation’s reputation into ridicule in the eyes of stakeholders.
This is because well trained and experienced PR practitioners play a critical role in ensuring that communication is well managed and co-ordinated at all times for the good image of a respective organisation.
Always remember that a good image is not an event; but a product of a strategic and well managed process towards such a reputation.
Therefore, before competition gets too stiff for your organisation; and before issues and crises increase, organisations which don’t have specific PR persons or department to systematically, effectively and timely manage PR communication should be strategic and pro-active enough. This can be done by establishing and developing a PR department now; and staff it with well trained, experienced and skilled PR practitioners.
Such recommendations come from the fact that PR is said to be a management of communication. It is also said to be communication function of management.
Two things come out clearly from such two definitions of PR. Firstly; it tells us that communication should be managed. Secondly, it states that communication is a management function. This implies that top management of an organisation are actually responsible for managing PR communication.
It is from such a background that I have on many foras emphasised that PR positions aren’t supposed to be below top management levels because PR is part of top management function.
Therefore, following functions of management, this means that top management should forecast and analyse the situation, set PR communication objectives in a given situation, plan how best to communicate to relevant PR publics, formulate a realistic budget to prudently, diligently and timely implement the PR plan to achieve the desired PR objectives.
I can hear someone in the background saying: ‘This sounds very theoretical.’ No! This is not theoretical.
It is actually very practical. After all, it is a good theory that shades light into good practice.
For all such management stages to be timely, effectively and efficiently done, it requires a group of organisational officials who articulate issues that affect an organisation.
Considering that various and regular situations arise when and where an organisation is supposed to give a systematic well co-ordinated and effective communication, top management of an organisation should establish a communication management committee (CMC).
A PR practitioner or spokesperson and a respective CEO are obvious members of such a committee.
The main function of such a CMC is serving as an information and communication centre (ICC). The duties of such an ICC is to collect or receive strategic facts and figures from all departments on specific issues at hand; and processing, analysis and interpreting such facts and figures for timely and systematic communication to relevant stakeholders.
It is important for such an ICC to formulate communication objective(s) any time it wants to communicate. And there should be one spokesperson in that committee who will be empowered with relevant messages with relevant facts and figures to communicate to the public.
It is highly advisable for such messages to be in writing at all times. Spokespersons of ICCs should read such messages when speaking to the public or during news brief or news conferences. Avoid the risk of saying what was not agreed in the committee disseminating such messages.
Such an approach is critical in issue or crisis management situations.
A very good case study where organisations are supposed to be systematic, consistent, persistent and effective in their communication is in political parties as they prepare and campaign for the run-up to the presidential by-elections after the untimely death of our beloved President, late Michal Chilufya Sata.
Using an example of a political party, a national executive committee or national management committees or whatever they call such a committee in each political party, should meet regularly to strategise what to communicate to the voters for them to win the confidence of such electorate.
Again, each communication function should have specific objective(s) with relevant stakeholders or general public.
To avoid contradicting each other in a political party, top management officials of each party or the national committee should regularly meet; and agree on main messages using relevant facts and figures from right sources.
For instance, depending on an issue at hand, when such a national committee sits, they should have their respective party manifestos and part constitutions and a republican constitution to refer to on a specific issue they want to remind themselves of; and communicate specific messages to the electorate.
The chair of such a committee should guide other members that the authority of the message they are going to communicate on comes from, say, the party manifesto on page so, article number so; and clause so.
Or one can say: ‘Our message is derived from our party constitution on page so, article number so, and clause so.’
Using CMCs with relevant party documents and other sources facilitates consistence, coherence and unit of purpose; and speaking with one voice with specific facts and figures from the same legal documents on an issue at hand.
Therefore, such an approach avoids waffling; and in the process contradicting yourselves on a specific issue as an organisation.
In short, systematic, consistent, persistent and effective communication prevents chances of contradicting each other on the same issue in an organisation; thereby demonstrating that such officials in an organisation know what they are doing; and are well co-ordinated with unit of purpose.
Such a systematic and effective approach to managing communication promotes the good image of an organisation; as opposed to haphazard and contradictory communication that can put an organisation to the risk of eroding the reputation of an organisation.
Therefore, for those who don’t have well established PR units or departments, establish such now. Always manage your PR communication effectively to achieve your PR objectives with respective stakeholders at the right time.
Such an approach to PR communication will attract many stakeholders to support your organisation. Such overwhelming support from stakeholders will propel your organisation to greater heights in terms of sustainable smooth operations, quality of products or services and profits within a relatively short time.
The author is a PR Trainer and Consultant. For comments and ideas, contact: Cell: 0967/0977 450151. E-mail:sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk.
