“I didn’t know!” What parents and community members say so often and what educational leaders hate to hear. As good leaders we want people to know what’s going on in our schools. When people know what our goals are and the actions we plan to take to achieve those goals, they trust you more. However short of knocking on every door in the community every day, what are you supposed to do?
You need a communication plan! A document that outlines the top level goals, messages and themes that you want to convey to your target audiences, people of influence and those who generally care about your schools. The plan should also indicate a path to share this key information with your constituents.
In today’s world of communication, you must share a simple message over and over again in different formats in order to reach all of your different audiences. Some people love the local newspaper, others are only on Facebook or Twitter, still others prefer emails or paper newsletters. You need a variety of options to reach the people in your community. A good communications plan should provide this repetition of messaging using a variety of tools so that you get the desired action you are seeking.
Communication plans are also great at keeping you on track when things get chaotic. One of the things I love about education is that there is always something new everyday that isn’t part of my original plan. While this can be exciting, it can also be difficult to stay on track when you are being pulled in a million different new directions. A good communications plan will always bring you back to your central message and keep you moving in the right direction, even during a crisis.
Finally, communication plans are great evidence that work has been completed to accomplish a goal. When evaluation time comes around, you already have a body of work ready to go that shows what goals you were working towards and how you achieved those outcomes. This can be particularly helpful for superintendents and new board members. Sharing your detailed communications plan shows that you take communicating with your residents seriously and that you are working hard to reduce the rate of “I didn’t know” in your community.