What do you do if your attempts at strategic communication fail?

When strategic communication efforts fail, it's crucial to conduct a thorough analysis to understand the reasons behind the failure and extract valuable lessons learned. Communicate transparently with stakeholders about the shortcomings and outline steps being taken to address them. Adjust the communication strategy based on insights gained, seeking expert advice if needed, and implement changes accordingly. Continuously monitor progress, iterate on strategies, and maintain resilience, viewing failures as opportunities for growth and improvement. By taking proactive steps and embracing a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation, you can overcome setbacks and strengthen your communication efforts in the long term.

Communication is key. If our communication has not reached the intended party, we need to take a step back and evaluate all aspects; - did they not resonate with it? - have we missed the point in our communication - did they misunderstand us - was it too complicated? Depending on the scale of the communication, use different tools such as surveys, focus groups to collect data that will assist you in identifying the issue.

There’s only a few areas of enquiry to see what may need to be improved on. The audience may be incorrect, or the message might be a bit off, or the channel/medium is the wrong one to meet the message context. Like a gorilla gram for a bereavement notice! :) As the saying goes though: ‘Communication is the response you get.’ It never hurts to get in front of the audience representatives and make sure they can express why the engagement missed the mark.

Reassess, adjust strategy, and try again. When attempts at strategic communication fail, it's essential to reassess the situation. This means taking a step back to thoroughly analyze what went wrong. Perhaps the message wasn't clear enough, the medium chosen wasn’t appropriate for the target audience, or the timing was off. After identifying what went wrong, the next step is to adjust the strategy. This could involve refining the message for clarity, choosing a different channel that is more frequented by the target audience, or reevaluating the timing of the communication to ensure it reaches the audience when they are most receptive. Finally, with the adjustments in place, try again. Persistence is key in strategic communication.

"Unveiling the Missed Mark ?? in Your Strategic Communication" Don't be left guessing! After a communication misstep, take a deep breath and assess the impact. Did your message land? How did it resonate? Analyzing the "why" behind the response is crucial. Surveys or focus groups can provide invaluable data to understand if the message was clear but lacked emotional connection, or perhaps, entirely missed the mark. Remember, this is about gathering intel to inform your next move, so embrace an open mind and a willingness to learn from the feedback.

Once you've done the necessary assessments, you can now commence identifying the root cause; - was there a mismatch between the message and the medium - were there any new changes to the information in the time it took you to communicate it - was the audience more interested in a different aspect to what you communicated Once you've discovered the root cause, take a step back. You now have to figure out how to address this in future communications.

1. Lack of Clear Objectives: Strategic communication may fail if initial goals and objectives are unclear or not well-defined. Without a clear roadmap, messaging can become inconsistent or misaligned with organizational objectives. 2. Poor Audience Understanding: Misinterpreting or overlooking audience preferences, behaviours, or needs can lead to ineffective communication. Failing to tailor messages to resonate with the target audience can result in disengagement and miscommunication.

To get to the bottom of things and identify the causes for strategic communication failures, the first thing I always like to do is to assess outside factors like shifts in market trends, public perceptions and regulatory changes. Next, I check if we chose the right channels for distribution and the overall timing. All important, as they can all throw a curveball to your communication.

Compare the failed messaging to messaging that worked and determine where the variance lies. Also, don't be afraid to be creative, try a new tactic, tone, or even distribution/engagement platform that you may not have tried before.

There is no one right way of communicating, however different strategies can be used to match the audience, the topic to be presented, the style of presenting and so on. We must re-define our style for each and every segment to match its unique requirement ensuring we convey; - the final message using simple clear language - the message should be relevant and useful - using creative mind capturing techniques - ensuring audience engagement

1. Reassess Messaging: If strategic communication efforts fail, revisit messaging to ensure clarity and alignment with audience needs. Adjust tone, language, and content based on feedback to enhance resonance. 2. Enhance Feedback Mechanisms: Implement robust feedback mechanisms like surveys or focus groups to gather insights and refine strategies. Analyze feedback to identify areas of improvement and adjust the communication approach accordingly.

In my experience, it takes some head-scratching and will to change to deliver, when a new strategy is needed pronto. Try and spearhead the process based on sound feedback. Then go redefine your objectives if needed. Revamp your messaging and maybe explore new channels to connect with your audience. I know it isn't always easy, but your flexibility will pay off.

In the wake of recent ship-size failures of strategic sustainability communication, it’s clear something’s got to change. Strategic communicators must now make ironclad commitments to staying attuned with trends and up-to-date with regulations in order to navigate the ever-changing challenges. My own journey tells me that always enhancing these skills - especially around sustainability and green claims - not only safeguards against misleading miscommunication but also empowers me to craft impactful and resonating messages.

Rebuilding alignment and trust with stakeholders is one of the most important things to do. To make sure their needs and viewpoints are taken into account, pay attention to their comments, respond to any worries, and involve them in the communication process. Contemplating back on the lessons and utilising them as a chance for both professional and personal development. Think on the things that went well, the things that could have been done better, and the ways in which you may use these learnings in your next communication efforts.

1. Conduct Post-Mortem Analysis: After a strategic communication failure, conduct a thorough analysis to identify what went wrong. Gather feedback, assess internal processes, and pinpoint areas for improvement. Use this reflection to refine future strategies and enhance effectiveness. 2. Embrace Continuous Learning: Encourage a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. Invest in training programs, workshops, or professional development to equip teams with advanced communication skills. Foster a growth mindset that values learning from mistakes and applying insights to drive improvement.

From my experience, I find it useful to first acknowledge the failure and identify the cause of it without throwing blame on anyone. Then revisit and re-evaluate the strategy, while being transparent with the rest of the Cimmunications team and other stakeholders. Then take corrective action. Following that, just learn from the experience and use what is learnt to move on