Karen Geddeis is director of public relations and communications for Glenbrook High Schools District 225 in Glenview.
Y ou’ll never meet the communication expectations of all stakeholders. I had heard this many times, but it finally resonated when it came from a well-respected educational consultant who was helping to develop our strategic plan.
As we finalized our communications goals he said, “Now, you realize that we’ll never meet these goals … but that doesn’t mean we stop trying.”
That’s hard to come to terms with, but entirely true in our constant, endless communication cycle. School district leaders must understand how communication is changing and then work strategically to try to meet those higher expectations.
It used to be that change was slow, but during the last decade society has witnessed a dramatic increase in the velocity of change. As the Internet gained popularity, districts leveraged technology and began providing information in varied forms: websites, video, audio, automated phone calls and e-mail. These media required district officials to craft the communication messages and then push information out to stakeholders.
The advent of smart-phones, social media and Web 2.0 propelled communication tactics to a new level. Society has evolved from passively waiting for information to actively seeking information. Some stakeholders now want to be a part of the information. Audiences want instant access, immediate gratification and personalized communications that are shaped to meet their unique needs.
While social networking may be used to build a list of contacts, social media focuses more on harnessing the power of blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts and sites such as Facebook and Twitter to meet an organization’s communication needs. Think of social media as another tool to share information with stakeholders and to engage with them on critical issues.
Whether or not your district engages in social media, it is difficult to ignore its relevance. Among all of the major players in this medium, demographics reveal that Facebook and Twitter seem to be the most logical choices for school districts looking to venture into social media. Facebook has 300 million users worldwide. The fastest growing Twitter audience is women ages 35-44.
Shaping the message
The future of communications relies on interaction. An organization’s stakeholders will want to shape the message to be an active part of the communication and to drive discussions. How does an organization manage that? How is it meaningful?
With so many new outlets to choose from, it’s important to note that every media has its advantages and disadvantages. Some districts use Facebook, others don’t. Some use a printed, mailed community newsletter, others don’t. What is important is knowing which medium is useful for which type of communication.
Districts can start planning new media strategies by asking their audiences — parents, students, staff and taxpayers — to identify their communication preferences. To do this, convene a focus group or an informal meeting and work with stakeholders to gain an understanding of:
• their comfort level and use of different media;
• the types of information they expect and under which circumstances; and
• their expectations regarding timeliness.
Understanding stakeholders is a crucial and often overlooked step in the planning process. Conducting even a small amount of research will greatly improve the outcome of your communications plan.
Consider the following before implementing any new communications tactics:
• Objective: The challenge is to think of the end result.
What does the district hope to accomplish with its communication?
Be specific and think in terms of actions, behavior and awareness.
• Audience: School districts have multiple audiences: parents, students, staff and taxpayers. Try to hone in on just one group to start.
Which media do they use?
What are their demographics?
What are their communication expectations?
• Strategy: Every community is different. Each stakeholder group is different. And each issue will require different strategies to reach its key audiences.
In what ways are your identified audience engaged?
What are the best messages to use in communicating with them?
• Tactics: Select the actual media that works best for accomplishing your objective with this audience. Too often, people jump right to this step without considering the previous planning steps.
Facebook?
Blog?
Webpage?
Podcast?
• Timelines, responsibility: Determine who will be responsible for writing, maintaining, responding, etc.
How often will communication occur?
For how long?
• Evaluation: The district needs to have a way to measure the effectiveness of its action. (Tip: Look back to the objective and see if the district accomplished its goal.)
• Other challenges: Be aware that you will need to answer a variety of other questions as well.
How do these new technologies support what the district is already doing to engage in effective communications?
How and/or will the district help laggards embrace the new tactics?
Is professional development for staff needed to acquire the skills to use the new tactics?
How will the district manage a greater influx of input and discussion from stakeholders?
How might the board and administration use the information collected from stakeholders?
Policy implications
If a district is ready to embark into communicating through new technologies, it’s also important to consider any potential policy implications. For example:
• Does the district already have a social media policy or do they need one?
• Would the district’s use of Facebook as a promotional tool conflict with current staff or student policies regarding social media?
• If the district uses Facebook, would it be prohibited, permissible, encouraged for teachers to use it to reach their audiences as well?
The use of new technologies requires the consideration of numerous questions that will inevitably arise as a result. Since this is relatively new territory for school districts, few samples or templates are available. In some cases, it may be helpful for a district to convene a technology committee specifically charged with reviewing the necessary policies and procedures.
A school district can apply current technologies to help achieve its communication goals and to further engage its stakeholders. To be effective, communications must be continuous and two-way. While the concept itself isn’t new, the tactics used will continuously evolve.
Be equally patient and diligent in your efforts, and remember: there is no endpoint to a circle.