As the holiday season approaches, we reflect on the many things for which to be thankful. It’s a chance to count our blessings and a time to express our gratitude to those people who make a difference in our lives.
I want to express my sincere appreciation for your continuing readership, support, feedback and ideas. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving and a safe and joyous holiday season.
Communicators know that effective communication delivers value to business in many tangible ways, but how can you show this value in a quantifiable way that is easy to understand?
Lorenzo Sierra of LoSierra Strategic Consulting, lorenzo@losierra.com, created a solution to this dilemma:
V=(c+e)p
That is, the value of communication is equal to the costs plus the efforts of what you’re communicating to the power of perception.
This concept was also applied to calculating the value of total rewards communication as detailed in the attached article from WorldatWork’s 2004 edition of Workspan. Lorenzo Sierra_Workspan_0204
How can this equation be applied to show the value of communication at your organization?
What is Six Sigma and how can it help you improve your organization’s communication processes?
According to www.isixsigma.com, “Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects in any process – from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service.”
I earned my Six Sigma Green Belt certification in 2004 by improving our employee newsletter. Six Sigma can be applied to all of your communication processes to help improve costs, engagement and productivity.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your public relations efforts, here is a list of “Six Sigma Project Ideas for PR” created by Mark Weiner, CEO of PRIME Research, weiner@prime-research.com
This list was published in IABC’s January/February 2004 Communication World. See attached article. Six Sigma PR_IABC_CW 2004.
Six Sigma Project Ideas for PR
Reduce time for press release approval.
Improve media targeting (identify media that have proven reach among your target audience).
Assess journalists’ preference and satisfaction with current PR initiatives.
Assess “internal client” preferences and satisfaction with current PR initiatives.
Improve the ratio of releases sent versus releases used.
Improve the ratio of placements featuring critical messages.
Improve the ratio of placements featuring a company spokesperson.
Improve the ratio of stories featuring visuals or graphics.
Improve the ratio of stories that are either exclusives or feature-length.
Improve the ROI of events and event sponsorships.
For agencies, improve percentage of billable hours.
How do you use Six Sigma principles to improve communication processes at your organization?
Timing is everything, especially when planning to tell your organization’s story as it’s unfolding. To do this successfully, you must have a strategy.
The attached article by Gary F. Grates, “The Perfect Fit,” explains how to successfully tell your organization’s story in a cohesive and compelling way. This article originally appeared in IABC’s October-November 2003 Communication World. Perfect Fit_IABC article
Use the attached template to successfully identify, design and communicate the “Perfect Fit” strategy for your organization. perfectfit
What are some of the ways you share your organization’s story?
