Communicating Strategically

Everyone communicates in some way!!! Businesses are no different. They must develop communication strategies based on objectives, resources and the organizations reputation. Each situation is different. If your constituents are your employees and you must tell them you need to lay people off, you must determine how to do this in a positive way. How can you make sure the employees you lay off understand the circumstances, and the employees that you still have aren't concerned they will be next? The size of the company will have a lot to do with the method of communication.

When considering the constituent you must be aware of what knowledge they have of the organization, their attitude and their age. All this needs to be taken into consideration to determine what method of communication should be used. Depending on the method being used, will also determine the structure of your message. When delivering a message verbally your tone and facial expressions help you communicate. If you're emailing your message, you must be sure your message is coming across correctly.

Personal Experience
I work for a small tool & die company. Before September 11th hit the employees were used to working 50-70 hours per week. After September 11th, hours went to 40 per week. This was a drastic change for many people in this business. At one point, business was so slow people were going to be laid off. The owner spoke to the employees about the situation. The employees decided among themselves who would take the lay off. This decision had to be made around hunting season in Pennsylvania. Many of the guys in the company would take vacation time to hunt. The owner knew this, so this was a good time for a couple employees to collect unemployment and get to hunt. They would be able to come back to work in about 6 weeks to their jobs. This worked out for both the employees and the company. This situation was presented in a positive way so it was highly accepted.


References
I came across the following sites that help with determining a strategic plan:
http://www.chass.ncsu.edu/ccstm/scmh/model.html

These two websites are companies that can help with communication needs of a company:
http://www.strategiccommunication.com/
http://www.strategiccomm.com/main.html