CASE District 1, Boston

Communicating Your Vision

In Good Times and Bad

January 28, 2010

Hi

Tamsen McMahonSametz Blackstone Associates

Tracey Palmer

Palmer Communications

Andrew Tiedemann

Emerson College

Are you strategic?

• What’s your Mission Statement?

• What’s your Positioning Statement?

• What’s your Vision Statement?

7 Definitions

1. Strategic Plan

A comprehensive document that covers how all aspects of an organization’s work, programs/services, management/operations, fundraising, finances, facilities & governance will be aligned over a set period of time toward the achievement of strategic goals

7 Definitions

2. Mission Statement A concise expression of the organization’s purpose. It should answer: Why do we exist? What do we do?

3. Vision A concise, compelling description of the organization’s desired future state

7 Definitions

4. Values Statement Answers: What do we believe in? What characterizes how we do what we do?

5. Communication Plan Articulates how an organization will achieve goals using communications media

7 Definitions

6. Positioning Statement What position do you occupy in the constituent’s mind? Based in reality, not an image or posture, grounded in actual accomplishments and relationships. Articulates what makes you ‘you’ (AKA brand)

Positioning Statement Template

For (target audience), (brand name) is the (frame of reference) that delivers (benefit/point of difference) because only (brand name) is reason to believe).

7 Definitions

7. Messaging

Communicates the ideas of the positioning statement, leads to action

Why Now?

In turbulent times, we need inspiration,

clarification, and direction.

A vision can do this.

Communicating Vision

(if you have a Strategic Plan)• How does it relate to today’s challenges/opportunities?

• How is your institution doing at following the plan? (Measurable progress?)

• Who needs to act for your vision to be successful?

• What action(s) must they take?

• What information do they need to take action?

• Does your audience understand your message(s)?

• Are you repeating regularly, across multiple channels?• Can your institution back it up with actions?

Communicating Vision(If you don’t have a strategic

plan)

• Accreditation study report

• Case statements/feasibility study findings

•Annual report message from president/leaders

•Master plan

Channels

•Multiple media

•Repetition

•Social Media, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, texting, IM, blogs, mobile apps…

Language• Make it memorable/Tell stories

• What’s in it for me?

• ‘Hey’ ‘You’ ‘So’ ‘See’

• Translate it

• Keep it short• B

lackberry: 15 words

Twitter: 140 characters

Measurement

• Determine measurement FIRST

• Monitoring v. Measurement

• Qualitative v. Quantitative

• Goals Metrics Tools

Questions