Clear, compelling messages that resonate with your target audiences are the building block of an effective communications effort. One of the biggest challenges for organizations is speaking with a consistent and compelling voice. Silos abound, and even those enterprises that have a positioning platform find it difficult for the organizational messaging to take hold.
The reason is simple: most executives look at messaging as being about finding the right words, and that is certainly part of the process. But good messaging is mostly about articulating a purpose—the “why” of your business—and engaging everyone fully around that purpose. Messaging is not an island but rather part and parcel of management and organizational development. In fact, we find the message development process can lead to important breakthroughs and A-HAs about challenges and opportunities that often are not revealed during strategic and business planning.
Much of the discussion around messaging tends to focus on its creation. But as noted in this recent post for Huffington Post, of equal importance is making sure that the entire enterprise believes in and can make the messages their own. Read it to learn the six tips for message development from the inside out.
