They say, if you lose money, you can always make more. However if you lose time, then you will never get it back. This makes time management a must have skill. And like all habits, it can be learned. 

For this reason, we should always be on the lookout for ways to better manage our time.

I came across this video about time management on entrepreneur.com and thought to share it with you. As we work on our time management skills, I hope these 10 steps help.

Cheers!

We have covered strategic analysis, a fact-finding mission, if I may. Nevertheless, what happens once you have all the information you need in place? Armed with all the relevant information it's time to act. Don’t you agree? In writing a communications strategy, this is the strategic intent phase.

What actions do you have lined up?

‘Strategic intent proceeds from this analysis and involves the formulation of a strategic vision,’ says Cornelissen, ‘around which possible courses of action are formulated, evaluated, and eventually chosen.’ In other words, strategic intent sets the agenda. By considering the current position of the corporation, strategic intent sets the direction the corporation needs to take for the realization of the desired ‘new’ position.

This desired position is achieved in the following ways:

Identifying Bases of Strategic Choice

Before the options available for a corporation are tabled, certain key factors need understanding. Luckily, these strategic options are embedded in the mission and vision statements of the corporation. Mission and vision statements express the desire of stakeholders. If the vision statements stipulates the need to be the best in the region, then that is the objective management strives to meet.

‘Some of these bases of strategic choice arise from an understanding of stakeholder expectations and influence, which may already be reflected in mission and vision statements that provide overall guidance about the nature or aspirations of the organization.’, says Cornelissen.

These bases are:

Competitive advantage:This involves knowing what differentiates the corporation from others. Could it be superior services at affordable costs or unique products that meet the needs of a segment of the customers? Competitive strategy makes it easy for a corporation to penetrate a given market.

Organization Identity:According to Cornelissen, ‘identity sets boundaries to the strategic options open to the organization in terms of how people within the organization see themselves and the company they work for, and predetermines how the company should be profiled and positioned with stakeholders and the markets in its environment.’

Generating Strategic Options

In planning, we are advised to think on paper. Once you have your goal written down, you should list all the necessary steps you need to take to meet that particular set goal. I borrowed this gem from Brain Tracy’s Ultimate Goal program. In other words, what Brian Tracy is merely advising is once you have established your goal; enumerate a list of options (actions) for which to engage in order to realize your goal.

The same holds true for strategic options. ‘These courses of action emanate from the bases of strategic choice as identified above, and include options concerning which stakeholders and markets to address and target, and what the organization wants to achieve with them.’ {Sic.}

Case in Point: in the 1970s and 1980s, Shell, for example, was a respected multinational in the petroleum industry steeped in a technological and engineering ethos. By the 1990s, changing market conditions and public scepticism posed the organization other choices of strategic direction. The company had to ask itself what the basis of its business and success was: profitability or public legitimacy, or both. {Sic.}

At this point, we need to understand the role communication plays: Firstly, gaining legitimacy with important stakeholder groups, and secondly, enhancing the organizations reputation and preserving its legitimacy.

According to Cornelissen, ‘Indeed, in developing strategies, a potential danger may be that managers do not consider any but the most obvious course of action – and the most obvious is not always the best.’ He explains, ‘A helpful step in strategic intent can therefore be to evaluate and limit strategic options.’ Avail limited and worthy options for consideration.

Evaluation and Selection of Strategic Options

In settling on an option-we need to have at the back of our minds: an option that will be a ‘fit’ between the organization, its resource capability, and its environment. All options needs to meet the suitability, feasibility, and acceptability test.

‘The process of selecting strategic options cannot always be viewed or understood as a purely objective, logical act. It is strongly influenced by the values of managers and other groups with interest in the organization, and ultimately may very much reflect the power structure within the organization.’ explains Cornelissen.

Having clear intentions is a step closer to executing an effective communications strategy. Once you know what exactly you want to do, positive results are in the pipeline. It is time to act. Happy option-storming.

A lot has happened over the years. Companies have started, only to close down later. Some have done so well, leading to a major Initial Public Offer (IPO). The not so financially stable companies have filed for mergers in a bid to save whatever they have left or better yet, penetrate new markets-expand.

Flickr | Sebastien Wiertz

Social media on the other hand has loyally fought for its place at the apex of communication. These are some of the changes that have taken place over the years.

Has anything worth noting taken place in the corporate communications world? Indeed. In a research conducted by W2O Group Centre for Social Commerce in collaboration with S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, there is a clear indication that in 2015, corporate communications has taken a whole new dimension.

In the report titled, Thriving and Coping a Social and Digital Age, there has been tremendous change in the corporate communications model. It is becoming clearer that with the technological advances, the roles of the corporate communications officer, are shifting from the usual tradesman to that of a strategist. This is implicitly because of the changes in how information is exchanged in corporations.

Technology has helped to elevate the communicator’s role from that of a tradesman to that of a strategist by providing communicators with valuable information about the pulse of the organization, and the ability to respond appropriately. Too often, companies are communicating to a workforce that doesn't exist. As employees get lost in a world more connected and noisy than ever, technology has enabled communicators to become the nerve centers of their organizations by better communicating with employees. {ibid}

With that in mind, corporations are re-evaluating their corporate communications structures to incorporate these changes. Since communication will play a significant role in strategic planning.

The following are the six key changes that have taken place in the corporate communications model as highlighted in the report.

Forget Coverage. Focus On Influence

Days when corporations would fight for the front pages of newspapers, magazines, or even the prime time during news hours-are going, going…gone. Instead, corporations are aligning their objectives to provide influence in the market. Communicating the right message, to the right people at the right time is the new bottom line for corporate communications officers (CCO). Companies want to the thought leaders in their respective industries.

Analytics, Analytics... Analytics
Measuring the returns of all the strategies deployed is necessary. As one of the excerpts puts it: “The existence of digital and social analytics has changed how we as an organization approach strategy.” The CCO needs to be confident enough to test what his/her strategies and if they are meeting the objectives set.

These measurements lead to insights, which then enable the CCO to further improve on the working strategies and change those that are lagging behind.

Organizational Charts? Networked Systems

In my career, my first task was to design an organizational chart. After weeks of collaboration with the General Manager, I had something solid to present. I waited, and waited…and waited. To date, no one has ever brought up that topic. It died a natural death.

A clear indication that corporations are tearing down the completely organizational charts-a system that emphasizes a top-down model of communication. Instead, due to the massive interactions in corporations, a networking system is taking centre stage. Emphasis is now on the need for employees to connect with everyone in the organizations.

“The org chart is no more. We have to integrate and collaborate cross-functionally to achieve success.” {ibid}

CCO are tasked with ensuring that we have a flat, transparent structure encouraging open dialogue and a free flow of communication.

Community Is the ‘New’ Audience

With strategy comes targeting. The more information the information sphere keeps getting, the more saturated it gets. Thus the need to narrow our focus. CCO are looking to reach a group of individuals who share the same interests rather than disseminating information with the hope that it gets to some people. Like throwing many darts in the dark.

“The concept that key stakeholders are audiences is no more. Audiences are static. Audiences demand one-way stimulation. Today, stakeholders are communities. Interested, engaged, networked, motivated, with shared concerns. Communications must be calibrated to address these dynamic entities.” {ibid}

In the presence of social media, face-to-face communication is still important

Corporations want to engage with their communities. The digital age has led to the mushrooming of members of these communities in all corners of the world. In homes, offices, trains, schools they are able to ‘speak’ and share their takes on the happenings. The moment we take out the relationship building aspect of it, the whole use of social becomes pointless.

As one executive told researchers, social without real-life connections “will actually hinder engagement.” You can’t just get people to click “like” — you actually have to convince them to leave their well-worn recliners.

Storytelling Has Changed

At the core of any corporation, we have a great lore. An inspiring story that acts as a constant reminder to the employees and all and sundry of what the corporation is trying to achieve. A source of motivation, if I may.

But today, it’s not all about crafting a narrative. The use of multimedia in telling this story is fundamental. Using images, audio, infographics among other is a sure way of improving the story.

60 percent of people today identify as visual learners. Tactics like infographics are more popular than ever and social media has forced companies to re-evaluate how they tell their corporate story. {ibid}

Changes will always be at our doorsteps. In addition, as change is hard to implement it is advisable that we always train, fail, and learn from our mistakes and most of all upgrade at the slightest of opportunities.

Courtesy: PRNewser