Conflict may be contained by benchmarking improvements in communication.
When a corporate reputation is being threatened, a product is failing in the marketplace or a social group is taking an active stance against the company, it's time to employ benchmarking techniques to measure conflict and implement course correction techniques. The following article addresses actionable plans to implement benchmarking communications during conflict.
Instructions
Benchmarking During Conflict
1. Identify what risks could emerge as problems.
Identify the potential conflict risks. When corporations enter the stage of benchmarking for conflict, it is often the result of a surprise. Conflict often emerges during crisis situations. For example, corporations today face threats such as product recalls, labor strikes, natural disasters, accidents and regulatory changes. Identify the potential risks for conflict within the company's key public sectors.
2. Establish a team of overseers to implement the benchmarking effort.
Establish the benchmarketing team. This unit of a corporation may encompass representatives from marketing, public relations, investor relations, human resources and finance. The multidisciplinary team will implement the measurement plan, report findings and advise the enterprise leaders on tactics for remedying the problem at hand.
3. Define benchmark categories. To effectively conduct benchmarking, it is important to accurately define what the company wants to measure. There are two types of communications benchmarking: strategies and tactics such as media relations, employee communications and investor relations; and organizational planning and structure, including activities such as the communications planning process and the alignment of staff resources.
4. Develop the metrics by which your benchmarks will be met.
Develop metrics and conduct research. Benchmarking teams face the challenge of developing metrics and conducting research. For example, a team involved in a crisis communications situation may choose to measure the media coverage through content analysis or measure the performance of the stock price before, during and after a corporate communications plan is implemented. Once these metrics are established, the company will conduct the appropriate research, utilizing tools such as media monitoring services, market research, polling and other techniques.
5. Report findings and implement tactics. After conducting appropriate benchmarking research, executives report findings to the senior management so that they can make specific decisions regarding the conflict dilemma. For example, a company's involvement in an environmental disaster may prompt it to implement programs to restore its corporate image and reputation among consumers. This communications plan may include tactics for public relations, advertising, social media and other dimensions to revise the company's image.
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