Making sure your message is heard

STUCK

YOUR HEADLINES

Detroit News

Getting unSTUCK!

• We will solve a problem specific to your district or general enough that you can bring the tools & resources learned to back to your district.

• Know when, where and how to engage your stakeholders.• Emerge with strategies for building mutually beneficial,

long-term strategic partnerships to benefit students, the district & community.

TELL ME ABOUT YOU …

Now I will tell you about me …

YOUR COMMUNITY

Now tell me about your school community

Lets talk issues … Deficit District School Closures Program Elimination Layoffs Grade Reconfiguration Loss of Enrollment CharterS sCHOOLS Low Academic Performance Outsourcing Bonds Elections SAFETY

30 Days90 DaysOne Year (or more)

ACTION IS NEEDED:

If you are not defining the perception you want everyone to have, then everyone

defines you based on their own perceptions.

And even if those perceptions are wrong, then they are still right as far as the audience

is concerned.

Creating a communications playbook:

GET A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR COMMUNITY + SCHOOL DISTRICT

DEFINE THE CHALLENGE

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR PR OR ADVOCACY

DEFINE THE SHORT TERM, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM GOALS

objectives| COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

ExampleIncrease Brand AwarenessDiversify funding sources Maintain and expand current programs Develop new opportunitiesProvide Leadership & Voice

Media.What are the influential publications + mediaWho are the reporters you need to know

Digital.Is your website up-to-dateIs it mobile friendly

Social.Are you on Twitter, LinkedIn, FacebookHow often do you post?

Mobile. Do you have cell phone numbers to send TXT alerts

Marketing Audit

Your TOOLBOXRelationships | Media |Digital Media| Social Media |Town Halls |One-on-Ones |Direct Mail

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

PROBLEM | SOLUTION

• Identify the problem?

• Who are the stakeholders?*

• What are their positions?

• How can it be resolved?

• What needs to get done in the next 30 days|90 days|1+ year

• How can we influence their positions to support ours?

• What is the message?

• What is the medium? traditional media, digital, one-on-one engagement, other community leaders

Government local| state| federal| legislators | regulators

Community advocates | Business | Faith-Based

Students | Parents

Labor | Media

KNOW THE INFLUENCERS, THE STAKEHOLDERS, THE NAYSAYERS

WHAT ARE THEIR POSITIONS?...Key Contact?

What do they care about| What do you want them to do?

Collecting the data| Collecting the stories

message| Key Messages

SHARE THE STORY| MEDIA RELATIONS

• Know the media / journalists that cover your industry• Become familiar with the media channels your students, parents, teachers and staff

use• Monitor the news (in your community & elsewhere)• Find opportunities to continuously engage reporters / CONTENT• Reach out to those reporters and share information about your teachers/admin,

students, volunteers and others, key events and perhaps the impact you are having in the community.

Community + Stakeholder Engagement + Online Engagement |

To solicit stakeholder input, leverage online engagement tools that functions as a virtual town hall, where stakeholders can generate ideas, help others evolve their ideas, and ultimately vote on and prioritize the best ideas for a project or community.

In addition, stakeholders should be encouraged to use social media networks (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn) to share their ideas or organize facilitated meetings.

Based on the feed back received,

Create a work group of influentialstakeholders and community leaders to organize in support of the District and proactively work with this group as a bell weather for potential issues down the road.

Community + Stakeholder Engagement + Online Engagement |

Manage the stakeholder group by:

– Holding monthly meetings with specific outcomes– Develop pro-active relationships with key influencers– Seek out one-on-one meetings and host periodic conference calls with

stakeholder groupsCreate a series of regional quarterly roundtable discussions on our progress to involve the community.

– Plan on meeting regularly with editors, producers and journalists on issues affecting the process.

– Host site visits/tours– Getting District employees and board members engaged in the community

through volunteer opportunities– Encourage local business to get involved with the schools– Create initiatives that generate a better understanding of District, its mission

and role in the community and involve municipal officials and the community in that effort — perhaps it fills a need in the community, is fun, etc.

Community + Stakeholder Engagement + Online Engagement |

☐ Identify Problem ☐ State the objective for community engagement ☐ Create a list of Stakeholders ☐ Create a media List (create a Twitter list and Google Alerts) ☐ Develop messaging ☐ Identify best media channels to deliver messages ☐ Prepare the collateral materials such as: Fact sheets, FAQs ☐ Create a website with the relevant information ☐ Engage stakeholders in a conversation about the issue ☐ Become responsive to media requests through statements or interviews

A CHECKLIST

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Crisis Management At times there will be circumstances beyond your control that have the potential to damage your reputation. An organizational crisis is a specific, unexpected, and non-routine event or series of events that create high levels of uncertainty and simultaneously present an organization with both opportunities for and threats to its high-priority goals.

Regardless of the industry, every company faces its own set of risks. Being able to anticipate potential threats is crucial to ensuring that your organization is well positioned to manage crisis situations.

The following four phases are the cornerstones of any successful crisis communications strategy.

Know your business and know where you are vulnerable

Develop strategic relationships in these areas.

Listen to the community and what is going on in the industry.

Prepare and plan for a crisis.

Earn the trust of stakeholders by building and maintaining relationships that are based on honesty and transparency.

Act quickly when a crisis happens.

Make sure all company spokespeople deliver a consistent message that is simple, easy to understand and honest.

To avoid crises or minimize risk

Readiness – A sound crisis management strategy starts with preparation long before the onset of an actual crisis. While it’s impossible to plan for every future scenario, examine your company, facilities, people, products and environment to assess areas of significant risk and identify the potential threats that are both most likely to happen and most likely to cause harm. When a crisis breaks, things are going to accelerate and you need a solid response plan in advance in order for your organization to react quickly.

Response – Crisis moments rupture normal day-to-day operations. As a result, they demand an immediate response. This means it’s often necessary to respond before your organization has had a chance to assess all of the facts. Begin by acknowledging the situation, as well as its impact on all affected parties, and commit to a full investigation. Remember, acknowledging a crisis is not synonymous with accepting responsibility. However, by responding immediately, you demonstrate to the public that you’re taking the incident seriously, and ensure that your company’s message is a part of the narrative right from the start.

Reassurance – Following the initial response, effective crisis management requires conducting an investigation and developing an action plan that seeks to rectify the situation at hand. From the implementation phase to the plan’s intended outcomes, reassure the public that their needs are being adequately addressed by communicating all of the pertinent details. Demonstrate your commitment to transparency and let the public know that your organization intends to share the results of its investigation as well as take corrective action.

Recovery – Ultimately, managing a crisis is about more than just stopping the bleeding in the short term; it’s also about restoring the district’s long-term health and reputation and preventing reoccurrence. Reestablishing public trust and consumer loyalty often require going above and beyond immediate action. Operational and cultural changes may be necessary to ensure that history does not repeat itself. Ongoing communication regarding company-wide changes is an important part of demonstrating your organization’s responsiveness and continued commitment to making things right.

5 Minute Media Training & 5 Tips

1) If a reporter emerges from the bushes or otherwise ambushes you, STOP in your tracks.

2) Don't continue to walk, don't avoid them, don't put your hand in front of the camera and whatever you do, DON"T SAY NO COMMENT.

3) Stop! Look the reporter in the eye.

4) And answer the question -- even if it is with a non-answer.

5) Let the reporter and the public know you hear them and be prepared to respond in a way that will preserve your reputation.

5 Minute Media Training

After the initial confrontation and if this issue caught you by surprise, go back to your office, gather your thoughts, draft a few key messages, post a blog or tweet or video in your own words and call the reporter back for a more detailed on the record discussion.

Make sure your version of the facts is out there for the public to decide. Their opinion may already be made up if you continue to avoid the media.

If you did something wrong, admit it. But also tell me what you are doing about it. And whatever you do, don't run. It is not what we elected you do. You may find that despite your past and your faults or admit what you did we will still support you. We all have faults, as a public official, you need to admit them.

It is the role of media, to investigate, to inform and to drive change in the public arena.

Many reporters have a lot invested in developing these stories. Chances are, by the time they get to you, their stories have already been written and produced. They are simply looking for a quick visual and a sound bite.

You will be better off if you talk with them, rather than avoid them

• Listen carefully & Make sure everyone has a chance to speak

• Keep an open mind• Do your best to understand

the other point of view• Talk to the group not to me• It’s okay to disagree• Its okay to use humor• Participate & Speak Up • Keep the discussion on topic

The Ground Rules: Tips for a great discussion