Allison M. Shapira

Monday, November 19, 2007

Turning Ideas into Deliverables

In my Writing class tonight, our guest speaker was the Director of Development Communications for a large organization in Boston. He had some interesting ideas about how to achieve results as a communications professional. I chose the best ones to write about tonight:

1. Find out what the client really wants - this requires some reading between the lines and asking some delicately phrased questions. Not a bad start. Sometimes we are given an assignment or job when the client has a specific goal in mind that they don't articulate. To ensure the client's satisfaction, find out the real end goal in advance.

2. If you work for the organization, how does this job fit into your communication plan? Do you even have a communication plan?

3. Collect primary source material - what already exists? How can you avoid reinventing the wheel?

4. Define your audience. I cannot stress this enough, and anyone who has read my past blog entries knows how much I emphasize putting yourself in the mind of your audience before you engage in any communication project. It's not about changing yourself for your audience, it's about showing them the specific aspects of you that are most relevant.

5. Find an ally to bounce ideas off. It's of great use to have someone who can look at your work from an outside yet relevant perspective. Sometimes we get so focused on our work that we are unable to analyze it - it's like looking at a huge Salvador Dali painting from up close. You need to be across the room to appreciate it.

6. Don't procrastinate. In my writing class, there is almost unanimous consensus that everyone procrastinates. But I do not. Singers and speakers do not procrastinate, because we know that you can't just wing it - you have to be prepared. And it's so much easier when you plan in advance!

7. Always gives others a deadline for getting back to you. It's a simple courtesy - when would you like a response?

8. Don't expect the client to do the proofing. How anyone can hand in a job that is not proofed, I do not know...

9. Get to know other people's schedules and work pace. This seems crucial when working in a team environment.

There were a few others, but these are the most salient ones. And many of these points are relevant no matter what field you are working in. Most are directly related to communications, but they can also be applied to a number of disciplines.

Good thoughts to end the night.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home