Developing Leadership

Communication Strategy
Context
Strategic
Objectives

Timing

Spokesperson
Feedback

Messages

Media/
forum

Audience

Lectures Based on
Leadership Communication
By Deborah J. Barrett, Ph.D.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Discussion Topics
Clarifying purpose and generating ideas
Developing a communication strategy
Analyzing an audience
Ensuring effective structure
Using the Pyramid structure

Chapter
1- 2

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

What is Strategy?
In business, strategy is
Determining your goals and
Developing a plan to achieve those goals

For communication, it is
Deciding what your purpose is in
communicating with a particular audience
and selecting the best way to appeal to that
audience to achieve that purpose.

Chapter
1- 3

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Establishing A Clear Purpose

Chapter
1- 4

In general, the purpose for business

communication is one of the following:
Inform
Persuade
Instruct
However, within these three, you must decide
exactly
What it is you want to say and
What you expect to achieve.

Chapter
1- 5

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Generating Ideas
Brainstorming
Idea mapping

Idea
Idea
Idea

Idea

Journalists

questions: who,
what, when, where,
how, why
Decision tree

Idea
Idea

Main
Main
Idea
Idea

Idea
Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea
Idea

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Using the Communication

Strategy Framework
Context

Strategic
Objectives

Spokesperson

Feedback

Messages

Media/
forum

Audience

Timing

Chapter
1- 6

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Determining the Context

Chapter
1- 7

What is going on in the world, industry, or

company that will affect the audience?

Where does the communication fall in the

communication flow?
What are the organizational implications?
What are the people implications?
What does the audience know or believe about the

context compared to what the sender knows or

believes?
What cultural differences should you consider?

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Analyzing Your Audience

Chapter
1- 8

1.

Who is your primary audience? What do they expect?

How do they feel?

2.

What is your purpose in communicating with this

person or group?

3.

Who is your secondary audience?

4.

What does each audience know?

5.

What are their motivations?

6.

What do you expect the audience to do, to feel?

7.

What would be the most effective media for this

audience?

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Developing a Communication
Strategy Action Plan
Perform analysis/
develop strategy

Monitor
results/
readjust
strategy

Refine/
implement
strategy

Chapter
1- 9

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Organizing Your Communication

1. Deductive
2. Inductive
3. Chronological
4. Cause/effect
5. Comparison/contrast
6. Problem/solution
7. Spatial

Chapter
1 - 10

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Using the Pyramid Structure

Chapter
1 - 11

Overall Argument

Sub-argument #1
Evidence

Evidence

Sub-argument #2
Evidence

Evidence

Sub-argument #3

Evidence

Concept based on Barbara Mintos The Pyramid Principle

Evidence

Chapter
1 - 12

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Pyramid Example
BankCorp should launch
its new card in China.

Why?
Attractive
Market
Pro-bank
climate

No
competition

Why?
Will be Profitable
Costs
low

Revenue
high

Why?
Easy to
Implement
Staff
available

Plan
developed

Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett

Discussion Summary

Chapter
1 - 13

Effective communication requires a clear purpose.

Idea generation techniques help clarify purpose.
Effective communication requires a communication

strategy.
No strategy will work without audience analysis.
The specific organizational structure depends on

your message and audience, but a logical structure

is essential.