In the private sector, we take for granted that effective communication is a mission critical function. It’s a matter of survival. If a company has a good product or service, but can’t explain it well, the company goes under. It’s that simple.
In the public sector, the value of good communication is harder to measure, but effective communication is similarly mission critical for virtually every type of government agency.
Governments are becoming more regular communicators on the success of their programs to showcase their overall agency mission, but strategic communications should be the new mantra.
When government communications is more focused on perpetuating itself, there is a risk of distancing communication from mission results. Communications has a strategic purpose – to shape the conversation to efficiently achieve results. This means an increased effort on measuring results and maximizing impact.
Consider virtually any example of a government program, agency, or function and add (or subtract) strategic public communication to understand the impact:
What’s your favorite example?
Technology is now making direct public communication more effective and efficient than ever, but as you plan your communications strategy, you need to make sure that your organization is leveraging public communication to create true mission value.
And, don’t forget internal communication, because it is critical that there is shared understanding within your organization of the role that public communication plays in generating the results you want.
It’s no longer just about sharing information, but driving behavior to achieve results by helping people understand how their work influences the success of the organization. Effective internal communications can play a large role in that endeavor.
