Month: March 2014

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What’s Your Body Language Saying?

A-man-addressing-the-crisis-management-team

What you say is only part of what your audience takes away from any communication

Body language speaks volumes to whoever you’re addressing, making careful consideration of the impression you’re giving a critical crisis management concern.

While the infographic below, from, of all people, language experts at Gengo, addresses more than just crisis situations, the lessons it holds regarding the most effective behavior when addressing various audiences is spot on and sure to help you the next time you’re responsible for handling crisis communications:

Don’t think you’re ready for the cameras to roll just because you’ve gone over a couple how-to’s though! Control of your body language and facial expressions, not to mention the tone and content coming out of your mouth, takes practice, practice practice. Get in front of that camera, mirror, or a trusted colleague and grind until you’ve got it down pat. That’s the only way to nail down the right approach to any communication situation.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

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1. You Can Help Save the Combined Federal Campaign & 2. Dealing With Grant Deadliness

1. Proposed Changes to CFC Regulations Update: How You Can Help Save the Combined Federal Campaign – Part II
by Bill Huddleston

As I mentioned, last week, even after the Congressional Hearing, there has been no public response from the OPM staff to the concerns raised about the proposed regulations.

What does that mean?
Having worked in-and-with bureaucratic organizations for over 25 years, I understand that a bureaucracy’s first reaction in a controversy is often to deny it. That’s what OPM is doing; they are refusing to acknowledge that they have screwed up big time.

What’s the likely next step?
The bureaucrat’s second reaction is often anger; and, coupled with denial, the likelihood is that OPM will publish the proposed regulations with minimal changes to their original publication. Those in the know estimate that this is likely to occur in late winter or early spring.

What can you do to help save the CFC?
Here are three steps you can take that can have significant impact on the future of the CFC.
1. If you are currently in the CFC, record what it means to you and your organization in terms of unrestricted revenue, and the impact it has had on your non-profit’s ability to meet its mission.

2. Write a letter or call the office of the new Director of OPM, Katherine Archuleta, outlining your concerns.

3. Call your Congressman and Senators and ask why OPM is trying to damage the CFC beyond repair at a time when so many people need the services provided by the CFC charities.

An important point to make is that OPM did not follow the recommendations of the CFC-50 Commission, which was chaired by two former members of Congress, Tom Davis and Beverly Byron.

With the CFC being the single largest source of unrestricted funds for non-profits in the USA, the proposed regulations will harm many CFC charities (particularly the smaller ones) and the people they serve.

As we learn of specific proposals we will keep you informed, and we thank you, in advance, for taking part in the fight.

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector,
Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach,
served in many CFC roles. If you want to participate in the Combined Federal
Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions,
contact Bill Huddleston
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Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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2. How Do You Deal with Grant Deadlines?
by Jayme Sokolow

Deadlines are to proposal professionals as water is to fish. They are the lifeblood of our profession. Dealing with them effectively will make a big (positive) difference to your emotional well-being, and to your professional career.

Valerie J. Mann has written a very informative article about “How to Deal with Deadlines” in the most recent Journal of the Grant Professionals Association (Fall 2013).

I combine her advice with my own in the following list:

• Work backwards from the due date to set deadlines for all the major steps that need to occur. Display this visually on a calendar that is distributed to the proposal team and senior management.

• Set your final deadline several days before the published deadline for submitting your proposal, and remember to factor in final proofing and production time.

• Make your assignments to proposal team members very specific. The more specific the assignments, the greater the likelihood the deadline will be met.

• Follow up with team members on an ongoing basis to ensure that they are, and will be, meeting their deadlines.

• Make sure that key members of the team will be accessible during the final critical five days before the due date.

• If you have problems meeting certain deadlines, tackle the most stubborn and most important ones first.

• Be honest with senior management and don’t be afraid to ask for additional resources, such as consultants and outside experts, to address specific portions of the proposal.

• Pace your proposal team and avoid draining their energy, especially toward the end of the process. Encourage work breaks, the lack of which leads to lower productivity.

Deadlines should be the proposal professional’s best allies, not their worst nightmares. Planning on how to meet deadlines will not only ensure timely proposal submission, but will make the process easier for you … and for your colleagues.

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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop
successful proposals to government agencies
Contact Jayme Sokolow..
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Look for Jayme’s ebook on
Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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If you would like to comment/expand on the either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

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My Concern About the Use of Strategic Planning “Templates”

A worried businessman with a laptop in an office

It seems that the use of “templates” in strategic planning is on the rise. People want a simple and straightforward way to get the Strategic Plan written and finished. They want a “roadmap” that applies to every organization with everyone all the time and everywhere.

I’m seeing them mentioned more often lately for strategic planning, Boards, marketing and fundraising. We’re getting more calls from potential clients who want us to use a certain template.

Some of the Advantages of Templates

  1. They very quickly depict a certain approach to doing a seeming complex activity.
  2. They sometimes promise a very quick way of doing a seemingly prolonged activity
  3. They can quickly orient people to a certain way of doing that activity.

Disadvantages of Templates

  1. Might minimize the time needed for critically important strategic analysis, thinking and discussions.
  2. Can give the illusion that all planning and plans can be the same, regardless of the different purposes of planning.
  3. Might suggest a “quick fix” to the challenge of allocating sufficient time and resources to good planning.
  4. Indirectly suggest that a nonprofit should have certain structure and certain Board committees.
  5. They don’t orient planners to the different variety of models for planning, i.e., don’t enhance the internal planning capacity of planners.

Some Mistaken(?) Assertions in Templates

Some:

  1. Specify which Board committees a nonprofit should always have.
  2. Specify the maximum limit of committees for all nonprofits.
  3. Specify certain procedures for solving problems and making decisions.
  4. Specify the time frame that a Strategic Plan should be.
  5. Specify that sufficient planning can be done in a certain number of hours.
  6. Assert that mission, vision and values must always be looked at first in planning.

However, Assertions Are Not Always True.

They depend COMPLETELY on the nature and needs of the nonprofit. For example:

  1. The number and types of committees might depend on the number and complexity of strategic priorities.
  2. The way that decisions are made and problems are solved depend on the culture of the organization, e.g., some prefer a highly rational breakdown of the issue, while others prefer a more unfolding, naturalistic, but inclusive approach.
  3. The time frame of a Plan should depend on, e.g., how rapidly the environment is changing around the nonprofit and the range of its resources.
  4. There are occasions where mission, vision and values are not the best to start planning with — if an organization’s programs and clients have not changed, but it has many internal issues, then address those first.
  5. The role of templates has its advantages. But I wish that the authors of templates would do more to caution the users on the purposes, limitations and considerations in using those templates.

??? What do you think?

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“Just Winging It” is Not an Option for Crisis Management

creative-business-people-listening-colleague

As with any endeavor, preparation greatly increases your chances of success

Can you imagine a squad of firefighters deciding to throw out their plans and training “just wing it” when they head into a burning building?

The idea is ridiculous of course, but why are so many who would scoff at that willing to charge into crisis headfirst without any sort of game plan in place?

Former EBay COO and current Yahoo! Chairman Maynard Webb is no stranger to crisis management, and in a Linkedin blog post he explained precisely what every organization SHOULD be doing to prepare for when a crisis hits:

Ideally, you want to be deploying a playbook rather than developing a playbook. Most often, people don’t do this in advance and then have to develop processes while in battle — that’s much harder. At eBay, when we learned that hours after 9/11 people were putting debris from the World Trade Center for sale on the site…we knew how to respond immediately because we had a policy in place that detailed that we would not profit from disaster. Because of this, we were able to respond immediately and take it down.

Most likely, EBay’s playbook for incidents involving users selling items related to disasters was something like a few lines of text in the Terms of Service and a canned message that was delivered to anyone posting such items.

It sounds simple, but without the advance crisis management work of creating a rule explicitly against profiting from disaster and a way to respond should such a situation arise, EBay could have become the center of a reputation-damaging controversy.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

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Credit Union Marketing

A lady pointing to the analysis of a business

Credit Union MarketingTips, Tricks and Techniques for Small Budgets

At a recent fundraising dinner, I found myself sitting next to the CEO of a credit union. Since I am a marketing and social media consultant, we hit it off and launched into a conversation in earnest.

He admitted that he was particularly challenged by the new opportunities in the social media arena. I assured him that most small business owners feel the same way. His marketing is regulated, and so he needs to stay in compliance and didn’t know how to go about it. After a bit of research, I was able to help him out with a few tips from “Marketing Tips, Techniques and Tools for Credit Unions with Limited Resources” by the National Credit Union Administration Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives.

Each Credit Union is Unique

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to market your products and services. Credit union officials must first consider their membership base, member demographics, the local environment, and other characteristics that make up the uniqueness of their credit union when creating an effective individualized marketing strategy and plan.

“Know your member” is the first rule of credit union marketing. Knowing your member includes understanding the demographics of your membership such as age, income and education level (your data processor may have the capability to compile and report on member demographics), then using that information when marketing your products and services.

Effectively reaching the typical member of one generation may involve a hard copy of a brochure –a marketing message that may not appeal to the typical member of a younger generation who may respond more favorably to messages delivered electronically.

Loan Growth for Credit Unions

First and foremost make sure you have the loan products at rates and terms your members desire and that are profitable to your credit union. When introducing new loan products begin by taking small steps, consider costs and confirm adequate staffing levels. Make getting a loan an easy process for your member.

Marketing to Encourage Member and Share Growth

Marketing to encourage member and share growth depends in large part on your field of membership. Simply making your products and services more convenient and available can increase your credit union’s membership penetration. If your membership base is widespread, consider taking the credit union to the members through satellite and branch offices, or even a mobile branch.

Internet Marketing and Social Media

The advent of the Internet changed the rules of engagement. Today, monitoring and managing your online presence is crucial to maintaining a competitive advantage. The ability to deliver marketing messages, interact with members, and facilitate information sharing about your credit union 24–7 at the member’s convenience is invaluable and coming increasingly the standard.

Social media marketing is more than having a Facebook page. For credit unions, it is a critical component to an overall communication and marketing strategy. It is important that this strategy be committed to writing with clear goals and measurements for success. To begin, credit unions must define, through analysis, trends with their target audience.

The most important thing for credit unions to do before charting out a social media marketing strategy is to consider its business goals and where social media can have the most significant impact. Concentrate on three key objectives:

  1. Member Acquisition
  2. Community Engagement
  3. Member Service

More Information

For an impressive roundup of details, tips, tricks and techniques, review the National Credit Union Administration’s excellent guide. NCUA’s Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives would like to thank Economic Development Specialist Manager Victor Costa and Economic Development Specialists Ronald Jones and Malia Peel for developing the guide.

Do you have tips that have worked for your Credit Union?

For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Marketing and Social Media.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman

The Web Powered Entrepreneur is now in bookstoresMs. Chapman’s book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide is available at:

Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

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How to ACE an Unpleasant Discussion

A lady having an unpleasant discussion on phone

unpleasantYou have to terminate a project. You have to tell a job candidate she didn’t get the job. You have to tell your boss—or a client—you are unable to take on a new initiative. Whew! These may not be crucial conversations, but if they leave you feeling uncomfortable or if they place stress on key relationships, it is important that you learn how to handle them well. At the same time, it will cut down on the stress these discussions can create.

Here is a strategy and a format you can follow when you are faced with an unpleasant discussion:

Take care of it promptly. It is easy to put difficult tasks or conversations on the bottom of your to-do list. But the longer it sits there, the more of your mental or emotional energy it can drain. At the same time, people are waiting for your answer, or the same behavior continues that you want to change, so things are either on hold or getting worse. The sooner you tackle this conversation and put it to rest, the sooner you can move on to more productive endeavors.

But not too soon. If you are in the heat of the moment, feeling emotional or angry, it might be best to wait until you cool off. Be sure you have all the facts. Be sure you have considered all options. Take a little time to think it through and plan your approach. If it is a really sticky situation, you could talk it over with a trusted colleague, jot down a few talking points, or rehearse what you plan to say.

Choose the right medium, time, and place. We have all heard of texted break-ups or pink slips on Friday afternoons. When the message and the medium are mismatched, we can add insult to injury. Hurt or angry feelings get ignored, people can feel disrespected and the whole conversations spirals out of control. If the situation is a business one, email might be fine. But ask yourself if a phone conversation wouldn’t be better. And if it involves strong feelings or an important relationship, try to arrange a face to face meeting. Pick a time when all parties will be fresh and relatively less stressed. Choose a neutral spot if possible, and definitely a place where privacy is possible.

Start with a positive intent. Take a moment to connect with the person you are giving bad news or a concern to. You can thank them for taking time to talk with you. You can express appreciation or liking for the person or the relationship you have shared. You can let them know you will continue to value them (if that is true.) Keep this part brief, but make sure you start with some kind of positive intent if you do value the relationship.

Give fair warning. A neutral phrase that bad news is coming can be helpful, as a transition and a warning. Something like, “I’m afraid I have some bad news…” or “I’ve hesitated to bring this up, but now I really need to let you know how I feel” can at least give the person some indication that the conversation is taking a turn toward the serious. It’s the equivalent of “Are you sitting down?”

State the facts plainly and neutrally. Generally I would advise stating the bottom line first, then giving 2 or 3 reasons or facts about it. You could reverse the order and start with the facts that lead to the bottom line, but I think people are just waiting for that bottom line so why not start with it? “We won’t be able to publish your book, and these are the reasons….” Give one, two or three reasons, but no more. Your listener won’t be ready for a long list of reasons, and after three they start to feel like excuses anyway.

Restate the decision firmly but politely. Restate the bottom line to be sure it is clear, “So let’s be clear that this project will be terminated, effective today.” People tend to remember what they hear last, so be sure your last words are clear and definite. Some of us have a hard time saying no, but you will feel better for having been straightforward, and ultimately it’s so much better than waffling.

Reinforce your positive intentions. If possible, end the discussion on a positive note. If there is hope for a different outcome in the future, say so but be aware the person will remember you said it “might” be possible, so don’t promise something unrealistic. Instead, thank the person for their understanding and end with a hope for a continued relationship. Something like, “While I understand you are disappointed, I appreciate your dedication to this project and hope we will have other opportunites to work together in the future.”

If you care about people and key relationships, it will be worth your effort to learn how to ace these unpleasant discussions, making yourself clear, but offering the news in a neutral, professional way. Best of all, you will become known as a strong communicator who does not shy away from tough discussions.

_________________________________________________

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

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1. Statistics in Grant Proposals & 2. Intro to Planned Giving – Part II

1. Using Statistics Accurately/Effectively in Your Grant Proposals
by Jayme Sokolow

Statistics in grant proposal can be used or abused. However, there are steps you can take to use numbers accurately, and in ways that promote understanding.

As Darrel Huff has argued in his hilarious classic, How to Lie with Statistics (1954), now back in print, the “secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify.”

To study the lively art of statistical misuse and manipulation, I recommend that you visit the Web site of the Statistical Assessment Service (www.stats.org), a nonprofit organization that examines the ways in which quantitative research is used by the media. According to STATS, statistical confusion and inaccuracy are thriving in the United States.

In a grant proposal, however, numbers serve one purpose – to help convince reviewers that we are best qualified to be awarded a contract. In other words, proposal statistics primarily function as part of a persuasive argument to demonstrate that we are highly experienced and qualified.

Numbers augment our authority and expertise by making us appear “scientific,” rigorous, and credible, whether those numbers are real, false, or misleading !!

There are two ways of using numbers in proposals that should be avoided. First, as Huff has argued, non-randomized and small samples are the two most common causes for statistical inaccuracy; and, in large data sets, mistaking correlation for cause is a frequent error.

To avoid those common errors, you should take pains to accurately describe your samples, and you should be extremely cautious about drawing conclusions that are not supported by the data.

It would be of great help to your proposals to make accurate pictorial and numerical representations of your data a top priority.

The best approach to win the confidence of reviewers and construct more compelling arguments in your proposal, is to use numbers clearly, accurately … and with a strong sense of caution.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop
successful proposals to government agencies
Contact Jayme Sokolow..
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Look for Jayme’s ebook on
Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

2. Introduction To Planned Giving – Part Two
by John Elbare

Last Week I said that, “Most planned gifts are easy to understand, easy to explain to donors, and easy to set up.”

Now you might say, “That’s all good, but I just don’t have time for planned giving.” If you go that route, you will be leaving a huge amount of money on the table, money that may very well go to some other organization.

Planned gifts tend to be very large. They average about $50,000 each. For many donors, over 90% of their lifetime giving will be donated from their estates. Why miss out on that?

Why go through all that hard work of acquiring new donors, cultivating them into loyal annual donors, and then failing to ask for the big payoff? If you do not have the time to do that, your time is not being well spent.

Often the “ask” for a planned gift is simple and straight-forward. You are simply suggesting to your most loyal dedicated donors that they consider an end-of-life gift. Many will, but only if you ask. It does not require much time, but it does need your attention and effort.

This series of postings on planned giving will show you how to identify your likely planned gift donors, how to approach them to discuss planned gifts, the many types of planned gifts, and how to help donors with their gift arrangements.

As the famed anthropologist Margaret Mead once told her fellow faculty members at Columbia University, “If you can’t explain your work to the average 12-year-old, you are not communicating clearly.” As we work through the topic of planned giving together, that will be my yardstick. If anything is not crystal clear, please let me know right away, so I can make it so.

I hope you’ll watch for each of my postings … with information that will make you a much more productive fundraiser, and help you help your organization enjoy a more assured financial future.

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John Elbare, CFP, has spent the last 30 years helping non-profits raise more money
through large, planned gifts. He shows them how to add
an effective planned giving strategy to their current fund raising effort
without a lot of extra expense or staff.
You can contact him at John Elbare, CFP .
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you would like to comment/expand on the either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

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Crisis Management Musts – Protecting Digital Assets

brokers-discussing-trading-strategy-holding-papers-with-financial-data-

Your social media presence is a valuable commodity, don’t leave it unguarded

We’re at the point where some social media accounts are worth serious dough. Some for the rich communities built around them, some for their brand association, and some simply because they have a unique, hard-to-obtain handle. Because of that, just as we saw in the days when the ‘net in general was really starting to take off, there are virtual pirates looking to take what’s yours and either make it their own or hold it for ransom.

A warning for security slackers

The story of app developer Naoki Hiroshima, owner of the Twitter username, @N, should serve as motivation for anyone who’s slacking on their own web security – a critical part of personal crisis management in the digital age. Hiroshima owned the @N account, for which he says he’s been offered as much as $50,000, when a hacker decided to take it for himself. Hiroshima says he began receiving account reset emails from both PayPal and GoDaddy, and through a serious of events detailed in his Medium blog, lost control of the GoDaddy account altogether.

In a scary twist, Hiroshima was actually emailed by his attacker, who extorted him into giving up control of the @N Twitter account by threatening to trash the data on the websites which he runs, all registered through GoDaddy. Hiroshima even managed to get directly connected with a GoDaddy exec at some point in the process, but they were unable to help secure his accounts before he felt forced to give up @N.

Even worse, the hacker provided Hiroshima with information about how he took over control of much of his digital life, and, if he’s telling the truth, PayPal and GoDaddy failed miserably in protecting a customer’s data. A quote:

I asked the attacker how my GoDaddy account was compromised and received this response:

From: <swiped@live.com> SOCIAL MEDIA KING
To: <*****@*****.***> Naoki Hiroshima
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 19:53:52 -0800
Subject: RE: …hello

– I called paypal and used some very simple engineering tactics to obtain the last four of your card (avoid this by calling paypal and asking the agent to add a note to your account to not release any details via phone)

– I called godaddy and told them I had lost the card but I remembered the last four, the agent then allowed me to try a range of numbers (00-09 in your case) I have not found a way to heighten godaddy account security, however if you’d like me to
recommend a more secure registrar i recommend: NameCheap or eNom (not network solutions but enom.com)

It’s hard to decide what’s more shocking, the fact that PayPal gave the attacker the last four digits of my credit card number over the phone, or that GoDaddy accepted it as verification. When asked about this, the attacker responded with this message:

From: <swiped@live.com> SOCIAL MEDIA KING
To: <*****@*****.***> Naoki Hiroshima
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 20:00:31 -0800
Subject: RE: …hello

Yes paypal told me them over the phone (I was acting as an employee) and godaddy let me “guess” for the first two digits of the card

But guessing 2 digits correctly isn’t that easy, right?

From: <swiped@live.com> SOCIAL MEDIA KING
To: <*****@*****.***> Naoki Hiroshima
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 20:09:21 -0800
Subject: RE: …hello

I got it in the first call, most agents will just keep trying until they get it

He was lucky that he only had to guess two numbers and was able to do it in a single call. The thing is, GoDaddy allowed him to keep trying until he nailed it. Insane. Sounds like I was dealing with a wannabe Kevin Mitnick—it’s as though companies have yet to learn from Mitnick’s exploits circa 1995.

The bottom line here is that, although many organizations make a big stink about how secure they keep your data, the vast majority are easy prey for anyone with a bit of “dark side” know-how (how-to instructions for tactics like the ones used in this case are readily available through a quick Google search) and a silver tongue. When it comes to protecting digital assets, always assume the burden of protection lies on you.

A happy ending, but not so fast…

There is a happy ending to Hiroshima’s story, as, likely thanks to the massive amount of publicity his blog post on the hack attracted, he regained control of the @N account over a month after he lost it. If you’re even entertaining the thought that those consequences weren’t really so dire, consider the damage someone could do if they had hold of your Twitter account for a full month not only to your organization, but also your contacts and followers through things like phishing or malware attacks.

A little more worried now?

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

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Tips On Planning A Document

A man planning a document

Planning can mean anticipating, preparing, and being able to predict or forecast possible events. It’s being able to schedule ahead. Some people set up blocks of time for work and availability and move them around to be able to handle situations. But how do you plan ahead for documentation projects?

Here are some suggestions:

  • If there are pre-written plans, use them as a starting guide.
  • Create a check list to establish what information is needed up front for any document.
  • Make sure that your gathered requirements are accurate and valid.
  • To maintain control of a project, prepare ahead of time by asking a lot of questions, such as who the SME’s and stakeholders are, and who your target audience is. Identify the types of documents required up front and make sure resources are available for writing and gathering data.
  • Set your milestones and make sure you have the right tools available and the budget.
  • Make sure you understand the architecture of the system you are documenting; include procedures, methodology, events, actions, etc. This will also help you to build better test plans as well.
  • Stay focused and monitor the workload and schedule. If your work load or information load is too heavy, break it down into charts, figures, or diagrams for easier understanding and analysis. If either of them are out of line, then be prepared for unforeseen events to occur.
  • Research before a meeting and study previous project timelines in order to provide good estimates of the time needed for your documentation. Also, keep a separate project plan of your own in order to maintain control of the project. You may have items in there that are not mentioned in the overall project plan, such as editing.
  • For setting up CMS tools for documentation, make sure that they are not only the right fit for you and the organization, but that they are also user friendly.
  • Make sure you have a style guide to follow. This will make the documentation easier for maintaining uniformity in writing, formatting, and styling.
  • For security issues, check with your managers and IT personnel and question them about confidentiality, maintenance, issues, protocols, archives, contingency plans, etc.
  • Stay organized and begin your documents as soon as you can to stay ahead.

Plan with the future in mind:

  • Maintain a directory or chart of all the documents, their content, and associated references. Changes to content that is reused elsewhere should occur across the board, so make sure you note any associated references within a directory.
  • Give yourself plenty of extra time within the initial project plan for what-if scenarios, such as sudden client demands or budget and resource changes.
  • Make sure that the document is reusable. This is especially important for organizations where modular content is repeatedly reused.
  • To ensure the documentation schedule is working well, set up a tracking system and always get some feedback on its status.
  • As a final statement, create contingency plans for any unexpected delays and bottlenecks.

How have you planned ahead for your documentation practices?