Case study

Creating a strategy from scratch

The situation:

A Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) was merging with two other MATs. The Executive Principle needed a strategy that would help him communicate with employees in his current MAT as well as the two that he would soon be responsible for, without stepping on the toes of head teachers within each school.

I had previously conducted an internal communication audit for this client a few months before and positive changes had already begun to take place. One of the recommendations was to create an internal communication strategy.

The task:

The MAT needed an interim strategy to see them through the period of change before creating an overarching strategy the following year once the merger had completed. It needed to be simple and impactful as the programme of change was starting imminently.

It also needed to allow head teachers the flexibility to tailor messages within their own schools. 

The action:

Using the insight from the audit I conducted, I created a visual two-page strategy that set out SMART objectives and what the measures of success would be, key audiences and channels, key messages, and what they wanted people to know/feel/do.

I also created an audience analysis, channel matrix and communication principles.

The audience analysis and channel matrix helped visualise how messages needed to reach various groups of employees and where messages need to be tailored at a more local level.

The communication principles were designed to be used for the leadership team to help them hold themselves, and each other to account, when communicating with the various audiences.

The result:

The various strategic documents were provided to the leadership team to support their change programme which successfully completed in January 2020.

 

“With very little steer, Helen navigated our company (over 6,500 employees in more than 80 countries), spoke to many, many stakeholders and delivered a report that I consider the best business case (inc internal and external research findings, recommendations and a roadmap) I have encountered in recent times. Helen’s work fully met the brief and delivered on time whilst being a pleasure to deal with. I look forward to working with Helen again in the future.”

Project CMO