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CommunicationsEmployee EngagementStrategic Planning

Mastering Communication with Impacted Parties

InciteNovember 29, 20244 min read

Last month, we talked about the value of engagement with invested parties in strategic planning efforts for lasting results and stronger relationships. This month, we’re sharing how successful communication with impacted parties can turn ideas into action to achieve organizational goals.

By now, you probably know that having a clear strategy is essential for success. Your employees, clients, investors, and community partners play a big role in this. Knowing how to effectively engage with these impacted parties requires a lot of thoughtful communication. At Incite, we’ve seen how thoughtful, well-crafted communication can cultivate collaboration and build trust and momentum. So, what are our secrets to ensuring your communication efforts have the greatest possible outcome? Read on to find out.

Incite’s Fundamentals of Successful Communication

Effective communication begins with understanding who you’re impacting and what matters most to them. This includes their concerns and priorities. Engagement Mapping allows us to group these individuals based on their influence and interest. This helps us prioritize who will require the most engagement. “If people can see how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture, they’re more likely to stay engaged throughout the process,” says Incite Founder Ted Kouri.

”Mapping our client’s impacted parties gives us a clear picture of how to properly manage the needs of everyone involved.

Once we’ve established all relevant parties, we work with our clients to gather intel that can inform their communications efforts, allowing them to tailor their messaging to meet their audience’s specific needs and communicate it in the way that works best for each group. Some channels we recommend are email, digital newsletters and interactive planning sessions—though these are just a few options you can use to communicate your messaging. 

From here, it’s all about keeping the dialogue going both ways. Incite understands that in order for communication to truly work, everyone needs to have a voice. “When you actively listen and share the full picture, you really create a sense of trust and authenticity. This creates buy-in because you’re helping mitigate any concerns by being open with them,” says Kouri. 

We’re not the only ones who feel this way either. A recent study by the Harvard Business School found that companies maintaining high levels of transparency saw a 27% increase in trust among impacted parties. Of course, through these conversations, you’re likely going to run into conflicting interests. How you handle these situations is crucial to ensuring no group feels overlooked. “Any time we have a difference of opinion amongst impacted parties, we look for a common ground everyone can comfortably stand on,” Kouri explains. “Then, we adapt our strategies based on this feedback. It really makes a difference in strengthening our relationships and improving overall collaboration.”  

Proactive communication is vital to success

Now, it’s important to stay proactive in your efforts. Regular assessment will help you stay ahead of any potential hiccups and keep your organizational goals on track. Around here, that means going straight to the source through engagement, typically interviews and surveys. This feedback empowers us to continually improve our strategies. Tracking KPIs, such as project milestones and engagement levels, also provides a clear picture of how effective strategies really are. Remember, just because a project is done, doesn’t mean the communication stops. Often, it’s what’s done afterwards that leaves the greatest impact on those you’ve partnered with. 

Our final piece to the communication puzzle? Technology.  With so many innovative tools right at our fingertips, crafting compelling communications is more accessible than ever.  Our top comms tool picks include:  

  • Project management platforms like Asana track project progress and provide instant updates to both internal and external stakeholders.   
  • Communication dashboards like Slack provide real-time discussions and consistent engagement through messaging apps, calls, and video conferencing.  
  • CRM systems like HubSpot are great for streamlining updates and ensuring timely communications.   
  • Visualization tools like Canva are great for summarizing key information in infographics, presentations, and reports.  

Communication is both an art and a science. Whether you’re engaging employees, customers, investors, or communities, nurturing clear, consistent, and purposeful dialogue helps build trust, align goals, and strategy into action. The more you understand your audience, the more you can drive long-term success—and isn’t that what we all want in this crazy world of business?  

Great communication is our love language

At Incite, we believe thoughtful effective communication is the cornerstone of effective collaboration. Contact us today to discover how, together, we can create something impactful with meaningful results. 

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