Managing perceptions
Perception Management, a term Martin and Edna helped coin some years ago, has sadly become tarnished because of a supposed association with “spin”. Nevertheless, it still aptly summarises our take on communications, and the part it plays in organisational life. Because we’re in the business of moulding people's behaviour by influencing their perceptions.
What we’re after is “shared meaning” – a consistent perception common to all stakeholders, whether internal or external. And we pursue this goal by developing disciplined action in three distinct areas:
Audience empathy
A clear understanding of the proposed message's recipients: who they are, what they think, what makes them tick
Meaningful messages
Relevant, personal, and tailored to the audience's preconceptions and predispositions rather than the organisation's agenda
Engaging programmes
Dovetailing with the audience's state of mind and taking their perceptions from where they are to where we need them to be
To achieve these ends, we follow a tried and tested process. It doesn’t matter whether it’s done explicitly or behind the scenes, whether we’re working on an internal communications programme, an issues management project or an exercise in post-merger repositioning. This is how it goes:
- Analysis of the current situation
What is the overall political and organisational context? Who are our audiences and what are their current attitudes, opinions, motivations? The outcome of this phase is a clear definition of the real problem or issue that needs to be addressed and the current disposition of the target audiences. - Assessment
Having identified our audiences and determined our defining issue, we need to devise the unified core message that will act as the “communications bridge”, cutting through clutter and straddling the gap between sender and receiver. - Action
Now we develop the master scheme. Invariably including communications elements, it may well also involve changes in policy, even personnel, in the development of a plan of action that will engage all audiences and promote personalised commitment among all stakeholders
We then work closely with the individual client to translate the master scheme blueprint into execution plans, before proceeding to implementation where our involvement may change or even cease depending on what is most appropriate, effective and efficient.
Contact us
Mount Pleasant Studios51-53 Mount Pleasant London WC1X 0AE- T 020 3417 4324
- E info@kissmannlangford.com