GETTING ORGANIZED FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Effective communication requires preparation. The first step is explicit analysis of the decisions faced by audience members, in order to identify the facts essential to their choices. The second step is assessing their current beliefs, in order to identify the gaps in their understanding, as well as their natural ways of thinking. The third step is drafting communications potentially capable of closing those gaps, taking advantage of the relevant behavioral science. The fourth step is empirically evaluating those communications, refining them as necessary. The final step is communicating through trusted channels, capable of getting the message out and receiving needed feedback.

Executing these steps requires a team involving subject matter experts (for ensuring that the science is right), decision analysts (for identifying the decision-critical facts), behavioral scientists (for designing and evaluating messages), and communication specialists (for creating credible channels). Larger organizations should be able to assemble those teams and anticipate their communication needs. However, even small organizations, individuals, or large organizations caught flat-footed can benefit from quickly assembling informal teams, in order to reduce the risks of communicating in ways that undermine their credibility.

The talk will illustrate the science base, with a few core research results; the risks of miscommunication, with a few bad examples; and the opportunities for communication leadership, focusing on the US Food and Drug Administration.