I am not here to pretend that I am one of those people who plan everything in life – from birthday parties to holidays, from the marriage to the first child and so on. No. The truth is that I always run on the limit, when the red light is already warning me that there is no more time. But then, when that moment arrives, I sit down and organize my thoughts.

My logic is still analog – true. I only work on the tip of the pencil. But once I see the ideas lying on paper, they begin to take shape and that’s what give me motivation to keep working. For some people, drawing works better. For others, charts and infographics can make more sense visually. For me, the good and old little notebook is where the magic begins and the ideas flow through. And when we find ourselves in the whirlwind of the events, we see that our plan can be our greatest safe haven.

To set up a plan for a project is not a rocket science. Just follow a few steps and it becomes almost automatic. Of course a little practice also contributes along the time. The first step is to ask yourself what are your goals. What you want to achieve and how, and who can help you on this (the stakeholders).

When you think everything is going wrong, refer to your original plan and see if you followed it faithfully. If yes, look again objective by objective and action by action and see what needs to be revised and updated. Do not beat yourself up if you have to redo it or improve it as often as needed. Life is like that – dynamic.

There are things we cannot foresee and others with which we will not know how to react, but only experience can tell you how to deal with them. You will get frustrated sometimes. In these situations, the best advice is to talk to a friend. Believe me: you will not be alone on this!

And although it is not that sustainable, one day or another your stuck-in-a-bottle message will leave the ocean of possibilities that leads to everywhere and reach one particular beach in some specific place on the globe. Then it is better plan it so it can be understandable and effective.

In case of panic, continue steadfast in your goals and DO YOUR THING!
Bellow you can see a few steps that may help you to get prepared for… planning!

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Building a Communications Plan

Step 1 – Understand Your Objectives

The first step is to put yourself in the shoes of your audience. What do they need and want to know? What’s their preferred way of receiving information? What will stop them to listen/read/see what you have to say? And how will you know that they have got the right message from you? Than, be clear about your overall communication objectives: what do you want to achieve, when and why? What’s the message, what channels can you use and pay attention on the timing!

Step 2 – Understand Your Audiences

At this point it is important to identify and list your different audiences. It can seem a little complicated, but you can use a simple stakeholder analysis to help you do this. Think of “audiences” as groups that you need to communicate with and clarify specific objectives for each group.

Step 3 – Point Communications Channels

Before starting on detailing your plan, first put down all the possible communications channels you can use to help you get your message across. Think broadly and creatively.

Step 4 – Point Communications Messages

To plan out the message for each audience, start by thinking about the broadest audience groups first. Several messages over time may be required to meet the objectives of each audience.

Step 5 – Monitor Effectiveness

It’s good to get feedback on the communications you have planned and implemented. Ask people from different audiences how are you doing. Check if they understand the messages and what’s the most effective way and fill in any gaps.

Nathalia currently works for Greenpeace Brazil. She joined the Adopt-a-Negotiator delegation for the 2012 Doha Climate Conference. During the conference, Nathalia managed to place several stories in mainstream Brazilian media to highlight the importance of climate action and the specific role played by Brazil, thanks to a well prepared communication plan that she has developed during the weeks prior to the conference.