1. 1
“The Communication Plan”
Group 3 “Brand2gether”
Stan de Valk - 316773
Will Theile - 312182
Ana Reiter - 336760
Sukunchai Sukhant 322062
Dagmar Snippe - 334498
Lecturer
Rob Vogel
INT1 Project
Date: 13-06-2016
Word count: 7,403

2. 2
Executive summary
This report is the communication plan for the changes happening at IKEA Hengelo. The
communication plan has four phases: the analysis, the strategy, the implementation and
the evaluation.
In the analysis section the findings of the scan can be found. It briefly highlights the
findings of the preliminary research and the nature of the change is explained.
The second phase is all about the strategy. It is about the set-up of this communication
plan. Several plans, approaches and formats are discussed, and the most suitable ones
are selected. Besides selecting the best methods, the importance of change and growth
is highlighted. In this phase the target group, objectives for them and the resistance
they might cause are explained as well. After that, a change story can be found. This
story is to make the ideas more concrete and clear. The last part of the strategy phase
is the section about the core messages. In there the most important messages that
should be communicated are reviewed.
The third phase is called the implementation and it deals with the execution of phase
two. It includes the communication toolkit, which describes the three online and offline
tools that should be implemented in IKEA Hengelo. The first tool that is recommend is a
cultural workshop, to improve the knowledge of the employees of IKEA Hengelo. Having
a better understanding of the cultural differences will help them in approaching the
German customers. The second tool is online and it includes an online class for the
employees whom do not understand SpeakApp. This online class provides videos in
which the app is explained. The third and last tool from the toolkit is all about team
building. The idea is to have team building days with the middle managers. When they
get to know each other better and in different ways, they might communicate more
effectively at work. Besides the communication tools the communication calendar will
also be visible, which shows what will happen in the coming year and when it will take
place.
The last phase is the evaluation phase. The evaluation phase will explain how the
success of the implementation can be measured and what tools are needed for this
measurement.

3. 3
Table of content
Executive summary ....................................................................................................................... 2
Table of content............................................................................................................................. 3
Chapter 1 Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Organizational context + growth stage ................................................................................ 4
Chapter 2 Set up of out change communication plan.................................................................... 7
2.1 Format of our plan................................................................................................................ 7
2.3 vision on organizational change......................................................................................... 11
2.3.1 Organization change as a process.............................................................................. 11
2.3.3 Action or interaction vision and sense making ............................................................ 14
2.4 change story ...................................................................................................................... 16
2.6 communication goals and core messages......................................................................... 19
2.6.1 Communication objectives, core messages and how to overcome resistances ........ 20
Chapter 3 Communication toolkit ................................................................................................ 22
3.1 communication tools .......................................................................................................... 22
3.2 communication matrix........................................................................................................ 24
3.3 Communication calendar ................................................................................................... 25
Chapter 4 Evaluation................................................................................................................... 26
Chapter 5 Budget ........................................................................................................................ 27
References .................................................................................................................................. 28
Appendix.................................................................................................................................. 29
Appendix 1 ........................................................................................................................... 29
Appendix 2 ........................................................................................................................... 31
Appendix 3 ........................................................................................................................... 32
Appendix 4 ........................................................................................................................... 45

4. 4
Chapter 1 Analysis
1.1 Introduction
IKEA Hengelo was founded in 2002 and has grown into mature IKEA store, which has a
regular, loyal and expanding customer base. Not only does the company attract repeat
customers, it attracts new customers from not only The Netherlands, but also Germany.
However, having said this, IKEA Hengelo wishes to expand and increase the current
numbers of the German customers that attend the store. They intention is to keep to
the current brand identity which is “the brand of many” by constantly providing a good,
friendly and helpful service. By doing so, the IKEA Hengelo believes that the numbers of
the cross-border, German, counterparts will increase.
Within this report you will find the communication plan with the suggested approach for
changes inside the company, IKEA Hengelo.
The information of the report is based on lectures, seminars, academic books and intake
interviews with members of IKEA Hengelo. Also, a visit to the IKEA Hengelo store was
conducted to gain more personal and primary knowledge of how the internal structure
and communication functions.
The report contains four sections; the analysis, the strategy, the implementation and
the evaluation
1.2 Organizational context + growth stage
During the previous project the project group researched the communication within
IKEA Hengelo. The insights and findings from this research turned into a preliminary
advice. To be able to create the communication toolkit that will help IKEA Hengelo to
make the changes work, the preliminary advice should be taken into consideration.
The preliminary advice was:
1. Informing the staff about the culture differences between the Dutch and German
customers by giving courses about the cultural differences. When comparing the
masculinity index from both countries, it can be concluded that there is a significant
difference among these two cultures. This is crucial for IKEA Hengelo to take into
account to develop their organization change.
2. Boosting the efficiency of the communication from bottom to top and top to
bottom. The communication flow should be developed and the middle managers have
vital role in this.
3. The ability of information for the employees who are not using SpeakApp should be
increased to 100%. This will help the company to adapt to changes faster and keep the
communication flow sustain in the long run.

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Ezerman: strategies for change / growth stage
Ezerman has defined seven different strategies for changes. The main purpose of these
is make the cooperation as optimal as possible. It is possible to use several of these
strategies at the same time.
→ Avoidance. The people involved need to understand that the change is needed
before they will accept a change.
→ Facilitation. Make the conditions optimal in order to make the change, this
includes physical and non-physical conditions
→ Information. Everyone involved should know about the changes about to happen
→ Educational strategies. Everyone involved should be educated and coached
during the change. This can happen in the form of conveying information,
learning them new skills or change attitudes.
→ Negotiation. This is for the people involved who do not want to accept the
change. It is important to negotiate with them and find a middle way.
→ Convincing. The idea is to convince someone with the use of arguments and
simple logic, which should maximize the advantages and disadvantages should be
minimized.
→ Power force and pressure strategy. Enforce the changes and reward and punish
the people involved.
Best for client
For our client’s organization the model created by Ezerman is probably most suitable.
There are various other model which could be used to explain growth in an
organization, these can be found in apeendix x.x.
With Ezerman’s model it is possible to implement a few strategies at the same time,
which creates the most optimal strategies for the organization. For IKEA Hengelo three
of these strategies from Ezerman should be combined in order to make it the best
approach. First of all the educational strategy should be implemented. In this case the
involved employees should be educated. They should know about the cultural
differences and they should be able to communicate in German with the German
customers. Secondly, the facilitation strategy could be implemented. Is the conditions
are optimal, it will be easier to make the change. If the employees have the option to
learn the German language, for example, it will make it easier to implement the
change. A third strategy from the Ezerman model that could contribute to a good
change is the third one: information. Everyone within IKEA Hengelo should be kept up-
to-date in order to make the change happen smoothly. When people know what is
happening, they will feel part of the process, and they are probably more willing to
adapt.

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1.3 Problem definition - necessity and nature of change
IKEA Hengelo wants to become more local for the Dutch customer, while at the same
time attracting more German customers. The nature of change can be based on a want
or a must. For IKEA Hengelo that is clearly a want, since it is not neccesary to make this
change. Additional to the change being based on a want or must, it can be based on the
things that happend in the past, or things that could happen in the future. In this case
the change is focused on the future; this is an opportunity for IKEA Hengelo
The nature of change for IKEA Hengelo divided into two important elements which are
strategy and system.
→ Strategy can be implemented to adapt to the change of organization by focus on
the long run and short run strategy as well as all the angel of it
→ System should have a supportive information to prepare the organization to
implemented to the new change and become learning organization.
Resistance
In every change process there might have a resistance from the employees in
organization. The resistance happens with a certain reason from the employees. It
maybe because they think that the organization is doing good if they stay where they
are, or they are afraid the if the company change it might effect their job position. This
are the fact that the resistance occur when the company want to change a new strategy
and goal.

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Chapter 2 Set up of out change communication plan
2.1 Format of our plan
Strategic Communications Plan (non-profit organisations)
Seven steps to creating a successful plan
This specific communication plan template uses regimented and clearly sectioned
elements to build up the plan. It splits the whole plan into parts, which clearly answer
questions, which are specifically target one goal. The plan uses detailed SWOT analysis
to understand their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This SWOT
analysis is then broken down into steps that enable the reader to determine in which
direction the company is moving.
The core principles of the “Seven Steps” do not seem to change depending on the
contents of the Strategic Communication Plan. This means that the outcome of this
particular plan will not be as detailed and personally tailored than others. Its content
follows set steps to determine the outcome. The use of this particular plan is not
suitable to use for this particular communication plan. It involves far too much structure
and limits the expansion of particular areas.
(Appendix 2)
Strategic Communication Action Plan
The strategic Communication Action Plan is structured in a very informal and bullet point
format. The concept evolves around the fact that all “action points” are written in a style
which is easy to ready, well contained and measurable. Having the information in this
particular format, it enables the reader to approach the points which need attention and
the “definition of done” is simply reached.
This method of a strategic Communication Action plan is one, which needs several steps
to be implemented. This is true because the whole plan is built around the action plan
and involves very little content and description regarding information of the action
points. The plan goes into brief details about each step and misses key information such
as, budgeting, strategic directions and goals. All the steps are vague, for example
“Expand and improve news letters.” This example of a section of a plan gives no time
frame and method of how the newsletters will be improved. Also, how are the letters
understood to be improved? What makes them better?
Questions like these are not answered throughout the working plan, which proves it is
very vague. (Appendix 3)

8. 8
Communication Plan for the Project Management Improvement Project
The communications plan for the project management improvement project makes use
of tables to contain and show information. All information within this specific
communications plan is structured in tables, which makes for a clear read. The
information is easily accessible and changeable. However, due to this format, it lacks in
depth and detail on particular areas. Often information held within the tables do no go
into detail and expansion on certain categories is limited. Having information held in
table’s limits the length of the plan making these particular plan only 4 pages long.
Overall, this plan is an easy read, yet lacks in details, which are expected, form an
action plan. (Appendix 4)
The main concepts of all the action plans remain the same, however, there are certain
details, which are missed in a few of the plans. Some action plans are very vague which
is not what we are looking for in a plan. Within the “Seven Steps to Creating a
communication plan” the information is very structured to the pre-determined
questions, which gives limited room for detail and personalisation.
The Strategic Communication Action Plan allows room for personalisation, yet the bullet
pointed layout do restrict the creator. Out of the three plans, we believe that this would
most suit our project. Even though the content and layout is not completely ideal, the
way in which it is structured fit our needs.
Finally the communication plan for the Project Management Improvement project is too
short for the detail we wish to transfer. Using this plan would restrict the outcome of
our goal due to the lack of detail and personalisation. Therefore, for our communication
we advise using the Strategy Communication Action Plan.

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2.2 change communication in line with IKEA’s communication policy
Placemat Plan
IKEA’s Hengelo communication strategy is highly connected to the company’s
organizational goal which makes the company a big success. However, in order for IKEA
Hengelo to be able to achieve their goal of attracting more German customers, a
placemat plan for the change process of the organization needs to be taken into
consideration as Moorcroft, D. explains (Moorcroft, 2003). Furthermore, the master
strategic plan, the operational plan and finally the tactical plan also need to be
implemented on this plan.
The operational plan which is also referred to as the tactical plan, deals with how or
through which means the master strategic plan is implemented. In other words, this
model regards how IKEA Hengelo could achieve their goal of attracting more customers
through communication. Through this plan, IKEA Hengelo is able to timely address
problems and issues that might emerge through the goal implementation in advance of
providing results.
The master strategic plan, the most complicated implementation method, regards the
overall context of the organization ranging from making everyday decisions, paying
close attention to the company’s vision and mission as well as budgeting and reporting.
In order for IKEA Hengelo master strategic plan to be successful, the company should
consider and strengthen seven important points: vision, goals, priorities, corporate
reputation and values, stakeholder believes communication objectives and
communication priorities.
In summary, the tactical communication plan of IKEA’s Hengelo regards what the
company needs to do. In other words, this plan is about what the company needs to do
in order to achieve their goal to attract more German customers through the means of
communication.

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Placemat plan for IKEA Hengelo
Vision Creating a better everyday life beyond furniture as well
as being environmental friendly.
Goal Attract a bigger number of German customers while
moving from a global to a local strategy.
Business priorities Remain being a furniture leading company.
Corporate key
Objectives
Always start with putting the customer need in the first
place.
Reputational priority
(Consumers)
Continue to deliver affordable, sustainable, innovative
furniture.
Reputational
priority(stakeholders)
Remaining loyal to stakeholder’s beliefs and agreements.
Reputational priority
(retailers)
Reputational priority
(employees)
2002/2003
Strategic
Communication
Priorities
Make use of environment friendly retailers.
Safety and security of employees as well as working
together towards the goal.
Unknown

11. 11
2.3 vision on organizational change
2.3.1 Organization change as a process
In order to use the models of both Kotter and Lewin properly, they will first be
explained briefly. John Kotter created the 8 step model. This model defines eight ways
of failing the implementation of a change. In order to implement a change successfully,
a company need to take the eight steps. The first step is creating urgency, which means
everyone involved should be aware that a change is needed. Secondly, a powerful
coalition should be created. A powerful group should convince everyone within the
organization that the change is needed. After that, a vision should be created in order to
help employees understand why the change is needed. When the vision is created, it
should be communicated. The next step is to remove remaining obstacles, which can be
processes or employees. The sixth step includes creating short-term wins, which
motivates everyone involved to continue with the change. One of the last steps includes
building on the change, which means you shouldn’t stop focusing on the change. The
last and eighth step includes making sure the change stays in the company.
According to (Appelbaum, Habashy, Malo, & Shafiq, 2012) there are some limitations of
this model. The most important one is that this model does not guarantee success. They
argue that this models provides a good starting point, however almost no study sets out
all the eight steps.
Ikea Hengelo knows what the needed change is: attracting more Germans. By now,
everyone within the organization knows this change is needed, which means step 1 is
already passed. The powerful coalition is also formed: the top management of IKEA
Hengelo is convincing other employees of the change. IKEA is currently between the
third and fourth step. The vision should be created and communicated to everyone
involved. This involves changes within the internal communication. By adjusting the
internal communication flow within IKEA Hengelo, the vision of the change should
become clear for every employee. Whenever these two steps are done, the
management can move on to the next step.
The second model is the unfreeze-change-refreeze model, designed by Kurt Lewin, who
used an iceberg to explain a change within a certain organization. It is based on the
idea that ice first has to melt, before it can change into another form, therefore it has to
unfreeze. Whenever the water is melted, another form can be made. This stands for the
part where a change can be made. The last step is to freeze the ice again, in order to
make the change last.
The first step, the unfreezing, is meant for people within the organization to accept the
change. The employees of IKEA Hengelo have accepted that a change is needed for the
store. Now it is time for them to implement the change. Employees need to learn new

12. 12
things and find other ways to do routine practices in order to make the change
successful. Finding out other ways to execute routine practices can be seen as little
changes that need to be made. For these changes, this iceberg principle can be used.
For every change that need to be made, there will be a unfree, change and refreeze
stage. Little by little each small change will be ‘refreezed’ and memorized. When all
these small changes together will make sure the the most important change, attracting
more Germans, will be reached. It is important to stick to new protocols and the new
ways of executing the jobs of IKEA employees.
Contribution of communication to change
The vision of communication can be divided into three categories; action vision,
interaction vision, or a combination of both. The first approach, the action vision deals
with the message transmission and its main focus is on acquiring intended effects on
the target. On the interaction vision, communication is viewed as a mutual process of
both sides of the message and requires exchange of dialogue in order to achieve
meaning. Last, the combination of both approaches has features of both the action and
interaction approaches.
Through conducting preliminary and secondary research as well as interviews, it is
noticed and stated by IKEA’s Hengelo store manager Remco Hempenius that the
company makes use of the interaction vision perspective of communication. This type of
communication vision can be noticed from daily activities such as the use of the
communication application SpeakApp created for all staff of different hierarchy levels
which shows the interaction vision between the employees. Also, employees are
encouraged to make suggestions and interact between each other in different
departments.
Most decisions made on the perspective of this vision are done through meetings and
meaning creation. These meetings involve communication of different employees to
exchange information on how to work more fluently with cooperation tools such as
social media. These meeting also create support and dialogue involving actors and
stakeholders important to IKEA Hengelo.
Besides the reasons mentioned and explained above, there are other characteristics of
the communication of IKEA Hengelo which indicate the company follows an interaction
based vision as learned in the lectures and seminars. For example, IKEA Hengelo
communication flow is based on a mutual process of staff trough interaction to create
support and dialogue. In other words, this vision is built on the believe that meaning is
done through an interactive process.

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2.3.2 Planned or developmental change
When it comes to a change in an organization, there are multiple approaches on how to
implement that specific change or changes. Mark van Vuuren and Wim J.L. Elving make
a distinction between a planned approach and a development approach. After looking at
both approaches and the situation of IKEA Hengelo, one can determine which approach
fits best in their context.
‘’A planned approach takes top management as the architects of a blueprint for the new
organization, suggesting that the proposed changes overcome observed shortcomings.’’
(Van Vuuren & Elving, 2008)This approach comes down to the fact that the change is
orchestrated by top management who determine how the change will be implemented
and inform the workforce about the changes within the company. This often fits when
the change within an organisation is one which influences the company heavily for
example when there is a change in the companies’ strategy or vision.
‘’The developmental approach does not view organizations as a resource of experiences
rather than an entity with shortcomings. The workforce, using their knowledge and skills
for the organization’s benefit, is the main point of interest. Thus, in the developmental
approach, the organization interacts with the workforce and involves them in diagnosing
the problems the organization encounters.’’, (Van Vuuren & Elving, 2008)This approach
is more focused on involving the workforce in order to identify the problems within the
organization. This could be beneficial depending on the problems within the
organization. As mentioned above, the workforce possess a certain set of knowledge
and skills which could be very helpful in determining the problem and working towards a
solution.
In the case of IKEA Hengelo, the change that is taking place is considered to be quite
big in terms of the influence that it has on the company. Since the strategy is changing
because of the new focus of attracting German customers as well, the developmental
approach would be best fitting for IKEA. Top management is in control of what has to
be changed and how these changes will take place. However, due to the lack of exact
knowledge on how the change process will go, room for adaptation is needed. Along the
way of the change process new factors and influences can arise to which the company
needs to be able to respond. In this process the workforce is also involved more when it
comes to diagnosing the problems the organization encounters. When implementing
these changes, it is of importance that the employees are involved in such a manner
that they will not perceive the change as a negative event. Also they have to be able to
shine their light on the situation and express what they believe to be of importance
when implementing the changes within the company.

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2.3.3 Action or interaction vision and sense making
Sensemaking
Through the use of secondary desk research on Weick, one of the pioneers of the
sensemaking term, it became apparent that IKEA Hengelo could easier achieve their
goals if sensemaking is considered and applied. As scholars have stated, sensemaking is
a term which is a difficult and complex to explain. Still, the sensemaking is of highly
importance regarding the internal organization of the company.
The simplest way to describe the term is that sensemaking is a perspective of giving
meaning to something, or making sense of something. In other words, this is a
communication process that attributes sense and meaning. In order to have a deeper
understanding of the term, it is important to take into consideration the seven aspects
of sensemaking developed by Weick: (Weick, 2012)
1. Identity
2. Retrospect
3. Enactment
4. Social
5. Ongoing
6. Extracted cues
7. Plausibility
According to Vuuren, van, M. & Elving, W.J.L. (2008), the approach of sensemaking has
potential benefits to a company. If correctly applied, sensemaking can, for example,
increase effectiveness communication change as well as enhance a company’s
organizational overall success. These experts suggest that sensemaking is highly
connected to the often studied topics of change as well as communication.
Together, they make a three strand cord that enables a company to succeed. However,
many people are afraid of change, making it harder for an organization to be successful
in sensemaking. Scholars Tsoukas and Chia (2002, p. 570) believe that: “Change must
not be thought of as a property of organization. Rather, organization must be
understood as an emergent property of change.”
Sensemaking fits the interaction vision more than the action vision. As Vuuren and
Elving described in their research and article, sensemaking deals with the interaction,
exchange of meaning and information as well as communication between people. With
these interactions, a better sense of meaning and making is acquired

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2.3.4 Effective change communication and communication strategies
Within the book “Exploring Public Relations”, the importance of communication for an
organization an explained. The pages 267-269, discuss the communication strategy, the
channels and methods that are used and also the effectiveness of internal
communication.
The communication strategy is defined by (Clampitt, 2010: 260) as the : “Macro-level
communication choices made based on organizational goals and judgements about
others reactions, which serve as a basic for action.” (Tench, 2014)
In practice this relates to developing the key messages, communication objectives, or
goals that can be measured. In-turn the communication objectives will influence the
way in which employees think, feel and do something in response to key messages.
Communication channels or methods have changed in recent years due to technological
advancements, yet it is proven that the newer channels are not necessarily the ones
which are the best and therefore used. Within (Tench, 2014) it is explains an employee-
centric communication strategy and its relation which the employees preference for
message content combined with communication flow.
The communication plan should involve a combination of different communication
channels as a “one size fits all” approach is unlikely within different organisations.
Communication effectiveness is a measure in which the efficiency of communication
throughout the organization is demonstrated. The organization overall effectiveness
depends on how strong the internal leadership is and having a good line management
on a solid system of communication process.
A global survey was conducted whereby the results showed that companies with a high
effective communication had a 45% higher total return to shareholders over a five year
period compared to organizations with less effective communication.
However, it was made very clear that shareholder value is not a key measure of
performance, yet it does contribute to a meaningful evaluation the communication
effectiveness.

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2.4 change story
“The brand to many The heart of local and friendly store with its neighborhood”
“Our store is young and mature, but our product, our services is not as young as we
are. We serve our customer as they are our family. Every opinion every thought from
our customers and stakeholders is matter for us. We are sustainable and environmental
friendly store. Therefore, this is why we are different from the other store in the
Netherlands and our competitors. I have to thank you everybody here that take so
much effort to satisfy the wishes of our customers. I would like you keep doing it and
develop yourself more and more to be able to adapt for the change in the future.” The
store manager of IKEA Hengelo told his employees during the employee meeting. In his
tone of voice there is a hidden meaning that he wants his employee realize that IKEA
Hengelo can do more and be the top store in the Netherlands.
The store manager Remco who has a broad vision and positive energy to drive his store
become on top with the principle grow from based to the top. With the heart of an
entrepreneur, he could bring new challenges to his store. As he sees the opportunity to
grow and the benefit of the location which is close to German boarder so he can get
more German customers. Consequently, He came up with the idea of “going from global
to local” he wants his store be more attractive to the German customers and at the
same time being relevant to the local Dutch customer. The news about the strategy has
spread through the organization but it seems a lot of employees do not understand his
idea and do know how to act on it.
Remco calls for the meeting with all the managers from every department to figure the
best way to solve the problem and move forward to new goal of organization. One of
the suggestion is every employee should be getting in the same boat and pull the oars
in the perfect synchronization as well as German and Dutch customers is satisfy with
their service.
In following meeting with all the employee, Remco has told his employees the story
about his boat racing when he was a student. “Before the competition, he and his team
had to practice and training very hard in order to win the racing. In the beginning it is
really difficult for the team to practice because everyone just uses their energy to
paddle the boat and not listen to each other therefore, it makes the them spend more
time to reach the finished point. His coach sees the problem and he tells his team to
synchronize and listen to the coxswain. As a result of listening and cooperating as a
team it leads his team won the boat racing”
After he finished his story, he said to his employees if want to move forward becoming
a learning organization to achieve our new goal, “we as a team need to pull the oars
count the beast that will make the perfect synchronization”. In order to reach our new

17. 17
strategy “from global to local” everyone need to be working together, listening to each
other opinions and be pro-active. These are the key point that you need to keep in mind
While the new plan and strategy has to implemented Remco has been working with
International communication school from Hanzehoegeschool to do the internal
communication research which is done by student. As a result, one group of student
came up with the idea of workshop in order to develop the competences of employees.
This workshop helps employees understand the cultural different be German and Dutch
customers as well as developing and improving the internal communication between the
middle line managers and floor employees. Remco took this benefit to develop his
organization and it can lead the change faster and sustainable in the long term.
The new strategy and plan was executed including the workshop from Communication
student. The number of customers increase everyday both German and Dutch customer
while employees is happy and be updated about new change of the organization.
Consequently, “IKEA Hengelo become a heart of the local and a Friendly store with its
neighborhood”

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2.5 target groups
Internal target groups
The communication plan that is being made is addressed to specific target groups within
IKEA Hengelo. The change process that which IKEA undergoes is an internal process
which is orchestrated by the middle line of the company and consists of all the different
department managers. Therefore in this case the segmentation does not go into a lot of
depth. However, the target group that can be appointed are the employees. In this case
the employees can be segmented on the basis of their attitude. These employees are
targeted regarding the change process as well as the cultural workshops that are going
to take place.
There is however an emphasis on the importance of the middle management in the
change process as well. This has to do with the fact that they play a crucial role in
making sure that the work floor employees adapt sufficiently to the new situation within
the company. They are also responsible for the communication flow between top
management and bottom management during the change process. This is highly
important in order to prevent miscommunication which could have catastrophic
consequences for the company. The segment of employees that is most important to
take into account is the one of the refuseniks. Refuseniks are the employees most
resistant to change and block an effective change process the most. Therefore, this
group should be targeted in order to make them more open to change to let the process
go as effective as possible.
Therefore our target group consists of the department managers who, all together, form
the middle management section of IKEA as well as the segment of refuseniks
employees. Another aspect of the target groups is the information need. In order to
have the employees take an open attitude towards the change process, they need a
certain flow of information. For the refuseniks certainty of keeping their job is important
as well as the goal that is being set. This is so that they feel comfortable with the
change that the company is going through as well as providing them with certainty. Our
focus is not based on any of the standard segments, f.e age, income or geography, but
solely on the role that this target group has within the company. Specific characteristics
that this target group has consists of, obviously, the function in the company as well as
the shared values that they have. However, there is more information about this target
group such as the level of knowledge that this target group has. When we look at the
focus points of the advice that we gave to IKEA, it is clear that cultural awareness has
to be improved. Therefore it is clear that our target group, the middle management,
does not have a sufficient level of knowledge in that area. This is a bottleneck that has
to be tackled in order to make for a successful change process.

19. 19
2.6 communication goals and core messages
During the change process of IKEA, it is important to focus on what message is being
sent to the target group. In the case of IKEA Hengelo, the focus should lie on the
message that is being sent to the employees who work at IKEA. It is important to make
sure that this message is interpreted in a positive way and is clear for all receivers to
understand. Another aspect of the core messages is about the story that is being told
towards the target group. This should align with the strategy, vision and communication
objectives of IKEA Hengelo.
The message that we want to bring across to the target group is mainly focussed
around the positive aspect of the change process. Since most people are often hesitant
towards change, the goal is to address the change process in such a way that the target
group does not experience it in a negative way. The change process is mostly about
adapting to a new culture, namely the German one. Another aspect of the change
process is about increasing the efficiency of the internal communication of IKEA.
The core messages we want to bring across are:
→ Learning about a new culture in a professional manner in order to interact with
German customers on a professional, intercultural, level to give them the IKEA
experience.
→ Enabling all departments to communicate on the same level in order to have
high-efficiency communication throughout IKEA.

20. 20
2.6.1 Communication objectives, core messages and how to overcome
resistances
Communication objectives for internal and external target groups
Within a year period 95 percent of IKEA Hengelo’s employee have a better
understanding in culture differences between Netherlands and German which is help
organization serve the customer and improve the internal communication between top
manager and employee by using communication tools kits to develop their skills.
Communication tool kits will be designed and developed to help IKEA Hengelo
employees reach the objective in term of developing the skills and apply knowledge into
the real situation. This will help organizations achieve the goal and reach their vison.
The employee will have a new knowledge about culture differences between two
counties, therefore they can handle with the problem that might occur during the
services in the right way. Communication kits also created cultural awareness among
the employees which in lead to the right direction in order to change their behavior.
Consequently, this is the factors that drives IKEA Hengelo change to the learning
organization and sustainable in the long run.
Overcoming resistances
When choosing certain objectives for your target groups, it is important to keep possible
resistances in mind that the target group might have. This way one can take those
possible resistances into account when preparing a strategy. The more one is prepared
regarding these possible resistances, the easier it is to react to these resistances.
When it comes to segmenting internal publics within IKEA Hengelo, one can look at
different aspects to divide this group into different segments. These aspects can differ
from: Demographic segments, Psychographic segments, staff groups, contracts with the
organization or the geographical location. In case of IKEA Hengelo, the target group
consists of employees regardless of demographic factors, psychographic factors,
geographic factors and their contract with the organization. Each employee is targeted
regarding the change process and they are all equally valuable regardless of earlier
mentioned factors. The only factor that could be of use when segmenting the
employees is the staff groups. This is due to the fact that top management is not
targeted since they are orchestrating the whole change process. The biggest target
group during the change process are the middle line employees and bottom line
employees. This is because of the fact that they are the ones who are going to be
dealing with the changes in terms of communication with the new German customers.

21. 21
According to Tench & Yeomans (2014) when discussing employees’ attitudes to
organisational change, Quirke categorises employees in four categories. These
categories consist of: Unguided missiles, Hot shots, Slow burners and Refuseniks.
→ Unguided missiles refer to the employees who are willing to help but are unclear
about the direction their organisation is taking.
→ Hot shots refer to the group of enthusiastic employees who are totally in tune
with their organisations direction and their role within it.
→ Slow burners describes employees who are ‘not knowing and not caring’.
→ Refuseniks refers to employees who understand the organisation’s direction but
are most resistant to organisational change.
(Ralph Tench, 2014)When it comes to the change process that is going to take place
at IKEA Hengelo, different employee categories have to be taken into account in
order to let the change process go as fluently as possible.
The first category to take into account consists of the unguided missiles. This
category consists of the employees who are willing to help but aren’t clear about the
direction of the company. This would be a loss as these employees do have potential
to positively influence the change process. In order to prevent these employees from
confusion about the direction, IKEA Hengelo should make it clear what direction they
want to take.
The second category that needs to be taken into account entails the hot shots.
These are the employees that are most helpful during the change process as they
know the direction that the company wants to take and are willing to help. Letting
these employees motivate and positively influence for example the slow burners will
have a positive effect on the change process.
The third category that is relevant for IKEA Hengelo contains the Refuseniks. These
are the employees that are not willing to help during the change process but are
aware of the direction that the company wants to take. In order to make sure that
this group of employees don’t have a negative effect on the change process, it is
important to figure out why this group is not willing to change and try to change
their perspective regarding the change process into a positive manner.

22. 22
Chapter 3 Communication toolkit
3.1 communication tools
For the communication toolkit 1 online communication tool and 2 offline communication
tools were created. The tools are focused on the target group: the employees of IKEA
and the middle management.
Workshop about intercultural sensitivity – offline
This one is important, because employees of IKEA Hengelo do not have enough
knowledge about the cultural differences between the Dutch people and the German
people. It is very important to know about these differences when you want to
approach the customers properly and effectively. Therefore this may be one of the most
important tools IKEA Hengelo is going to need. When the employees are able to
approach the Germans more effective, they can help them better, which may lead to
them buying more products and spending more money. There will be four workshops
and every workshop will take four hours. This means every workshop will take a
morning or an afternoon. The workshops will take four hours, because then there will
be enough time to really do something.
The workshops will involve different ways of learning more about the German culture.
The project team will make use of various methods to teach the employees the
differences, like role play and games.
For the workshop we need someone to lead the workshop, and the project team will
lead the workshop. The reason for this decision is that the project team has proper
knowledge of cultural differences and of leading workshops as well.
The workshop can be given at IKEA Hengelo. This will convenient and easy for the
participants. An additional reason is that this will not cost any money for IKEA Hengelo.
Online class about the app (via intranet) – online
Not everyone uses the Speak app yet, however it is important in order to maximize its
effectiveness. There are a few reasons why people do not use the app. One of them is
not having a mobile phone, which allows using apps. This could be solved by providing
these employees with a smartphone, however that is not part of this toolkit. This tool
focusses on the people who do not really know how this app works. If these employees
could access an online course in which the app will be explained, they are probable
more likely to start working with the app. The online class could be provided on the
intranet of IKEA Hengelo. The class will be in the form of videos, so that the employees
can watch it whenever they want to. This way they can also decide on the time frame;
some people may need more time to learn than others.

23. 23
For this tool we need someone with good knowledge of IT, so he or she can set up this
online class.
Team building days for the middle managers – offline
The middle managers are key for the internal communication within IKEA Hengelo. The
idea behind team building is that they should create better bonds between them. When
they know each other better, they might communicate more effectively. They can share
ideas about their channel function and help each other to grow in their role. During
these days, which should happen 2 times a year, they should have fun together. These
days strengthen their bonds and this will make them understand each other even
better. These days are not going to be about communication or learn more about
communication. The reason for this is that they already know how to communicate.
However, by getting to know each other better there is a big chance the communication
will go smoother and more effective.
IKEA Hengelo should pay for these days, however it is only twice a year and it may be
very helpful.

24. 24
3.2 communication matrix
Communication tool Target group Objective
Intercultural sensitivity
workshop
All employees Within a year 95% of the
employees of IKEA Hengelo
have a better understanding in
cultural differences between
Dutch and German customers.
Online class about
SpeakApp
Employees who do not use
SpeakApp yet
Within a year 50% of the not-
users, understands the app
and uses it on a regular basis.
Team building days Middle managers In a year from now the middle
managers will know each other
better, which makes the
internal communication at
IKEA Hengelo run more
smoothly.

25. 25
3.3 Communication calendar
Communication calendar
Months
Planned
activities
January Workshop intercultural awareness
February Evaluation workshops
March Teambuilding meeting
April Workshop intercultural awareness
May Speakapp online course
June Speakapp online course
July Teambuilding meeting
August Workshop intercultural awareness
September Evaluation workshops
October Teambuilding meeting
November evaluation campaign
December evaluation campaign

26. 26
Chapter 4 Evaluation
If the changes suggested on this report are correctly implemented by the IKEA Hengelo
management team, the company will be able to successfully achieve both of their goals
of attracting a bigger number of German customers while transiting from being
recognized as a global to a local company. Furthermore, the management of IKEA
Hengelo will be able to evaluate if these changes are indeed making them achieve their
expected goals. Ideally, and as planned, the communication activities of this report will
indeed help the client which will be shown through specific evaluation methods.
The client will be able to measure the accountability of the communication activities
suggested on this report through different forms. For example, the management of
IKEA Hengelo will be able to statistically analyze if, after the plans are implemented, a
rise of German customers in the store can be noticed and recorded by employees on the
checkout. These measurements can be taken in specific month’s frequency, for
example, every three months; the store can statistically measure if the numbers are
rising. Through this manner, a form of plan evaluation is achieved.
Another form which can effectively measure if the implementation of the communication
activities are working well could be noted through new German customers signing up
for IKEA Hegelo’s family card or if there is an increase of delivery to German cities. The
use of surveys in which customers of the store can fill in which asks their nationality is
another form which can measure the accountability of the communication activities
mentioned in this report. Furthermore, all these activities would also be evaluated
statistically in a three months or longer period, which can be decided by the higher
management of the store.

27. 27
Chapter 5 Budget
Within the budget table above you can clearly see the costs of each Communication
Tools, which are designed for the middle managers. In the first column it explains the
cost for each single event. Then in the second column it shows how many time a year
the events plan to take place. With this in mind the amounts are multiplied by the
frequency, which gives the totals.
At the very bottom right, the overall yearly total for all of the events is shown.

28. 28
References
Appelbaum, S., Habashy, S., Malo, J.-L., & Shafiq, H. (2012). Back to the future: Revisiting
Kotter's 1996 change model. Journal of Management Developmetn , 31 (8), 764-782.
Moorcroft, D. (2003). melcrum. Retrieved June 12, 2016, from melcrum: www.melcrum.com
Nick Van Dam, J. m. (2012). Organization and Management : an international approach.
Noordhoff Uitgevers.
Ralph Tench, L. Y. (2014). Exploring Public Relations (3rd ed.). Harlow: Pearson.
Van Vuuren, M., & Elving, W. (2008). Communication, Sensemaking and Change as a Chord of
Three Strands. Corporate Communications An International Journal , 13(3), 349-359.
Weick, K. (2012). Chapter 19: Information system approach to organizations. In E. Griffin, A First
look At Communication Theory. McGraw-hill.

29. 29
Appendix
Appendix 1
Growth model Scott
According to Scott an organization is going to three phases during growth. The first
phase is called the small organization. The organization has only a few functions,
because it is still small. A small organization can be recognized by a few things. First of
all the structure, which has little internal differentiation. Secondly, the staff is evaluated
according to informal standards. There is a personal management system
and the planning depends on the preferences of the owner.
The second phase is called The organization comprise solely of departments.
Organization of this size can specialize their process and products. This type have
several characteristics, for example, there is a lot of differentiation internally. Secondly,
the staff is based on formal and technical criteria. The management system is based on
delegation and the strategic planning is based on personal decisions. In this
organization research takes place systematically.
The third phase is called The multidivisional organization. Growth takes place by
diversification and growth of the departments. The first characteristic is that the
structure is decentralized and specialized. The staff is focused on financial measures and
the management system is based on strategic and operational decisions. The strategic
planning is focusing on processes executed by the top level.
Growth model Greiner
The model designed by Greiner explains the phases an organization goes through
whenever they are growing. The model is applicable to different kinds of organizations.
The model has 7 phases and between every phase there is a so called ‘crisis’, a turning
point.
Phase 1: Growth Through Creativity. This phases is the start-up phases, where the
founders of the firm create products. It is still a small company and informal
communication works. Whenever the company wants to grow, more formal
communication is needed. Phase 1 ends with a Leadership Crisis, which means a good
management team is needed.
Phase 2: Growth Through Direction. The company is still growing, however it is getting
to broad. There is too much work and there are too much processes, which will end in
an Autonomy Crisis. This includes that a change of structure is needed.
Phase 3: Growth Through Delegation. The organization is still growing and becoming
more independent. Responsibilities will be delegated to lower levels, which will results in
the top management not having all the control. This again will result in a Control Crisis.

30. 30
Phase 4: Growth Through Coordination. In order to re-establish the control, there is a
need for other or new control mechanisms. This will increase communication and it will
result in a Red Tape Crisis.
Phase 5: Growth Through Cooperation. In order to improve the coherence between the
different departments, there is a need for corporation. More corporation should result in
more effective work. This phase will end in a Consultation Crisis, because the required
consultation will be time-consuming.
Phase 6: Growth By Commercialization and Deregulation. This phase is about increasing
the focus on results again. The organization will liberalize itself and in the end this will
result in a Identification Crisis.
Phase 7: Growth by Integrating Human and Environmental Policy. The management will
spend a lot of time on environment issues, creating a better culture for the organization
and the management will work on the identity of the organization

31. 31
Appendix 2
Strategic Communications for Nonprofit Organizations: Seven Steps to Creating a Successful Plan,
Second Edition by Sally J. Patterson and Janel M. Radtke Copyright
©2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Strategic Communications Plan Template
Mission Statement
20- to 25-Word Organization Description

32. 32
Appendix 3
Sample Outline for a
Strategic Communication Action Plan
The following is an example of an outline for a strategic communication action plan for
XXXX County Schools based on the recommendations from an NSPRA Communication Audit
Report. The suggested goals were taken from the guiding principles, objectives and action steps
detailed in the recommendations in the report. The plan also indicates which of the district’s
strategic directions (or goals) the communication goals most directly relate to.
Please note that this is an outline and not a complete plan, as there are sections that
Communications Office staff and administrators need to address, such as budget, timelines,
responsible parties and evaluation measures. Ongoing communication and public relations
activities should also be added.
While this represents a substantial start on developing a comprehensive communication
plan, it requires the input and direct involvement of XXXX County Schools staff and patrons in
order to prepare a final plan.
Strategic Direction: Highest Student Achievement
Suggested Goal: Position XXXX County Schools as “the district of
choice” for quality teaching, learning and student achievement.
Objectives
• Develop clear, consistent messages that are delivered in “one clear voice.”
Action steps:
♦ Create a theme.
Target audience: Staff; parents; community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

33. 33
♦ Develop key messages for staff, board and key communicators.
Target audience: Staff; board members; key communicators
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Redesign and repackage basic information/marketing materials to create a
“brand” image.
Target audience: Parents; community; students

34. 34
• Develop marketing materials for Choice Plan that emphasize the district’s core
values and the unique attributes of each school.
Action steps:
♦ Redesign the Directory as a marketing tool for choice.
Target audience: Parents; students
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Create marketing brochures.
Target audience: Parents; students
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Revise and update web site.
Target audience: Parents; students; community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Expand cable television offerings.
Target audience: Parents; students; community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Provide regular updates for school newsletters.
Target audience: Parents
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
Suggested Goal: Focus the communication efforts on engaging
stakeholders to take action on behalf of students.
Objectives
• Establish regular communication with the non-parent public.
Action steps:
♦ Develop a publication for district residents.
Target audience: District taxpayers; business/community leaders

35. ♦ Provide news inserts for business/community publications.
Target audience: Business/community leaders and their employees
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Implement a “speakers bureau” for use by community and business organizations.
Target audience: Community/business leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Use Channel 14 to deliver information on a regular basis.
Target audience: General community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Initiate regular communication with local clergy.
Target audience: Faith community leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Improve communication with senior citizens.
Target audience: Senior taxpayers
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Establish a Key Communicator Network.
Action steps:
♦ Identify influential parent, community and business leaders, including minority
leaders.
Target audience: Administrators; board members; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Invite identified key communicators to meet with the superintendent/area
superintendents several times each year.
Target audience: Influential opinion leaders in the community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

36. ♦ Resurrect and redesign Friends of Education newsletter to keep key
communicators informed between meetings.
Target audience: Identified key communicators
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Investigate the possibility of sending Friends of Education electronically.
Target audience: Identified key communicators
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Establish a hotline or direct contact for key communicators to clarify information
or head off rumors.
Target audience: Identified key communicators
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Expand district cable television programming.
Action steps:
♦ Improve distribution of programming schedule to a broader audience.
Target audience: Parents; staff; students; cable customers
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Increase programming related to the Choice Plan.
Target audience: Parents; students
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Use Leadership Technology equipment to research viewer interest in specific
topics.
Target audience: Parents; cable customers; business/community leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Produce more PSAs and infomercials highlighting students and schools.
Target audience: Parents; students; cable customers; business/community leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

37. ♦ Evaluate feasibility of using Channel 14 for staff development and inservice.
Target audience: Staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Expand and improve the district web site.
Action steps:
♦ Redesign homepage for easier navigation by users.
Target audience: Parents; community; potential employees; web surfers
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Update information on a regular basis (weekly or bi-weekly).
Target audience: Parents; community; potential employees; web surfers
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Make publications available online in PDF format.
Target audience: Parents; community; potential employees; web surfers
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Include marketing components (for schools, recruitment, Choice Plan).
Target audience: Parents; students; potential employees
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Provide a page to respond to rumors and myths circulating in the community and
promote the web site as a source of accurate information.
Target audience: Parents; staff; community; key communicators
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Continue to develop a “shared leadership” style across the district.
Action steps:
♦ Close the communication loop on all projects by explaining rationale for actions
and result of efforts.
Target audience: Staff; parents; taxpayers
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

38. ♦ Solicit input and conduct research before making important decisions. Leadership
Technology equipment and focus groups can be used.
Target audience: Staff; parents; community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Continue to develop public engagement/outreach strategies.
Action steps:
♦ Hold town halls or forums regionally.
Target audience: Parents; community; business leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Hold study circles on “hot topics.”
Target audience: Parents; staff; community; business leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Provide opportunities for public input that don’t require attendance at a meeting.
Target audience: Parents; community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Develop collaborative partnerships with county agencies.
Target audience: County service agencies
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Encourage administrative staff involvement in civic and service organizations.
Target audience: Administrators
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Develop outreach programs to distribute information and gain feedback on issues
impacting facilities.
Target audience: Parents; minority community members; civic leaders; faith community leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

39. ♦ Build partnerships with ethnic agencies.
Target audience: Minority community members; civic leaders; faith community leaders
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Provide visual signs of welcome and appreciation of diversity at schools..
Target audience: Students; parents
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
Strategic Direction: Effective Efficient Operation
Suggested Goal: Create an annual, strategic communication plan.
Objectives
• Develop communication goals designed to improve and integrate effective
communication at all levels and that are tied to the district’s strategic directions.
Action steps:
♦ Involve the Strategic Communications Advisory Committee in defining the
communication program and developing specific goals and action steps.
Target audience: Administration; board; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Determine a plan format based on the four-step public relations process of
research, planning and assessment, communication and evaluation.
Target audience: Administration; board; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Establish a process to review and update the plan on a regular basis.
Target audience: Administration; board; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

40. • Create individual communication plans for any major initiatives or changes in
district programs or practices.
Action steps:
♦ Assess communication needs and how they relate to the district’s strategic
directions and the overall strategic communication plan as new efforts arise.
Target audience: Administration; board; staff; Strategic Communications Advisory Committee
Budget:
Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Conduct regular research and evaluation components on communication efforts.
Action steps:
♦ Use the Leadership Technology Group survey equipment to assess staff and
community attitudes.
Target audience: Staff; parents; community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Continue opinion polling on a regular basis.
Target audience: Taxpayers
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Conduct readership surveys of staff and parent publications.
Target audience: Staff; parents
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
Suggested Goal: Make school building-level communication the major
thrust of the communication effort.
Objectives
• Expand and improve school newsletters.
Action steps:
♦ Develop graphics standards.
Target audience: Staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

41. ♦ Train school staff in use of the district Stylebook and how to prepare an effective
newsletter.
Target audience: Staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Conduct readership surveys of school newsletters.
Target audience: Parents
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Prepare brief updates on district news that can be placed in all school newsletters.
Target audience: Parents; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Investigate different ways to distribute school newsletters to a broader audience.
Target audience: Neighborhood residents; local businesses
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Develop communication protocols.
Action steps:
♦ Create a committee of staff and parents to develop guidelines for e-mail and voice
mail communications.
Target audience: Parents; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Evaluate the use of automated answering systems to determine effectiveness and
impact on customer service.
Target audience: Parents; community
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

42. Suggested Goal: Internal communication must be a priority.
Objectives
• Improve internal communication.
Action steps:
♦ Evaluate effectiveness and readership of Topics and revise to make it more timely
and useful to staff.
Target audience: Staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Investigate feasibility of an electronic newsletter for staff.
Target audience: Staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Ensure all staff receive complete information and receive the same information.
Target audience: Staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Increase opportunities for face-to-face communication with staff.
Target audience: Administrators; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Maximize use of voice mail for distributing time sensitive or critical information
to staff.
Target audience: Administrators; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Develop a standard procedure for reporting the outcome of meetings involving
staff.
Target audience: Administrators; staff
Budget: Timeline:
Responsible persons:
Evaluation measures:

43. ♦ Develop a Management Memo for building communications.
Target audience: Administrators; staff
Budget:
Timeline:
Responsib
le
persons:
Evaluatio
n
measures:
♦ Celebrate staff contributions and efforts.
Target audience: Administrators; staff
Budget:
Timeline:
Responsi
ble
persons:
Evaluation measures:
• Emphasize the role of employees as “Ambassadors for Education.”
Action steps:
♦ Develop an ambassador component for new employee orientation, both
certified and classified.
Target audience: New employees
Budget:
Timeline:
Responsib
le
persons:
Evaluatio
n
measures:
♦ Provide inservice and review ambassador role with all staff on a regular
basis.
Target audience: Administrators; staff
Budget:
Timeline:
Responsi
ble
persons:
Evaluation measures:
♦ Recognize employee efforts as ambassadors.
Target audience: Administrators; staff
Budget:
Timeline:
Responsib
le
persons:
Evaluatio

44. n
measures:
• Evaluate the use of internal e-mail.
Action steps:
♦ Create a committee that includes staff who represents the use groups of
both e- mail systems (Places and Outlook Express) to assess the
problems associated with having two e-mail systems in the district and
research possible solutions.
Target audience: Staff
Budget:
Timeline:
Responsib
le
persons:
Evaluatio
n
measures:

45. Appendix 4
Communications Plan
Project Name:
Project Management Improvement Project
Example
Prepared By: Name1 - Project Manager
Disclaimer
This example is based on a real project. However, this version is changed
to present full examples of Communication Plan components as
described in the DoIT Project Management Framework. This example is
not a true representation of the communication plan for the Project
Management Improvement project.

46. Example – Communications Plan v1.0.1 Page i
Document Change Control
The following is the document control for the revisions to this document.
Version Number Date of Issue Author(s) Brief Description of Change
Version 1.0 August 15, 2005 Name1 - Project
Manager
Initial version for review and
comment
Version 1.1 Pending Name1 - Project
Manager
Incorporated changes from
leadership review
Version 1.2 Pending Name3 Reformatting for Project
Management Framework
example
Definition
The following are definitions of terms, abbreviations and acronyms used in this document.
Term Definition
CIO Chief Information Officer
DoIT UW-Madison - Division of Information Technology
DoITnet DoIT Intranet
MTeam DoIT - Management Team
Op Directors DoIT Operations Directors
PSST Project Startup and Status Tool

47. Example – Communications Plan v1.0.1 Page ii
Table of Contents
Executive summary........................................................................................................................2
Table of content .............................................................................................................................3
Chapter 1 Analysis.........................................................................................................................4
1.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Organizational context + growth stage.................................................................... 4
Chapter 2 Set up of out change communication plan ....................................................................7
2.1 Format of our plan ................................................................................................... 7
2.3 vision on organizational change ............................................................................ 11
2.3.1 Organization change as a process ................................................................. 11
2.3.3 Action or interaction vision and sense making................................................ 14
2.4 change story.......................................................................................................... 16
2.6 communication goals and core messages ............................................................ 19
2.6.1 Communication objectives, core messages and how to overcome resistances
................................................................................................................................. 20
Chapter 3 Communication toolkit.................................................................................................22
3.1 communication tools.............................................................................................. 22
3.2 communication matrix ........................................................................................... 24
3.3 Communicaion calendar [j].................................................................................... 25
Chapter 4 Evaluation ...................................................................................................................26
Chapter 5 Budget.........................................................................................................................27
References...................................................................................................................................28
Appendix 1 - Growth models ....................................................................................... 29
Appendix 2 .................................................................................................................. 31
Appendix ........................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix 1.1 ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix 1.2 ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix 1.3 ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix 3 .................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

48. 1. Introduction
The purpose of the communication plan is to ensure the Project Management Improvement
Project provides relevant, accurate, and consistent project information to project stakeholders and
other appropriate audiences. By effectively communicating the project can accomplish its work
with the support and cooperation of each stakeholder group.
The communication plan provides a framework to manage and coordinate the wide variety of
communications that take place during the project. The communication plan covers who will
receive the communications, how the communications will be delivered, what information will be
communicated, who communicates, and the frequency of the communications.
2. Communication Objectives
Effective and open communications is critical to the success of the project.
The key communication objectives for the project are:
• Promote and gain support for the Project Management Improvement Project
• Encourage use of project management best practices
• Give accurate and timely information about the project
• Ensure a consistent message
3. Communication Purpose and Target Audiences
This section identifies the audiences targeted in this Communication Plan, and the purpose of
communicating with each audience. A complete list of the participants in each audience can be
found in the Appendix.
Audience Communication Purpose
Project Sponsor Project plans, project progress, project issues
Project Core Team Project direction, project deliverables, clear direction and delegation of
tasks
Project Review Team Project direction, project deliverables, changes in work processes
DoIT CIO Office Project Strategy, changes to business operations and policy, project
deliverables, project progress
DoIT Management Groups:
DoIT Tech Directors
DoIT Op Directors
DoIT Roundtable
DoIT Mteam
Project Strategy, changes to business operations and policy, project
deliverables, project progress
DoIT project managers Project Strategy, impact due to changes in procedures or policies,
project deliverables, project progress
DoIT staff Impact due to changes in procedures or policies, changes in business
procedures and policies, project progress