Making communications land - Are they received and understood as intended? we...
SMC 2009/10 Training Program
1. Training
Program
In tocov's ever changing and challenging business environment, it is
important to engage and effectively manage your internal and external
stakeholders,
One way to ensure this is to invest in and train-up your in-house personnel,
including your senior managers, HR specialists and communications team,
all of whom can have a significant impact on your company's stakeholder
management performance and public profile.
Such training can help you and your people:
Why Saunders-McDermott?
1, understand what makes your key stakeholders tick and how to engage
them on an ongoing basis, What sets Saunders-McDermott
2, conslstentlv deliver the right information, in the right way, to the right apart from other training
people, at the right time, and providers is our practical
3, effectively maintain and protect two of your organisation's most approach based on real industry
important attributes - a stong market position and a credible reputation experience. We use proven
based on mutual respect, proven expertise and sound leadership, behavioural change techniques
to bring about significant and
Saunders-McDermott Consulting offers a range of training workshops designed sustainable changes to the
to help organisations maintain a strong and positive standing among their attitudes and performances of
stakeholders - irrespective of economic or other external influences, workshop participants,
These workshops range from basic introductory skillsdevelopment through to We also open each workshop
advanced, more intensive one-on-one sessions, Each one is tailored to the by identifying the strengths and
individual needs of your business, with the content and activities reflecting weaknesses of all participants,
the actual challenges your organisation can face, Thisincludes them facing any
fears they may have (such as
Training workshops include: the dread of public speaking)
and us working with them to
• Introduction to Media Skills& Media Relations
transform these fears into positive
• Advanced Media Skills& Media Relations
outcomes, The end result will
• Effective Crisis& IssuesManagement
be a significant improvement
• Perfecting Your Presentation & Information Sharing Skills
in the ability of your people
• Effective Stakeholder Engagement
to effectively engage your
• Essentialsfor Community Liaison
stakeholders,
• Introduction to Behavioural Change
www.saundersmcdermott.com.au ~~
2. Introduction to Media Skills & Media Relations Duration:
Half-day (approx 4 hours)
Thisworkshop will help you to generate positive media coverage by first
No. of participants:
improving your understanding of the media and how it works. As former
Between 2 and 10
national journalists we do this by breaking down some basic media
Who should attend:
myths and unveiling some tricks of the trade used by the media to get
People with responsibility for media
their story.
liaison and media interviews on a
semi-regular basis
Participants are encouraged to share their ideas, ask questions and take
part in interactive media exercises. We also provide practical advice
on how to deliver credible newsworthy stories, develop effective key
messages, the importance of knowing your target news cycle and style-
flexing your information to suit different audiences.
We outline the dos and don'ts of backgrounding journalists, conducting
basic media interviews and using effective techniques to reduce the riskof
something going wrong which can often lead to negative media coverage.
Advanced Media Skills & Media Relations Duration:
Full day (approx 8 hours)
Thisworkshop incorporates much of the information and practical tips No. of participants:
included in the Introduction to Media Skills& Media Relations workshop, Between 2 and 4
but also provides strategies for achieving best media performance Who should attend:
even when faced with tough journalists and challenging or controversial Senior managers and
situations. spokespeople who conduct
media interviews on potentially
The day includes up to four simulated print. radio and television interviews challenging issues
which seek to reflect the conditions and issuesyour spokespeople may
have to face in real life.
Many participants find these interviews challenging and hard work given
they are recorded on camera and then played back to encourage
feedback and constructive comment from the entire group. We find,
however, that this helps workshop participants more clearly understand
their strengths and weakness. It also enables them to witness their own
Improvements as they progress and utilise their newly learnt skills.
Effective Crisis & Issues Management Duration:
Full day (approx 8 hours)
Thisworkshop provides participants with a strategy for identifying
No. of participants:
upcoming issueswhich could be critical or controversial to your
Between 2 and 10
organisation. It then explores how these issuescan be managed or
Who should attend:
mitigated.
Senior managers and
spokespeople who need to
Participants learn the importance of establishing consistent procedures
engage stakeholders and
to ensure everyone is working towards an agreed communications
manage vital information during
outcome. They also learn about the different ways information is received
controversial or crisis events
by stakeholders and the options available to share vital key messages so
they are heard, understood and acted upon.
The day features stakeholder management exercises which include role
playing and the preparation of various written materials.
3. Perfecting Your Presentation & Information Duration:
Sharing Skills Full day (approx 8 hours)
No. of participants:
Thisworkshop provides participants with strategies for engaging an Between 2 and 6
audience and holding their interest. Thisincludes appropriate body Who should attend:
language, the delivery of effective key messages and the use of People who regularly share
supporting visual materials. information and present to internal
and/or external audiences
It also provides participants with a valuable insight into how different
people receive and process Information. From there we explore the ways
to positively influence an audience's attitudes and actions.
Participants undertake presentation exercises to test the effectiveness of
their key message development and information sharing skills.
Effective Stakeholder Engagement* Duration:
Full day (approx 8 hours)
Thisworkshop provides participants with a strategic plan for identifying No. of participants:
key stakeholders, confirming their current attitudes and assessing any Between 2 and 6
misconception or barriers to change that they may have. Who should attend:
People who regularly engage with
We then explore how these barriers can be broken down using a range of internal and external
various approaches to engage and manage different stakeholders, stakeholders in the short, medium
remembering that 'one size does not fit all'. and long-term
The workshop also looks at the benefits of a coordinated approach, the
value of consistent messaging and the actions needed to build ongoing
confidence, trust and support among your stakeholders.
The day features interactive stakeholder engagement exercises which
include role playing, the preparation of various written materials, and
on-camera presentations where appropriate.
* an additional Advanced workshop is also available
4. Essentials for Community Liaison* Duration:
Full day (approx 8 hours)
Thisworkshop provides participants with an end-to-end view of
No. of participants:
community liaison to illustrate the value of getting it right and the risksof
Between 2 and 6
getting it wrong.
Who should attend:
People who interact with the
It looks at the common misconceptions of community liaison versus
community during a major project
community consultation and the need for a consistent and integrated
or roll out of new oouctes. programs
approach. It also explores the value of starting community liaison
or services
activities as early as possible.
Participants learn the importance of using establishing credible key
messages and written materials as well as the value of a transparent
information sharing process, all of which can influence the ultimate
success of a project as well as the ongoing market position and
reputation of your organisation.
The workshop also looks at how different people respond to and
process information and what behavioural change techniques are
available to positively influence their actions or attitudes in the short,
medium and long-term.
Participants undertake interactive exercises including role playing, the
preparation of written materials, and on-camera presentations where
appropriate.
* an additional Advanced workshop is also available
Introduction to Behavioural Change*
Duration:
Full day (approx 8 hours)
Thisworkshop introduces participants to the proven methodologies of
No. of participants:
stakeholder profiling and core belief research. It then provides insights
Between 2 and 4
into how these methodologies can be used to better understand what
Who should attend:
makes different types of people 'tick' and how to share information with
People who wish to change
them in the right way to achieve the right outcomes.
the attitudes and behaviours of
stakeholders over the medium and
Participants get the chance to identify their own 'personality profile'
long-term
and gain insights into the different behaviours they display when they
are in a logical and calm mindset versus an emotional and anxious one.
Thisprovides them with first-hand experience about how information will
be received by different types of people in different circumstances.
The day includes simulated stakeholder management exercises which
include role playing, the preparation of various written materials and
on-camera presentations where appropriate.
* an additional Advanced workshop is also available
www.soundersmcdermott.com.ou ~)-
5. Planning your Workshops
Training workshops run for half-day or full-day sessions.
They can take place at your business premises or at
an independent venue nearby. Only one organisation
is trained at a time to ensure the content Isas relevant
and meaningful as possible.
We will discuss your specific requirements in advance
of the workshops to ensure we cover the work areas
you believe are most relevant to your team.
Evaluation
After each workshop we provide a detailed
assessment of all participants and their stakeholder
engagement. communications and information
sharing skills.
Thisassessment includes a written report for everyone
who participates in full-day workshops and a DVD of
their workshop performance where appropriate.
6. Our Workshop Trainers
Between them, the Principal Partners of Saunders-McDermott Consulting have almost 50 years
experience in the media, communications, stakeholder engagement, community liaison and
behavioural change disciplines.
Janet Saunders Lisa McDermott
With a Masters Degree in Communications and Post With a BA (Hons) Degree in Journalism, Lisa McDermott
Graduate Degree in Behavioural Change, Janet has extensive experience in the media and government
Saunders is a former Australian Financial Review sectors at a State and regional level.
journalist. She is also a published author on 'Personality
Profiling as a Communications Tool' and' The Challenges A former rnetropoliton journalist from the UK, Lisa
of Introducing Recycled Drinking Water in Australia', spent five years working as a senior media adviser to
a NSW Government Minister. She worked with several
Over the past 15 years she has advised some of Government agencies to successfully roll-out and
Australia's leading iconic companies including AMP, manage important new policies across the State, as
GIO, Goodman Fielder, Dairy Farmers, Morgan Stanley, well as manage controversial public issuesin a tough
OneSteel and Optus about how they can engage and political arena.
positively influence their stakeholders during periods of
significant change. For six years, Lisa was also a senior communications
manager for a leading NSW Council during a time
In recent years, Janet has used her extensive experience of significant change. As a member of the senior
to advise the local government and infrastructure management team she had direct influence on how
industrieswhere stakeholder engagement and community information was shared and provided to 300,000
relations activities can often make or break a project. ratepayers and other key stakeholders.
Janet's insights into what makes individual stakeholders Lisa's insights into 'how the process works' and issues
tick enables her to provide workshop participants management skillsenable her to provide workshop
with real and practical information about how they participants with real and practical information about
can 'communicate' effectively irrespective of the targeting the right audiences in the right places In the
circumstances or type of information being shared. right way.
Find out more ...
To find out more about the full range of services offered by Saunders-McDermott
Consulting visit our website at www.saundersmcdermott.com.au or contact:
Janet Saunders on 0438 191 328 or janet@saundersmcdermott.com,au or
Lisa McDermott on 0404 826 720 or lisa@saundersmcdermott.com.au
~)- www.saundersmcdermott.com.au