A new school Head walked into the lion’s den: a disgruntled community plagued by confusion, uncertainty and frustration. The hostility was palpable but understandable. The previous leadership had left a significant capital works project underway that parents knew little about, along with an unaddressed decline in student performance and an academic philosophy that, at least on the surface, seemed to conflict with the school’s core values.
Families felt under-informed; trust had eroded under inconsistent, reactive and unclear communication during a period of significant change. And more seismic shifts were on the horizon, as the new Head had a wide range of institutional changes on the agenda to improve the school’s position and only one chance to get the communications right. Without the expertise in-house and community trust at an all-time low, they made a call to imageseven.
What we learned
It didn’t take long to uncover that there was no rhythm to, policies for or ownership of internal communications. Responsibilities were fractured, timing was reactive and channels were used inconsistently. There had been many missed opportunities to engage with the community to inform and excite them about what was occurring at a strategic level. In this absence, stakeholders had used their imagination to fill the gap, spreading misinformation and discontent among themselves.
The approach
The key goal was to rebuild a foundation of trust, understanding and advocacy by articulating the vision of the school and the value of these changes, and executing clear communications at strategic milestones. Over the course of four months, a strategic communications project employed a tactical approach across four distinct phases:
- Research – Develop an understanding of the school’s specific context, challenges, needs and audiences.
- Strategy and messaging development – Create tailored messages for segmented audiences and concerns. Develop a content and channel plan aligned with the school’s timeline.
- Implementation – Provision of communications deliverables (such as email messages from the Head, staff briefings, news articles, website FAQs and social media posts) aligned with the content plan. Build a feedback process to enable community voice.
- Post-project report and transition plan – Summary of key findings and recommendations beyond the engagement with imageseven.
Outcomes
Confidence grew in the team at the School as the communications plan was rolled out. Challenging questions were met with clarity and supported by strategically crafted messages and assets. Community sentiment eventually stabilised, with a reduction of complaints, more constructive stakeholder dialogue and growing excitement in strategic plans that had previously been met with scepticism.
Insight applied
- When schools are undergoing change, internal communications become a leadership function, not an administrative one.
- Misinformation thrives in inconsistency. Transparent, timely and consistent communication reduces speculation.
- Provide staff with clear messaging to ensure everyone speaks with one voice, cumulatively building trust.
When time and resources are limited, prioritise communication around major milestones.