Finding Your Voice: Communicating Your

Leadership Brand

Presented byKaren Hochberg

ONS Director Marketing/PRLDI WebcastJuly 16, 2008

Learning Objectives

• Understand key communication styles

• Explore how your leadership brand influences communications

• Define your target audience• Understand how to develop and

discipline your message• Discover how to use bridging

techniques to reduce conflict in communications

What’s branding got to do with it?

We seek to affirm our beliefs…

Sources:

www.nursingadvocacy.org

www.nationalnurse.org

Nursing as a brand

“No one cares what you know until they know how much you care.”

Authenticity

Expand the Nursing Profession as a Brand

Nurses have the knowledge Nurses have a great story to tell Nurses must give voice to their story

building on the strength of caregiver!

But you already have created a brand with your coworkers, family, friends…

First impressions matter…

Building your communication brand

• Plan your communications

• Target the proper audience

• Frame your message

• Choose the right tools

• Practice, practice, practice

Connecting your ideas to people

• Know yourself– Access your knowledge of your Leadership

Inventories

Relating to other people’s communication brands

• Driver

• Commander

• Promoter

• Chess Player

What do I want to communicate?

What do I want done about it?

Who is my target audience?

Frame the issue!

Message Discipline

TacticsCommunications Pyramid

Adapted from The Spin Project 2005

What do I want to Communicate?

• Lay a strong communications foundation

• Assess past communications:

Lessons learned

What resources do I have or need

Who will do the work

What is your brand

What are you advocating for

What do I want done?

• What exactly you want the person(s) to do?

• Why should they care?

• Tune into their WII-FM

Who is my target audience?

• Who is the Elivs?

• Who can you directly influence that can influence the decision maker

How do I frame the issue?

• Describe the issue in a way that links with the values and needs of your target audience

Discipline the message• Think CLEAR

• Connections-to the person values, project

• List next steps-define what you want done

• Expectations for success-what it looks like

• Ability-how, the tools, the support

• Return-tune into their WII-FM

• Think Fast: Elevator Ride

Tips & Tactics

• Audience reaction

• Absolutely A-words count

• Be a PRO at CONtroversy

Body Language

Voice

Word Choice

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Professor Albert Mehrabian has pioneered the understanding of communications since the 1960's

Have a plan…

• Emotional vs. Factual

• Three key points

• Headline & Bottom Line

• Passion persuades

• Picture the outcome: paint the picture

• Be brief

Absolutely A-words

• Anecdotes

• Action words-imagery

• Alliteration

• Answer a question

• Analogy

• Anaphora

Be a PRO at CONtroversy

• Anticipate arguments

• Best defense is a good point

• Courtesy counts

• Sense of humor essential

• Build a bridge back to your message

Build Bridges

• The real issue is….

• Let’s put that in perspective..

• Let’s take a broader look…

• If what your asking is….

• I can’t say that, but what I can say…

• I might frame that question differently…

Going UP…Let’s Practice

What do I want to communicate?

What do I want done about it?

Who is my target audience?

Frame the issue!

Discipline your message

Tactics

Going Up: Elevator Speech Outline Tool

I want to communicate:

Am I talking to the right person or persons? List the key influencers:

Brainstorm Box…. What’s in it for the person I want to convince? What do they value? What do they need now that fits with what I want them to do?

Discipline my message:

C

L

E

A

R

Connections to the person’s values, projects:

List the steps I want done:

Expectations for success-what it will look like:

Ability, know-how, do they have the tools:

Review, Re-tune into their radio station WII-FM:

Timely Tactics

Absolutely A+ Words: anecdotes, action words, alliteration, analogy….

Build a BridgeBe a PRO at Controversy. . . Let’s take a broader look…Is the real issue . . . My understanding is …Are you saying…

This is what I want the person to do as a result of my communication:

FRAME MY ISSUE:

What’s Next

• Use these techniques at home this week

• Use these techniques at work this week

• Thinking before you speak reaps rewards

ONS Media Response Team

• ONS experts committed to responding to media calls within 24 hours

• Develop relationships with local reporters

• Work with hospital PR departments to encourage the coverage of nursing

• Work with ONS PR team to get Nurses Noticed Now

Resources• From Silence to Voice by Bernice Buresh &

Suzanne Gordon

• The Simple Survival Handbook by Bill Jensen

• The Art of Woo by G. Richard Shell

• www.projectspin.org

• www.communicationsleadership.org