In the planning of a feedback plan regarding the problems that American Express is facing, there are certain aspects that need to be considered. One has to come up with a comprehensive communication plan which is basically a document that one draws up that entails what one intends to achieve.
In the case of American Express, the purpose of the communication plan is to find ways of solving the problems and challenges that the firm is facing. One has to take into consideration the appropriate people that you are going to communicate with. Since the problems bedeviling American Express are along the line of marketing, the relevant people to address in that firm should be from the marketing department.
Ways and means of resolving the state of affairs in that firm are supposed to be included in the communication plan. The final component of the plan should be modes of measuring progress or lack of it. (Block 2011)
Communication plan
In developing a comprehensive communication plan for American Express, one has to carry out a research on the most effective communication processes that will adequately address the problems at hand in the most effective way possible. To achieve the desired results, one needs to brainstorm, talk to the communication staff, and meet the board together with the chief executives to talk to the members of the marketing department.
Once one has obtained the information from the research, they then set out to define the desired results. The results the consultant wants to achieve after liaising with representatives of American express are that after presenting a clear and concise situation, they will concur with the consultant and embark on coming up with ways of solving the issues that the firm is facing using the path with the least resistance.
What follows is the definition of who are going to be the audience. This will mainly include the heads of the marketing department because it is in this department where the problem lies. The consultant may also want to include the entire marketing staff so that all those involved are brought on board.
The tools to be used include; status reports, status meetings, regulatory reports, conference calls and the firm’s website. A time table should be drawn up indicating when the goals and objectives should be met, who is supposed to do a particular task and when.
Frequency of communication
How often the consultant is going to communicate with their audience of choice is of great importance and should be given the consideration it deserves. Communication should be as often as possible to guard against breakdown or information being misconstrued. This should also be carried out using all the available channels and tools to ensure that the targeted audience gets all the relevant information in good time.
Tools necessary to meet communication and feedback commitments
The tools that are required to carry out the commitments of communication may include simple things such as flyers to the more sophisticated materials such as glossy magazines. Posters, report covers and rolodex cards can also come in handy when it comes to communicating effectively with the target audience.
Feedback meeting plan
What follows is the feedback meeting plan with the relevant authorities from American Express. This meeting has to be arranged well ahead of time to give all parties concerned enough time to prepare for it. The date for this kind of meeting is set well in advance. The one setting up the meeting should see to it that the chosen date should be flexible for all and the activities for each session should be outlined well in advance.
Purpose of meeting
The main purpose of the feedback meeting is to get the authorities of American Express to air their views and grievances with regards to the information that had been communicated to them in the past.
The consultant also gets the opportunity to gauge the progress of the firm in terms of implementing what had been agreed on earlier. One can also determine whether the marketing department of American Express is receptive to ideas or not and from their conclusion, they can now know what action to take.
The stakeholders you would include in the meeting
The stakeholders to be included in the meeting should be those responsible with running the marketing department together with the top most leaders of American Express.
The head of the marketing department together with the chief executive officer and their assistants should be included as a matter of priority since the latter is in charge with running the affairs of the entire American Express while the former is responsible for managing the department in question.
Structure of the meetings
The meeting should be structured in such a way that it is interactive where both parties are required to express their opinions and concerns and also be able to listen and consider what their counterparts have to say. It should be a sort of roundtable meeting where there is no single person addressing everyone else.
Brief overview of the feedback: presenting problem and real problem
The representatives of American Express may want to let the consultants know the challenges they might have encountered when it came to implementing the recommendations given to them by the consultant. They may also want to make known which recommendations worked and which ones did not.
The consultant on his part may inquire as to what factors may have led to some recommendations working and others not to. He may then ask for the suggestions of the other party regarding to what they think will work and why and he may weigh in with his opinion thereafter (Kubr 2002).
Questions prepared to anticipate and reveal resistance
The consultant can prepare questions to anticipate and reveal resistance incase he suspects there will be any. Such questions may include: Did you implement the recommendations that were given to you? If not, why not? How did it work out? Did you register any improvements in sales?
How have the clients responded since you carried out the recommendations given to you? If the answer is to most of the above questions is affirmative then there is least resistance, if not then there was great resistance?
Strategies to get feedback from stakeholders on satisfaction with consultation
In order for the consultant to obtain feedback from the stakeholders some strategies come in handy. Instead of asking them to write to him formally, he can request the stakeholders to talk him through the situation. The stakeholders will find this easier and will be in a better position to give more revealing information.
The consultant can also constantly seek to know whether he has understood them well enough prompting them to give more information than he would have given.
Tools necessary for the feedback meeting
Tools necessary for a feedback meeting include: conferencing facilities, telephones for making calls, the internet for research, papers and pens for documenting the feedback.
References
Block, P. (2011). Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kubr, M. et al. (2002). Management consulting: a guide to the profession. Geneva: International Labor Organization.