Introduction
A communication plan is a policy-driven approach that formally defines the stakeholders that should be provided with the information. It also defines the time of delivery and the channels to be involved. The plan should address those with authority to communicate information and the dissemination methods (Granizo et al., 2018). Despite its potential to improve organizational communication, the plan is often affected by several barriers.
Discussion
An effective communication plan needs to be simplified for the stakeholders to understand its use. However, these plans often fail because they are too complicated, and some people in the organization cannot understand and apply them (Granizo et al., 2018). An excellent strategy to overcome this barrier is to design a set of instructions that should guide stakeholders in their communication process, which ought to be understandable to everyone.
Inconsistency is one of the most common barriers that affect communication plans. If an organization’s plan changes with time, the stakeholders and audience might feel that the leadership is changing its mind and focus, which is likely to affect confidence among its users. Similarly, members of the organization using the plan need updates if there are changes for some reason (Granizo et al., 2018). An effective strategy for overcoming this barrier would be to update the stakeholders, which can create a high level of user confidence and improve communication.
Moreover, a high level of trust must be associated with the communication plan. If there is mistrust among the users, the plan is bound to fail. Stakeholders in modern organizations demand openness, transparency, context, and involvement to accept decisions (Granizo et al., 2018). The best strategy to overcome this barrier is to develop a strategy incorporating these elements, which can increase the level of trust among the stakeholders.
Conclusion
Finally, failure to communicate the benefits of using the plan to the stakeholders is another barrier to the plan. Since the plan is often set to guide a change or improvement in communication, failure to inform the users of its benefits might result in resistance (Granizo et al., 2018). For instance, employees might develop a fear of the unknown, feel a threat to the status quo, lack perceived benefits, and possess little information on its importance. Overcoming this issue can be achieved if the planners clearly state and indicate the benefits that the users and the organization will achieve by using the new plan.
Reference
Granizo, X., Sánchez, J., Naula, B., & Pazmiño, D. (2021). Communication Plan as a Tool for Business Positioning. ESPOCH Congresses: The Ecuadorian Journal of STEAM, 608-628. Web.