As the academic year winds down, it’s a good time to reflect on what programs have accomplished, what students have learned, and what changes you want to make moving forward. Wrapped up in all of that is how and what you want to share with others about the great things you have accomplished and why they should be invested in what you do.
According to dictionary.com, a stakeholder is “a person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry.” In other words, who cares (or should care) about what you do? Take a moment and jot down (even in your head) who has a stake in what you do. I’ll wait….
How many entities did you come up with? One, two, five, ten? You may have listed a combination of these stakeholders: students, potential participants, student leaders, your supervisor, your department head, other staff, parents, donors/sponsors, faculty, administrators, the Vice President’s Office, state legislature, Board of Regents, funding agencies, local business owners, the alumni association…the list goes on. You may have even thought of one or more not on that list.
Because your stakeholders can vary drastically in their need for information, your communication to them about results should also vary. Not everyone is interested in a five page report with lots of tables and charts and individual quotes. You have lots of options: power point presentation, infographic, one page executive summary, social media post, website, full report, newsletter, word cloud, poster, etc. The Vice President may not have time to read an extensive report, but she may be really interested in the impact on student learning and success and/or the cost per student in a one-page executive summary. New student leaders planning this year’s program may be interested in what past participants thought went well and what did not, so a word cloud may be applicable. Future participants may look at the program’s website to see what the learning outcomes are and how well they have been accomplished in the past. Donors want to see that their money is spent wisely and educating students—they may want to hear individual student voices/quotes talk about the impact of their experiences.
Here are a few pointers to help you decide how to share your news:
- Identify and prioritize your stakeholders.
- Determine what you want each stakeholder to know, do, or feel.
- Decide what information is most pertinent to each stakeholder based on what you want them to know, do, or feel.
- Understand the level of complexity and detail that you need to get the information communicated accurately. This will help you choose the best method.
- When you have drafted your message, have a trusted colleague give you feedback on your draft.
- Determine the best time to communicate results (immediately following a program, before budget decisions are made, leadership transition time).
- Reach out to your stakeholders with the information. Offer to meet with them in person, if applicable.
- Build this step into your annual planning process.
If you are fortunate enough to have marketing and communications staff available to you, consult with them for additional resources. As always, Student Life Studies is here to help you maximize your assessment. Let us know what you need, so we can better serve you.