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direct. Think of the message as the leader’s opportunity to speak
one-on-one with everyone in the organization. Keep it short; less than
10 minutes is ideal if a single person is speaking. (Note: Many organi-
zations run their important videos as webcasts, but in doing so you lose
some of the intimacy of a leader speaking live.)
Print media formalize the message; they may include a brochure, a
CHAPTER 4 LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING 51
poster, or a wallet-size card. Many organizations print their vision,
mission, and values on wallet-sized cards so that all employees
have them. Other organizations take a more elaborate approach.
Some companies have turned their vision and mission statements
into drawings and printed them as posters. Many times the art is
done by the employees themselves, adding an element of owner-
ship to the process. There are other approaches. Kellogg’s, for
example, produced a four-color brochure delineating the company’s
vision, mission, and values for the sales team as well as expecta-
tions for sales performance.
Media releases are designed to get the attention of the media: televi-
sion, radio, newspapers, and the trade press. Use them to communicate
important issues to the public or to the trade. Follow up with individual
reporters to elaborate on these releases to ensure that your message is
getting through. Keep in mind, however, that reporters are not publicity
agents. They are seeking good stories that present all sides of an issue.
If you maintain good relations with the media, you have a better chance
of getting your story told. These relationships will play out especially
well when the organization is going through a transformation, espe-
cially with senior leadership changes.

Banners get attention and serve as reminders of the message. Post them
in the cafeteria or in main traffic hallways. When you visit a military
base, you will often see a banner with a slogan hanging from a key
work area, such as an airplane hangar or tank garage. Peek inside a
football team’s locker room and you will find a banner with the team’s
slogan for the year hanging in a prominent place.

Email works well for the reiteration of key leadership messages and
announcements on progress toward milestones. Email may also be used
for alerts, letting people know that an event (such as an employee meet-
ing) is about to occur. Be selective. Most people receive far too much
email already. Choose your moments wisely; otherwise the message
will be ignored. (For more on email, see Chapter 5, “Leading with
E-communications.”)