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From YouTube: Communication Strategies for Neighborhood Organizations
Description
Communication is the key to any successful relationship and that includes relationships with your neighbors. Effective communication within a neighborhood-based organization is critical because it allows leaders to distribute information, explain decisions, and build a sense of community. It also encourages residents to participate in important decisions that impact their quality of life. As a neighborhood leader, how you communicate is just as important as what and why you communicate. When there is clear and consistent communication between neighborhood leaders and residents it has a positive impact on the health and vitality of the organization. Therefore, it is important to take a proactive approach to communication within your organization. This presentation walks you through how to develop (or improve) an internal communication strategy for your neighborhood-based organization.
A
Hello
and
thank
you
for
joining
me
for
communication
strategies
for
neighborhood
organizations.
My
name
is
Michelle
Wilson,
neighborhood
training
and
development
program
manager
with
the
City
of
Charlotte,
housing
and
neighborhood
services.
Community
engagement,
effective
communication
helps
to
establish
harmony
in
the
community,
the
more
effective
the
communication.
The
more
successful
your
organization
will
be
at
the
management
of
your
association,
every
Community
Association,
no
matter
the
size
needs
clear,
concise
and
consistent
communication
with
its
residents.
Good
communication
helps
the
board
or
neighborhood
leaders,
explain
decisions,
distribute
information
and
develop
a
solid
relationship
with
everyone
in
the
community.
A
The
purpose
of
this
presentation
is
to
share
communication,
best
practices
and
highlight
resources
to
help
establish
a
communication
strategy
to
begin,
we
will
review
some
communication
basics
types
of
communication.
There
are
two
types
of
communication:
internal
and
external
internal
communication
is
communication
inside
your
group.
It
helps
members,
understand
your
purpose
and
become
familiar
with
what
you
hope
to
accomplish
external
communication
is
communication
outside
your
group.
People
are
aware
of
who
you
are
understand
your
goals
and
know
how
and
when
and
why
to
contact
you.
This
translates
into
greater
visibility
and
support
for
your
community.
A
In
this
presentation,
we
will
focus
on
internal
communication.
Why
communicate
neighborhood
organizations
communicate
to
inform
persuade
raise
awareness,
create
understanding,
generate
interest
and
to
motivate
people
to
act?
Here
are
some
characteristics
of
excellent
internal
communication.
Your
communication
should
be
in
clear
language.
It
should
be
open
and
objective.
There
should
be
two
way
dialogue.
Communication
should
occur
regularly.
You
should
always
take
your
audience
into
consideration.
A
There
are
several
benefits
of
good
internal
communication.
Good
internal
communication
can
improve
engagement,
engaging
residents
is
a
including
them
in
decisions
asking
for
opinions
and
sharing
knowledge
makes
them
feel
valued.
Good
communication
can
help
to
build
a
cohesive
neighborhood
through
clear
communication
residents,
can
internalize
organizational
values
and
provide
their
feedback
to
the
Association,
thereby
creating
a
cohesive
and
open
culture.
Good
communication
can
help
to
define
goals
when
strategies
and
goals
are
defined.
Clearly,
residents
can
contribute
and
align
their
personal
goals
with
the
neighborhood
organization.
A
A
Good
communication
can
also
improve
crisis
handling
when
a
crisis
occurs,
such
as
a
crime,
emergency
or
natural
disaster.
Having
good
internal
communication
is
key
to
handling
the
crisis
efficiently
and
effectively.
Good
internal
communication
during
crisis
shows
that
board
leadership
is
responsive
and
supportive.
Moreover,
internal
communication
supports
crisis
management
by
improving
teamwork.
A
Next
good
communication
can
enhance
transparency.
Word-Of-Mouth
and
informal
communication
in
a
neighborhood
may
result
in
the
misinterpretation
of
information.
That's
why
it's
essential
to
have
excellent
communication
internally,
which
leads
to
improve
relationships,
slows
down
rumors
and
helps
to
avoid
misunderstandings.
A
A
The
first
step
is
to
assess
the
current
strategy.
It's
very
likely
that
you
have
some
sort
of
internal
communication
strategy
already
in
place
and
even
if
you
don't
take
the
time
to
evaluate
how
and
where
your
organization
reaches
out
to
residents,
the
internal
research
will
help
to
set
the
stage
for
the
next
steps
of
the
strategy,
including
what
part
of
your
internal
communication
needs.
The
most
focus
here
are
some
questions
to
ask
during
this
stage.
How
is
the
current
plan
performing?
What
are
the
most
significant
weaknesses,
who's
involved?
A
A
The
next
step
is
to
assess
your
resources.
What
resources
do
you
have
available
to
communicate
with
residents?
Do
you
use
a
quarterly
newsletter,
send
out
email,
blasts
text
messages?
Do
you
have
a
website
or
use
social
media
when
developing
a
communication
strategy
first
list,
all
the
means
that
you
have
to
communicate
with
your
community
next
to
each
one
list,
the
type
of
messages
that
are
appropriate
for
that
channel?
For
example,
the
annual
neighborhood
cleanup
is
perfect
for
social
media
newsletters
and
fliers,
but
may
not
be
something
you
want
us
to
not
be
a
text
message.
A
Text
messages
are
great
for
reminders
about
annual
meetings
are
utilized
during
emergency
situations.
Knowing
what
kinds
of
messages
you
want
to
communicate
and
how
you
want
to
communicate
them
is
key
to
clear,
effective
communication.
It
is
also
important
to
remember
that
some
residents
may
not
have
email
or
social
media
so
therefore
understanding
your
community's
communication
needs
is
imperative.
If
you
don't
have
a
certain
type
of
communication
that
you
would
like
to
have
explore
it
and
see
how
feasible
it
is,
make
sure
you
are
choosing
the
best
ways
to
communicate
with
your
residents
as
possible.
A
Next,
we'll
talk
about
planning
a
new
strategy,
a
good
strategy
needs
clearly
defined
goals,
a
timeline
and
metrics.
Your
internal
research
will
help
to
shed
some
light
on
areas
that
need
improvement.
First,
define
your
goals
and
actionable
objectives.
The
whole
team
needs
to
have
a
clear
vision
on
what
needs
to
be
improved
and
how
you
may
also
want
to
consider
if
it
will
be
beneficial
to
identify
a
communications
team
that
will
help
to
carry
this
plan
forward.
A
Secondly,
lay
out
a
timeline:
what's
the
realistic
amount
of
time
it
will
take
for
the
new
process
to
be
implemented,
last
define
your
key
metrics
for
example.
How
often
will
your
newsletter
go
out?
Next?
You
will
define
your
audience
once
you
have
defined
your
strategy,
it's
time
to
understand
who
you
are
trying
to
target.
You
need
to
adapt
the
content
of
your
strategy
to
the
audience.
You
may
determine
that
you
have
to
write
one
message
from
one
audience
and
a
different
message
for
another
audience.
A
Next,
it
is
important
to
get
buy-in
planning.
A
successful
internal
communication
strategy
will
require
a
team
effort,
so
make
sure
everyone
is
on
board,
define
each
person's
role
in
the
new
strategy
and
do
your
best
to
play
off
their
strengths.
Something
else
that
may
be
helpful
is
serving
residents
to
identify
their
communication
preferences.
So
when
the
communication
plan
is
laid
out
to
residents,
you
can
acknowledge
that
their
feedback
was
taken
into
consideration
when
the
plan
was
developed.
Remember
internal
communication
is
a
two-way
process
that
should
include
everyone
in
the
organization.
A
Next,
you
need
to
choose
and
define
tools.
There
are
many
different
channels
to
disseminate
information
ranging
from
social
media
online
communities
like
Next,
Door,
newsletters,
email
and
even
instant
messaging
platforms,
such
as
slack
each
tool
has
advantages
and
disadvantages
the
best
approach
to
choosing
your
tools
is
to
list
all
the
tools
and
determine
how
and
why
the
organization
uses
them.
Other
questions
to
consider
when
selecting
communication
tools
is.
Are
there
too
many
tools?
Is
there
at
least
one
tool
that
supports
meaningful,
two-way
communication?
A
The
final
step
is
evaluation.
Evaluation
is
an
ongoing
process
and
should
happen
on
a
regular
basis.
It
may
be
helpful
to
set
up
monthly
evaluation
of
your
strategy
and
discuss
regularly
within
your
board.
Some
questions
to
consider
is
our
communication
plan.
Sustainable.
Are
we
adhering
to
the
communication
plan
as
outlined?
Has
engagement,
increased
or
decreased?
A
A
A
A
A
Next,
we'll
talk
about
what,
in
order
for
you
to
communicate.
Well
with
your
audience,
you
should
know
what
you
want
to
say
to
them
to
figure
this
out.
Ask
yourself
what
is
my
primary
goal
in
communicating
this
message
to
my
audience
asking
yourself
this
question
will
help
simplify
your
message
and
make
it
as
clear
as
possible.
What
do
I
want
my
audience
to
do
as
a
result
of
receiving
this
message
asking
yourself
this
question
will
help
write
a
message
that
is
persuasive
and
motivates
your
audience
and
respond
to
respond.
A
How
you
want
them
to
next
is
why.
Why
is
the
question
you
ask
yourself
to
help
figure
out
the
reason
your
message
is
important
in
the
first
place,
it
will
help
you
simplify
your
message
and
make
certain
that
you
emphasize
the
most
important
points,
especially
how
your
audience
will
benefit
from
your
message
or
activity
in
order
to
create
a
message
that
will
motivate
others
to
do
something,
for
example,
join
a
neighborhood
Eve
in
our
group.
A
The
second
reason,
when
is
such
an
important
question,
is
to
think
about
when
you
should
communicate
to
your
audience,
how
far
in
advance
of
an
activity
should
you
advertise
two
or
three
weeks
is
a
good
rule.
People
are
much
more
likely
to
attend
an
event
if
they
can
put
it
on
their
calendar
well
in
advance.
A
Next
is
where,
where
it
ties
into
the
question
of
when
anytime,
a
person
organizes
an
event
or
meeting,
they
must
include
not
only
the
date
and
time
of
the
meeting,
but
also
the
location.
It
is
very
helpful
to
put
an
address
and
phone
number
all
your
flyers
or
posters
in
case
people
want
more
information
directions
or
want
to
make
contact
before
they
come.
A
Another
reason
where
is
such
an
important
question
to
consider
is
that
it
reminds
you
to
think
about
where
to
publicize
your
communication,
so
that
your
target
audience
is
exposed
to
your
message
many
times.
Lastly,
we
have
how.
How
was
the
final
question
to
ask
you
self?
It
will
help
you
to
determine
how
you
will
communicate
your
message.
For
instance,
you
might
want
to
use
a
flyer
to
go
to
a
meeting
to
address
local
officials.
In
each
case
you
have
to
find
the
other
step
in
advance.
The
hard
work
is
done.
A
Next,
we'll
talk
about
communication
methods,
there
are
three
types
of
communication,
direct
print
and
electronic
first
we'll
look
at
direct
communication.
Direct
communication
would
include
things
like
meetings
or
phone
calls.
Some
advantages
of
direct
communication
include.
They
help
build
stronger
and
more
meaningful
relationships,
they
encourage
dialogue
and,
lastly,
face-to-face
meetings,
minimize
the
risk
of
miscommunication
compared
to
other
communication
methods,
some
disadvantages
of
direct
communication
are,
they
can
be
time-consuming.
A
It
takes
time
to
plan
events
or
meetings,
and
you
never
know
if
you'll
have
a
return
on
your
investment
in
terms
of
the
number
of
people
showing
up
to
the
meeting,
they're
less
convenient,
they
have
to
be
scheduled,
and
it's
not
something
that
you
can
typically
do
from
your
home
and
the
last
thing
is
inconsistent
messaging
depending
on
who
is
giving
the
message.
So,
for
example,
if
you
have
a
neighborhood
meeting,
you
have
several
different
board
members
to
attend
and
each
of
them
are
interacting
with
residents.
A
Next
is
print
communication.
This
can
include
newsletters
or
fliers.
This
type
of
communication
is
typically
more
visually
attractive
and
it's
a
great
way
to
share
fill
good
stories
or
to
advertise
an
upcoming
event.
Some
advantages
to
print
communication
is
that
you
can
have
consistent
messaging,
that
it's
typically
concise
due
to
space
limitations
and
that
it
is
more
engaging
and
appealing
to
the
eye.
A
Some
disadvantages
are
cost
if
you're
going
to
have
a
printed
newsletter
or
if
you're,
printing
out
color
flyers
that
can
too
be
expensive.
Next
is
waste.
What
will
the
residents
do
with
the
information
once
it's
received?
Typically
newsletters
Flyers
wined
up
in
the
trash.
Lastly,
is
space
limitations,
which
is
interesting
because
one
benefit
of
newsletters
and
flyers
is
that
information
can
be
concise,
but
in
terms
of
a
disadvantage,
the
space
limitations
might
not
allow
for
you
to
thoroughly
explain
what
you're
trying
to
convey
last
we'll
talk
about
electronic
communication.
A
A
We
can't
always
assume
that
everyone
in
the
neighborhood
has
access
to
the
Internet
or
can
utilize
the
Internet
or
has
access
to
the
various
platforms
you
may
choose
to
use
additionally,
any
time
that
you
go
online,
there's
always
the
potential
for
security
threats
and,
lastly,
using
electronic
communication
can
open
the
door
for
misinterpretation
and
misunderstanding
of
information
presented
with
all
this
being
said,
it
is
important
to
note
that
there
is
not
a
one-size-fits-all
method.
A
successful
communication
plan
will
utilize
a
mix
of
their
various
communication
methods.
A
So
now
that
we've
discussed
how
to
establish
a
communication
plan
for
your
neighborhood,
let's
talk
about
how
the
city
can
help
you
and
support
you
in
your
efforts.
The
first
resource
I
would
like
to
highlight
is
the
neighborhood
mansion
grant
program.
The
neighborhood
matching
grant
program
provides
matching
grant
funding
to
eligible
neighborhood
based
organizations
for
projects
that
improve
community
quality
of
life.
For
example,
neighborhood
grant
funds
can
be
used
for
things
like
printing
cost
for
an
annual
newsletter
or
to
help
fund
the
development
of
a
community
website.
A
A
Lastly,
on
the
housing
and
neighborhood
Services
website,
there
is
a
section
for
resources
under
resources,
the
communication
section
you
will
find
specific
communication
tools,
such
as
canva,
MailChimp,
SurveyMonkey,
and
many
many
more.
Thank
you
so
much
for
taking
the
time
to
listen
to
this
presentation.
I
hope
that
you
are
able
to
gain
some
valuable
information
that
will
help
you
to
implement
or
improve
your
communication
plan
for
your
neighborhood.
If
you
have
any
questions,
please
feel
free
to
reach
out
to
me
at
the
information
provided.