Agile communications for a post-Covid world?
If you’re part of a communications team that replies on heavy planning and forward planning with messaging and calendars, you may not need to invest so much time in creating content and timing plans that often don’t come to fruition.
A changing world
The global pandemic seems to have revved up another notch with the discovery of another mutation – Omicron – a Covid variant that is suspected to be highly transmissible. In turn, this finding has cast a chaotic and unstable future for businesses, travel and planning in general.
Agile communications could be the approach that makes a constantly changing and uncertain digital world, one to your advantage.
Rooted in the IT world, Agile has migrated over to public relations and communications in recent years, lending itself well to iteration and adaption as situations – Covid being a great example – happen.
But what is it?
The Australian software company, Atlassian, offers this definition:
Agile is an iterative approach to project management and software development that helps teams deliver value to their customers faster and with fewer headaches. Instead of betting everything on a “big bang” launch, an agile team delivers work in small, but consumable, increments. Requirements, plans, and results are evaluated continuously so teams have a natural mechanism for responding to change quickly.
Atlassian
‘A waste of money and effort’
Dr Betteke van Ruler discusses agile processes as a continual adjustment, but only to reach the best results possible. Collaboration between the project owner, team members and potentially, stakeholders, work closely together, with a reduced project hierarchy to maximise flow and results.
Van Ruler states that old-style strategic planning and time-heavy administration aren’t dynamic enough for communications in a fast-paced world, with these traditional methods being “far too linear” to be helpful.
Scrumptious
Ever found yourself in a Scrum? This Scrum, whilst still team-based, is off the rugby pitch. A Scrum is just one facet in agile methodology, describing how the project team learns on the go, addresses problems dynamically together, reflects what works/what doesn’t work, and improves their process to ensure a successful project outcome. A Kanban board is often used as part of the Scrum.
Ken Schwaber, in Agile Project Management with Scrum, says:
“Most people responsible for managing projects have been taught a deterministic approach to project management that uses detailed plans, Gantt charts and work schedules. Scrum is the exact opposite.”
Ken Schwaber
There are four main project roles within a scrum:
Scrum master = the facilitator, helping teams to self-motivate and follow the agreed process.
Project owner = the client representer
Scrum team = team members
Stakeholders = people who have an interest in the success of the project
The benefits of the scrum process are the fast-paced workflow allows for team creativity to be fostered, reduces costs and time while increasing productivity and quality.
Agile for the win
If you’re feeling a need to shake up your traditional communications methods, an Agile planning method could be something that benefits your organisation and clients. You can read more about Agile communications via this (surprisingly) good blog from DEFRA and a fuller explanation from Lucidchart, here.
It’s worth regularly revaluating your communications and messaging, using your metrics and data to assess what’s working and what isn’t working for your organisation.
Here at Limitless Public Relations, we can help you with your communications strategy. Whether that’s creating powerful messaging from fresh, or consulting on an existing plan to ensure your words are reaching the right people. We’re your people.
Contact Michael Gregory for an informal chat on 0845 625 0820 or you can message us here.