How can you communicate program objectives to team members with different backgrounds and skills?

1 Know your audience

Before you communicate your program objectives, you need to know who your audience is and what their needs, preferences, and expectations are. Different team members may have different roles, responsibilities, skills, backgrounds, cultures, and languages. You need to tailor your communication style, content, and channel to suit your audience and avoid confusion, misunderstanding, or resistance. For example, you may need to use simple and clear language for team members who are not native speakers, or provide visual aids for team members who are more visual learners.

2 Use SMART criteria

One way to communicate your program objectives clearly and concisely is to use the SMART criteria. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you define your program objectives in a way that is easy to understand, monitor, and evaluate. For example, instead of saying "We want to improve customer satisfaction", you can say "We want to increase the average customer satisfaction score by 10% in the next six months". By using SMART criteria, you can communicate your program objectives in a way that is concrete, realistic, and meaningful for your team members.

3 Align with individual goals

Another way to communicate your program objectives effectively is to align them with the individual goals of your team members. Individual goals are the personal or professional outcomes that your team members want to achieve, such as learning new skills, advancing their careers, or solving a problem. By aligning your program objectives with your team members' individual goals, you can create a sense of relevance, value, and motivation for your team members. For example, you can show how your program objectives can help your team members develop their competencies, gain recognition, or make a difference.

4 Involve and empower

A third way to communicate your program objectives effectively is to involve and empower your team members in the process. Involving your team members means soliciting their input, feedback, and suggestions on the program objectives and how to achieve them. Empowering your team members means giving them autonomy, responsibility, and authority to make decisions and take actions that support the program objectives. By involving and empowering your team members, you can create a sense of ownership, engagement, and commitment for your team members. For example, you can ask your team members to share their ideas, opinions, and concerns on the program objectives, or delegate some tasks and decisions to them.

5 Review and reinforce

A final way to communicate your program objectives effectively is to review and reinforce them regularly. Reviewing your program objectives means checking the progress, performance, and results of your program and your team members against the program objectives. Reinforcing your program objectives means reminding, rewarding, and recognizing your team members for their contributions and achievements towards the program objectives. By reviewing and reinforcing your program objectives, you can create a sense of accountability, feedback, and appreciation for your team members. For example, you can hold periodic meetings, reports, or surveys to monitor and measure your program objectives, or celebrate, acknowledge, or thank your team members for their work.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?