8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

8 Minute Guides
For IT Leaders To Improve Skills,
Productivity and Get Results

The ABCDE Communication Model

Produced by Ken Martin, Third i Consulting
h"p://www.change-your-future-now.com

Preface
Welcome to the 8 Minute Guides for IT Leadership
Success
These 8 minute guides provide management best practices for a
range of key topics that impacts and challenges new and
experienced IT leaders from effective communications, change
management to global teamwork.
The aim of the guides are to save you valuable time in finding this
information that is usually contained in 300 page books.

The ABCDE Communications Model

Communications is always a very difficult IT leadership skill to execute and
is a major cause of dissatisfaction for IT staff and IT customers.
It can lead to demotivation in the IT department and the organisation
does not work to its full potential.
If IT customers receive poor customer service then they are likely to
question the value and cost of IT. It can also affect the aims and
objectives of the IT department as they did not reach the staff and
customers.
A common result of poor communications a bad decisions which can
occur owing to lack of information and engagement of the right people.
It is becoming increasingly important that IT organisations
communicate effectively with their staff and customers as if there is no
communication then it could result in customers look for IT services
somewhere else.
The ABCDE communications model is a simple, proven successful
communication model that facilitates good communications.

THE 8 MINUTE IT
LEADERSHIP
GUIDE
ABCDE Communications Model
By Ken Mar9n
Third i Consul9ng
h"p://www.change-your-future-now.com

Copyright 2011 by Ken Martin

All rights reserved.
This book may be distributed in its present form with the copyright intact and the work attributed,
without permission in writing from the author.

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

Table of Contents
1 Define the Problem!.........................................................2
2 The ABCDE Process Overview !......................................3
3 The Audience!..................................................................4
4 Behavioural Objectives!...................................................5
5 Content!...........................................................................6
6 Delivery!...........................................................................7
7 Evaluation!.......................................................................8
8 Summary!.........................................................................9
About the Author!..............................................................10

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

1 Define the Problem

Effective communications is a complex topic and
these are the questions you need to ask?
What do we expect our target audience to know or to be
able to do as a result of our communications programme?
How well are we communicating the messages?
How do we know?
How do we use the feedback from our communications to
improve?
Do the improvements we make to our communications
work?

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

2 The ABCDE Process Overview

The needs analysis for a Communication Plan follows
an ABCDE communication process model:

Audience
Behavioral Objectives
Content
Design
Evaluation Techniques

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

3 The Audience
You need to describe your target audience for the
communications:
Define who are your primary and secondary audiences
Describe your primary audience in details
Who needs to receive the message?
Where are they located?
What do they already know?
How willing are they to change their behaviors?

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

4 Behavioural Objectives
How do we want our target audience to behave after
the communications?
Which mindset does our target audience have (positive,
involved)?
Which actions does your target audience do?
Which behaviour does your target audience have?
What should this initiative accomplish in terms of changing or
reinforcing audience behaviors?

Does the audience need to accept a decision or participate in

decision-making? Objectives for the audience might be:
Staff gaining new information or learning new skills.
Increasing staff motivation.
Getting staff or customers involved in an existing effort.
Raising stakeholder awareness of a new strategic initiative.
Customers being more engaged.
Improving customer satisfaction.

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

5 Content
What are the key messages you need to deliver to
your target audience?
Have you defined roles, responsibilities and timeline?
How will you explain the main steps and actions to your target
audience?
What reaction do you think you will get from your target
audience?
Who are the people best qualified to provide the content
What is the best way to access their knowledge?

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

6 Delivery
Which are the main channels and tools to delivery
your message:
Write down a list of channels (physical and virtual)relevant to
your audience?
What is the most effective and efficient way to package the
message?
Are there existing vehicles to appropriately carry the message
rather than design a new way to package it?
What approaches have worked in the past?

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

7 Evaluation
How will you measure the effectiveness of the communication
and by what time?
What are the factors for measuring effectiveness of messages,
tools and channels?
Was it received and did it have the desired impact? Are there
lessons learned that should be passed along and shared?

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

8 Summary
The single biggest problem in communication is
the illusion that it has taken place.
George Bernard Shaw

It is critical to have clarity on steps A, B and C before making

any decisions on step D
Often, a good up-front needs analysis leads to the question of
whether to generate a new communication effort or integrate
your message into existing vehicles
Only after Step C is completed should you move on to delivery

The major benefits effective

communications within your IT
organisation will be that it may very
likely lead to an improvement in
team motivation and improved
customer satisfaction

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

The 8 Minute IT Leadership Guides: ABCDE Communications Model

About the Author

Ken Martin
Programme Manager
Third i Consulting
Ken has over 30 years experience in the IT industry including over 12 years
experience in financial services (payment services, insurance) .
Ken has had many different roles including technical specialist,
development leader, VP Service Management, consultant and programme
manager with employers such as HP, Digital, Apple, Microsoft, PWC,
Gemini Consulting and American Express.
Ken has experience of business-aligned IT architecture, strategy definition,
technology roadmaps, workshops, risk management IT governance, BPR,
change management
At American Express where Ken was VP of technology based in New York,
his team was awarded the Chairmans Award for Quality.
Ken is a currently a contract Programme Manager working in London and
the Far East. Please see website for details.

Email: kmarti55@gmail.com
Tel: UK: (+44) 77 94 57 57 67
Programme Management: http://www.third-i-consulting.co.uk
Communications Consultancy: http://third-i-consultancy.co.uk
8 Minute Leadership Guides: http://www.change-your-future-now.com

Copyright 2011 Third i Consulting!

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