If you are engaged in any form of commercial enterprise or in public service, your opportunity and future is impacted by well-crafted strategically on target communications. If so, the case studies featured in this resource are on the mark.
Author and strategic communications expert Dr. Thomas Galvin, uses his experiences within two successful case studies: 1. the Bosnia Multi-Year Roadmap (MYRM) produced by the Stabilization Force-Bosnia (SFOR), and, 2. the formation of the U.S. Africa Command, to present a framework for analyzing strategic communication campaigns which have succeeded in achieving long-term positive effects on their respective environments
Galvin contends that historically within the U.S. military strategic communication has been a noted weakness, operationally and strategically. Problems with U.S. abilities to promote a coherent message and the subsequent inability to positively influence the environment has been the subject of many studies.
Dr. Galvin asserts a simple model from organizational development―Pettigrew's Triangle of process, content, and context can improve understanding of the communication environment and the campaign within. That the "Triangle" concept is useful in analyzing and the planning of organizational change. He features these cases to guide strategic leaders responsible for meeting complex challenges and need to create effective communication campaigns for their respective organizations.
A well-known axiom is anything organizations and members say and do communicates, be it positive, neutral, or negative. Smart communications determine whether an organization survives, or better, thrive in their environments. Communications successes result in:
- promoting themselves and their competitive advantage
- targeting opposing or competing organizations
- defending themselves from criticism by others
What reality is motivating the Army's effort to improve upon communications? Former Chief of Strategic Communication for NATO Mark Laity states: "Right now we spend too much time on coordination and process ... creating organizations whose sum is less than the parts ... The enemy is fast, flexible, and more attuned to the cultures where they operate. We talk Narrative, but Narrative is where they beat us. We do messages and themes. Our opponents do Narrative and tap into cultures and religion."
To summarize, the two case studies Galvin presents are successful strategic communications campaigns that present and future strategists can draw upon to improve their strategic efforts to design effective communications for their respective organizations.
