Research shows that people believe their friends and neighbors more than they believe the media or publications. Marketing research supports this view, revealing that people make major purchases based on what others tell them about a product or a service. It is reasonable to assume that people make decisions about schools the same way. Thus, school officials must spend time cultivating relationships with key employees and community members and keeping them informed if they want to accomplish understanding and acceptance of their school programs.
Studies have found that mass communication generally does not change minds but only reinforces existing positions, activating opposition as well as support. One-on-one communication, on the other hand, is quiet and speaks directly to the target audiences. The aim of key communicators is to build support, deflecting any effects of criticism.
The media rarely launch crusades; they usually report the ideas of others. A well-organized, campaign targeting opinion leaders discourages attacks by going straight to the people who bring issues to the media.
Benefits of a key communicator network
Being person-to-person in nature, the program enables school officials to establish two-way communication and get a quick pulse of the community.
The program helps to bridge the distance between school officials and the community – the community gets to know school officials as people, not distant figureheads.
Regular communications to key opinion leaders offers more opportunities to convey the many successes of positive accomplishments in the schools.
A major benefit of the program is rumor control or a controlled grapevine whereby volatile issues or confrontations are quickly communicated to these opinion leaders.
Communicating negative news or problems to this group also establishes candor and openness and ultimately will establish credibility between school officials and the citizenry.
Who should you include?
Key communicators are adults and students who talk to and are believed by many people in the community. They may or may not be in positions of authority or officially recognized leaders.
They may be barbers, beauticians and bartenders. They are frequently dentists, gas station owners, firefighters, post office clerks and news agency owners. Within a school, they are often secretaries or custodians. In one way or another, however, these opinion leaders have an interest in the schools of their community.
Interestingly, opinion leaders that make up a successful key communicator network are seldom the loudmouths who complain at every school board meeting. They are more likely to be the people who only speak when they feel it is important and when they have a valid statement to make. They are the people others ask "What do you think about ... ?"
Key communicators should represent the many different demographic segments of the community as well as the various segments of the school district staff. Having a good two-way communication system in place internally is extremely important. Employees resent hearing school information first from community residents.
Key communicators are everywhere, but even though they are highly influential, they may not be highly visible. Their distinguishing characteristics are that they are respected by their peers and other people trust their opinions.
Critics should definitely be invited. In a group of 10 people, one or two
critics usually add a needed bit of credibility to the undertaking. Experience
has shown that after involvement in a key communicator process, critics frequently
become supporters.
Adapted from:
Oregon School Boards Association
1201 Court Street NE, Suite 400, Salem, Oregon 97301
(503) 588-2800 | 1-800-578-OSBA | FAX (503) 588-2813
E-mail: info@osba.org
© Copyright 2009
(Used with thanks and permission)