ABSTRACT
The first step in writing a Communications Plan is to address intention, goals, and objectives. Members of any group may have different interests and agendas. Even a defined shared goal can mean different things to different people. So, identifying what they don’t want can be a vital part of the process. Nothing ever turns out exactly as planned, but it is necessary to all agree on an endgame. There is a Sanskrit word, Sankalpa , that roughly translates to a vow or intention to move forward with a focus on the nobility of the effort. One must get one’s self out of the way and concentrate on this larger Call to Action. Every communications plan needs to be thought of as a campaign in advertising, diplomacy, or policy. Any communications plan that tries to move forward without direction is doomed to stumble and fail in the end.
