CDP

Communication Development Plan (CDP)

Appendix A
Self-Assessment of Leadership Communication Capabilities


Read through the list of skills and for each one check off your present capability in the chart below.
1.  Excel =  mastered this skill and am excellent in it.
2.  Competent = competent in this skill but could polish it some.
3.  Need to develop = need to develop further

Area and Skill
1
Excel
2
Competent
3
Need to develop
Part I – Assessment of the Core Skills



Audience Analysis and Strategy



1.      Analyzing the context for communication



2.      Analyzing audiences



3.      Tailoring messages to different audiences



4.      Selecting the most effective medium (channel)



5.      Developing a complete communication strategy



Written Communication Capabilities



1.      Deciding on communication purpose



2.      Clarifying your purpose



3.      Generating support for each purpose



4.      Organizing your written communication



5.      Using formatting effectively



6.      Using language correctly



7.      Writing clearly



8.      Writing concisely



9.      Writing confidently



10.        Using an appropriate tone



11.        Writing correspondence (e-mails, memos, text messages)



12.        Writing formal reports



13.        Writing executive summaries



14.        Proofreading own work



Oral Communication Capabilities



1.      Delivering an impromptu presentation



2.      Delivering an extemporaneous presentation



3.      Organizing presentation



4.      Creating PowerPoint slides



5.      Talking in small groups



6.      Talking in large groups



7.      Answering questions



8.      Asking questions



9.      Drawing others out



10.        Summarizing and clarifying others' ideas



11.        Keeping to the topic



12.        Summarizing a discussion



13.        Dealing publicly with more senior people







Area and Skill
1
Excel
2
Competent
3
Need to develop
Visual Communication Capabilities



1.      Recognizing when to use graphics



2.      Selecting and designing effective data charts



3.      Creating meaningful and effective text layouts



4.      Employing fundamental graphics content and design principles



5.      Ensuring “so what” is captured



6.      Creating presentation visuals and slides



Part II – Organizational Capabilities



Ethos/Image



1.      Understanding how I am seen by others



2.      Knowing how my personal style differs from others



3.      Asking others to comment on my style



4.      Assessing my own strengths and weaknesses



5.      Setting goals for personal change



6.      Willing to work on improving personal effectiveness



7.      Influencing the behavior of others



8.      Inspiring trust in others



9.      Projecting confidence



10.  Making ethical decisions



11.  Creating an ethical environment



Emotional Intelligence 1:  Dealing with Own Feelings



1.      Being aware of own feelings



2.      Identifying feelings



3.      Asserting own ideas and rights



4.      Stating own needs



5.      Expressing feelings to others



Emotional Intelligence 2:  Dealing with Others



1.      Listening



2.      Recognizing non-verbals



3.      Being sensitive to others’ feelings



4.      Asking people how they feel



5.      Acknowledging people’s feelings



6.      Helping others express their feelings



7.      Dealing with anger



8.      Dealing with hostility and suspicion



9.      Being comfortable with conflict



10.  Withstanding silences



11.  Mentoring others



12.  Coaching others



13.  Networking








Area and Skill
1
Excel
2
Competent
3
Need to develop
Emotional Intelligence 3:  Observation and Feedback



1.      Being aware of high and low participators



2.      Noting if people are excluded



3.      Recognizing who talks to whom 



4.      Being aware of who takes on leadership roles 



5.      Giving feedback on behavior in the group



6.      Giving praise and appreciation



7.      Providing constructive feedback to individuals or groups



8.      Helping team members give each other feedback



9.      Soliciting feedback from others



10.  Receiving feedback without being defensive



Cultural Literacy and Cross-Cultural Communication



1.      Realizing the value of cultural literacy



2.      Defining and appreciating cultural differences



3.      Understanding differences is values and preferences



4.      Recognizing general communication preferences (direct or indirect, explicit or implicit, high or low context)



5.      Understanding differences in attitudes toward authority, time, risk, and change



6.      Knowing customs common to cultures encountering



7.      Communicating in social situations



Team Communication and Dynamics



1.            Sensing tension in the group



2.            Being sensitive to how people in the group are feeling



3.            Being aware of how open or closed the group is



4.            Identifying those issues which are avoided



5.            Identifying and clarifying goals and objectives



6.            Clearly defining the problem under discussion



7.            Examining all facets of the problem



8.            Exploring people aspects of the problem



9.            Surfacing vested interests and feelings about the problem



10.              Encouraging others to generate ideas



11.              Using creativity to develop new ideas



12.              Evaluating options



13.              Helping groups make decisions





Area and Skill
1
Excel
2
Competent
3
Need to develop
Team Communication and Dynamics (continued)



14.              Helping groups explore their commitment to group decisions and or agreements



15.              Encouraging groups to develop action plans



16.              Helping the team to confront difficult issues



17.              Drawing attention to unhelpful behavior



18.              Helping the team deal with conflict or other tension



19.              Supporting individuals against group pressure



20.              Helping team members acknowledge each other's strengths



21.              Facilitating team review and critique



Part III – Corporate Communication Capabilities



1.      Developing an internal communication strategy



2.      Developing a vision



3.      Communicating a vision



4.      Targeting messages to different levels in an organization



5.      Creating a change communication program



6.      Implementing a change communication program



7.      Developing an external communication strategy



8.      Managing corporate image



9.      Analyzing external stakeholders



10.  Developing targeted messages for all external stakeholders



11.  Communicating with the news media



12.  Dealing with a communication crisis situation



Total marks in each column





Worksheet to Develop Personal
Leadership Communication Development Plan

1.  Using the information gained from completing the Self-Assessment of Overall Leadership Communication Capabilities, assign a score for your improvement need in each skill area (use the scale provided next to the table) based on the number of checks under Excel, Competent, and Need to Develop.

Score
Skill area

1 = substantial need to improve
2 = some need to improve
3 = little need to improve
4 = no need to improve at this time
 

Communication Strategy

Written Communication

Oral Communication

Visual Communication

Ethos/image

Dealing with own feelings

Dealing with Others

Observation and Feedback

Cultural Literacy

Team Communications and Dynamics

Internal Corporate Communication

External Corporate Communication


2.  What do you consider your major communication strengths?






3.  What do you consider your major communication weaknesses?






4.  What leadership communication roles do you currently play in your organization?







Part 2 – Determining Your Leadership Communication Goals

Answer the following questions to help you develop your goals and plan.

1.  What communication leadership roles would you like to play in the future (at your organization or in your career overall)?





2.  What are your short-term and long-term leadership communication improvement goals?





3.  What new skill do you want to work on first, second, third, etc.?          





4.  What barriers do you anticipate having to overcome to reach your improvement goals?





5.  How long do you think it will take you to achieve your goals?





6.  How will you know you are succeeding?       





7.  How will you obtain feedback?





Part 3 – Developing a Plan to Achieve your Goals

Using the table below, list your primary improvement goals, and then establish actions, deadlines, and measurement for each.  The more specific the goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.

Improvement Goal
Action steps to achieve goal
Deadline
Method to measure success