Riding a Bicycle

There is an old axiom - are there any young axioms? - that says learning to ride a bicycle is something one never forgets. That has got to be a great source of comfort to everyone who knows how to ride a bike. You ride one and do not for, say, 20 years. Then, one day, perhaps on a dare or when the neighbor's kid isn't looking, you pick up his bike and suddenly you are off to the races with no concerns as if it were that magical day 20 years earlier. Of course, for that scenario to work, you have to know how to ride a bike. For me, my bike riding skills were never more than shaky at best. Even as a youngster, I was never comfortable on one of those contraptions. Consequently, growing up I did a ton of walking while so many of my friends raced around the neighborhood on their two-wheelers. But any one reading this should not feel too sorry for me as I eventually grew up and learned how to drive a car.

The point of this reflection is that the thought occurred to me the other day how similar creating and implementing a strategic communication plan for an organization is to teaching someone how to ride a bike. Both take a lot of patience, mutual confidence and trust. Additionally, from the communicator's perspective, it also takes much hand-holding, collaborating and a good sense of direction. Organizations, particularly non-for-profit entities, want to get their messages across, want to raise their profile, want to generate greater support, and want to increase the size of their operating budgets. While a strategic communication plan - even a good one - cannot guarantee success, it can create momentum toward helping an organization achieve these important goals.

Much like teaching someone to ride a bike, good strategic communication plans have points of measurement to determine how well goals are being met. For instance, if a bike rider takes off on his own and within the first twenty yards crashes into into a stop sign, then the basic goal of riding the bike has not been met. (Yes, I am talking about me.) But if an organization is able to make connections with specific publics, then that basic step in the strategic communication process has been met. It is a building process that contributes to an organization's sustained existence. The trick is to avoid any immovable objects, such as stop signs, and continue moving forward.