19 data points for a kicking communications health check

​I have an amazing doctor. He is terrific at his job, knows my history, communicates simply and, to top it off, is a good bloke.

Most important is I have confidence in the way he practises medicine. Which is kind of what you want when it comes to your health. Everything else runs second. 
 
Similarly, when feeling the pulse of your business you want a no-nonsense, fact-based method that gives you an honest appraisal. Nothing beats a clinical, intricate look-see. 
 
After decades of overseeing newsrooms and seeking to optimise their performance, I have found there are about 20 essential aspects for any health check of your communications to prove meaningful.

​The object is to forensically understand your current state, from which you can then review and step-out a you-beaut communications/content strategy.

How deep you need to dive should be determined in your earliest conversations. You will require more investigation if you suspect major surgery is needed.
 
In some areas it will be as simple as recording whether the company has a strategic mission statement, for example, and what it is. Or noting every social media platform used and relevant statistics such as followers and number of posts.

Here is a checklist of some of the diagnostics you could run:

1. Business basics (e.g. organisational mission, values, strategic papers, codes of conduct, policies);
2. Heritage (company story so far, results);
3. Market characteristics (e.g. demographics, catchment area, market size);
4. Products/platforms (traditional and new media communication channels used – internal and external);
5. Communication basics (content schedule/strategy, digital schedule/strategy, style guides, user guides);
6. Human resources (overall organisational structure, communications team, job descriptions, fan base, volunteers, administrative support);
7. Financials (communications budget, staff establishment);
8. Content (content recipe, design and style standards);
9. Content/news management (commissioning processes, policies or strategies);
10. “Newsroom”  (physical configuration/set up of comms office, seating plan, production/editing facilities, digital dashboards, TV feeds, meeting rooms);
11. Newsroom equipment (smart phones, computers and other tech, photo/video equipment, transport, admin facilities);
12. Technology (content platform, wifi access, community wifi, office software, other software/platforms/digital tools, video conferencing);
13. Learning and development (training provided, trainers, appraisal and coaching);
14. Website (separate audit);
15. Social media (separate audit);
16. Content workflow (any engrained way of working, deadlines, scheduling);
17. Communication (updates, staff access to company information, meetings, inductions, rewards and celebration, social events);
18. Community (sponsorship, community events, level of interaction, customer satisfaction);
19. Competition (platforms/results, strategies).

 
Some of this information may seem superfluous for your intentions. ​However, I have been surprised by what I have turned up unexpectedly when digging around. 

Such a health check is the vital spade work for any communications review which in turn underpins the DIY Newsroom™.