STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Due Week 4, worth 150 points The ability to effectively communicate is one of the most in demand and sought after skills in today’s workforce. As a business professional, you will be expected to not only communicate in a clear and concise way, but to do so strategically. These communication skills are necessary to manage personnel effectively and to drive your organization toward its strategic goals and outcomes. Effective communication starts with planning. By developing a strategic communications plan you will be more intentional in your messages and the actions you ask of your audience. This plan is the foundation for Assignments 2 and 3.INSTRUCTIONS Create a written strategic communications plan for the professional communication challenge or opportunity of your choice. Your plan should include the following components and may be written in a professional report format. See the formatting requirements for additional information.1. Description a) What is your challenge or opportunity? b) Why is this professionally important to you?2. Goal a) What goal or outcome do you want to achieve with this communication? i. Is it clear, concise, and actionable?3. Audience a) Who is your target audience? i. What are the professional positions of the audience members? ii. What demographic characteristics will the audience comprise? iii. What is your relationship to the audience? iv. What background knowledge and expertise does the audience have? v. What does the audience know, feel about, and expect concerning this communication? vi. What preconceptions or biases do you possess that might prevent you from building rapport with your audience? b) What information is available about your audience? i. What research/sources will you use to obtain information about the audience? ii. What conclusions have you been able to draw about the audience? c) What tone will you use to convey your message? i. Is the setting casual or formal? ii. Is the communication personal or impersonal?4. Key Message a) What is the primary message you must convey to your audience? i. Is the message compelling and memorable? ii. Is the message clear and concise? iii. Is the message aligned with your audience’s goals and needs?5. Supporting Points a) What three to four points, reasons, or justifications support your message? i. What research/sources will you use to obtain facts/data about your message?6. Channel Selection a) What communication style will you employ (Tell/Sell or Consult/Join), and why? b) What channel(s) will you use to deliver your message, and why will they be the most effective? c) What purpose is served by each channel you have selected?7. Action Request a) Is your call to action you are making to your audience clear, concise, and easily actionable?Note: You may create and establish all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment. The scenario is yours to explain.

This final assignment is a collection of the self-assessment reports from all eight modules, plus your synthesis and final reflections. Use the "Leadership Portfolio Project Outline" in Doc Sharing to structure your final project paper.

Select a case study that resonates with you from a professional perspective. Post a 100- to 175-word discussion message sharing which case you chose and why it was chosen. Basically, I chose it because I work in finance so please focus on that. Include at least one point from the case that stood out to you and why it did. Berkshire Instruments Al Hansen, the newly appointed vice president of finance of Berkshire Instruments, was eager to talk to his investment banker about future financing for the firm. One of Al’s first assignments was to determine the firm’s cost of capital. In assessing the weights to use in computing the cost of capital, he examined the current balance sheet, presented in Figure 1 below. In their discussion, Al and his investment banker determined that the current mix in the capital structure was very close to optimal and that Berkshire Instruments should continue with it in the future. Of some concern was the appropriate cost to assign to each of the elements in the capital structure. Al Hansen requested that his administrative assistant provide data on what the cost to issue debt and preferred stock had been in the past. The information is provided in Figure 2 below. When Al got the data, he felt he was making real progress toward determining the cost of capital for the firm. However, his investment banker indicated that he was going about the process in an incorrect manner. The important issue is the current cost of funds, not the historical cost. The banker suggested that a comparable firm in the industry, in terms of size and bond rating (Baa), Rollins Instruments, had issued bonds a year and a half ago for 9.3 percent interest at a $1,000 par value, and the bonds were currently selling for $890. The bonds had 20 years remaining to maturity. The banker also observed that Rollings Instruments had just issued preferred stock at $60 per share, and the preferred stock paid an annual dividend of $4.80. In terms of cost of common equity, the banker suggested that Al Hansen use the dividend valuation model as a first approach to determining cost of equity. Based on that approach, Al observed that earnings were $3 a share and that 40 percent would be paid out in dividends (D1). The current stock price was $25. Dividends in the last four years had grown from 82 cents to the current value. The banker indicated that the under-writing cost (flotation cost) on a preferred stock issue would be $2.60 per share and $2.00 per share on common stock. Al Hansen further observed that his firm was in a 35 percent marginal tax bracket. With all this information in hand, Al Hansen sat down to determine his firm’s cost of capital. He was a little confused about computing the firm’s cost of common equity. He knew there were two different formulas: One: One for the cost of retained earnings and one for the cost of new common stock. His investment banker suggested that he follow the normally accepted approach used in determining the marginal cost of capital. First, determine the cost of capital for as large a capital structure as current retained earnings will support; then, determine the cost of capital based on exclusively using new common stock.