10 TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING CHANGE
While organizational change requires more than 10 tips, here are 10 key things to
keep in mind when planning, announcing, implementing, and communicating a
change initiative:
1. Remember that there's no one perfect way to communicate change.
Change is uncomfortable, and adapting to change is messy. The perfect
Gantt chart does not a painless change experience make. Why? Because
tasks are easy to list, but behavior and long-held habits are not easy to
change. Gather outside information, solicit perspectives, and adapt the
approaches for your organization and group.
2. Start by asking yourself what exactly is changing and why. Too many
programs are heavy on the jargon and light on the substance of what the
buzz phrases mean in the day-to-day reality of the organization' s people. You
have to make that link. For example, what does it mean when you say the
organization needs to be more responsive? What behaviors characterize a
so-called flat organization? Go to the root of what you're trying to achieve
from an organizational behavior perspective, and give the jargon life.
3. Know what results you want, ideally, from both the change initiative and
the communication program or tactic. What's the call to action for the
communication program? What's the call to action for the specific
communication tactic? What systemic or operations changes are under way
that provide the framework for the desired results and behaviors?
4. Include communication strategists at the very beginning of the discussions
about the change, on the strategic team from the start. Too often, qualified
communicators are involved after backlash is in full force, when the leaks and
rumor mills are rampant. The corporate lawyer or the MBA with one or two
classes in PowerPoint is not qualified to understand how the people of the
organization will respond to change and what information they'll need. Their
particular expertise is most likely legal requirement and cost cutting, not
communication.
5. Share information with employees as soon as possible. There's a real
dilemma in public companies, where investor communication is a priority and
employees hear about a merger or reorganization on their car radio while
commuting to work. Once fear and insecurity are heightened, you waste a lot
of time getting back to a place of order, understanding, and productivity, and
many people head for their desks to update résumés and to call employment
recruiters.
6. Keep in mind that quantity is fine, but quality and consistency are crucial.
Most CEOs and managers are quoted as saying, "You can't communicate too
much," but you can communicate too much insignificant or insensitive
information. You can't communicate too much significant, substantial
information.
7. Longevity. Remember that a change effort starts with the announcement or a
merger or change initiative. Many leaders and managers underestimate the
length of time required by a change cycle. That's why numerous reports
indicate poor performance following many mergers, change initiatives, etc.
Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, neither do people and organizations
change in a week, or even a year. Think of it as changing some very
ingrained habits; that's what you're doing.
8. Remember to use a variety of communication pathways and vehicles.
Some organizations make an enormous mistake in using only one vehicle,
such as e-mail or the company intranet site. Redundancy and repetition are
helpful in creating an effective communication program.
9. Don't confuse process -- visioning, chartering change teams, planning,
endless PowerPoint presentations -- with communication. While those
meetings and processes can be communication vehicles if designed mindfully
and handled in the context of a broader program, they aren't adequate to
meet change communication needs.
10. Give people multiple opportunities to share concerns, ask questions, and
offer ideas, and make following up with answers and updates a top
priority. The more people are involved in the process, the fewer you'll have
walking out the door or worse, staying and acting as internal saboteurs.
