The impact of unmanageable change… It’s stressful!
Change is impacting us all, globally. Some more than others, yes, but these days no-one seems exempt. For that reason there is a lot of tolerance for people undergoing change, but it’s conditional: it requires that the leaders communicate what they are doing. At the moment we notice this most as politicians struggle to restructure economies, but it applies equally to business leaders.
From helping companies manage change we have learnt how to apply the three keys to success in change communication:
1. A Plan: it’s simple to say, harder to do. Go easy on yourself as many people struggle with writing a plan; however, it’s a critical part of communications and people want to see that you have one.
Keep it simple and in plain English, and include:
a) A vision or purpose to show people where you are taking them, then
b) Objectives (for each stakeholder group?); Strategies; Tactics; Financials/Timeline.
Note: An easy-to-read one-pager as an executive summary, preferably with simply graphics/tables, is a huge asset when communicating what you are planning.
2. Constant communications: Provide an open and continuous flow of information.
a) Listen: As Steve Covey famously wrote, ‘Seek first to understand, then to be understood‘. Ask questions until you deeply understand people’s concerns: it sounds obvious but often overlooked. Firstly, people like to be heard; secondly, it can guide you on the kinds of messages you need to be distributing.
b) Continuous flow: kill rumours with information: nature abhors a vacuum; when you are sick of saying it, people are starting to ‘get it’, so keep talking: repetition = penetration = impact.
3. Participation: engage stakeholders in the process (operational and/or communications).
There are a variety of techniques: involve people in restructuring their areas; ask people to come up with ideas, and reward them; hold competitions on what can be done; form kitchen cabinets to help with decisions.
For discussion during planning sessions:
1. First and foremost is the need for trust in the leadership.
- Honesty is integral to trust. How can I be honest when it involves hardship, like the loss of jobs?
- We need to lead when we don’t know when or where it’s going to end. How do I do that?
- I have some facts and a lot of speculation. How do I separate the two?
2. The questions people are often afraid to ask are also often the simplest, so you need to take the initiative:
- Will I have a job?
- Does my workload increase?
- Who will be my boss?
- Where is my new office?
3. When looking at an organisation’s ability to manage change, consider:
- The strength of the leadership – will it buckle; is it value driven?
- The power of the spokesperson(s)
- The effectiveness of the key messages – arising out of the Plan
- Nimbleness
- Simplicity
- Timeline and Budget.
Notes
- Some of this is counter intuitive e.g. when people are losing their jobs the important stakeholder is the group of people keeping theirs.
- Managing change is not an objective; it is simply part of the journey.
- Be prepared to regularly update/change your Strategic Plan, Annual Business Plan and your Communications Plan.
