THE REALITIES BEHIND CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS: TALKING TO REAL PEOPLE AS INDIVIDUALS
for their potential, managers take on the invidious role of enforcers, trying to direct whole departments who are entrenched in the status quo. If Change Management is successful, it is usually because “there is a significant focus on people, culture and behaviours needed to prepare the organisation, demonstrate the change, encourage buy-in, and embed new norms and expectations.” 4 Unsurprisingly, success depends on effective communication. Change Communications is about introducing change to the workforce in a way that prepares them for what is about to happen – it fosters shared understanding of why it is about to happen and how it brings benefits. Change Communications clarifies the purpose of change, identifies the workforce’s concerns and addresses them calmly and productively to overcome any resistance. To do this well, those communicating what needs to be done will understand their audience and recognise their value, enabling stakeholders to embrace change so that implementation becomes an organically positive process. When Change Management works well it is usually because it has been rooted in successful Change Communications, so it is understandable that the two terms are often confused. Change Management, after all, is about getting things done and communication is part of the management process, but it does depend on context.
It is important to consider the difference between regular communication and Change Communications. Regular communication happens automatically and continuously. It operates on a spectrum from a subtle look, through gestures to specific articulation in speech, text and images. We receive and share information, we explain emotions, ideas and processes and we explain what is happening and why. We provide updates to keep everyone ‘in the loop’. In a healthy organisation, communication follows a generally understood structure and is seen as helpful. In a business riven by departmental rivalry and where trust is lacking, communication is likely to have become ‘strategically’ selective and devalued. Employees may well feel they are never told anything useful, and when they are it will be viewed with suspicion. Effective communication functions on several levels - at a minimum, factual, emotional and psychological – so to do it well consistently takes effort and an understanding of key elements such as clarity, timing, choice of channel and the way people ‘listen’. 5 When communication is about change there is often a perceived threat. Further, when plans can often be overtaken by events, it is all the more important to make sure the Change Communications process remains resilient and purposeful, and grounded in best practice. Good Change Communications, therefore, is a considered and strategic process planned in great detail to focus on demonstrating the value of every
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