THE REALITIES BEHIND CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS: TALKING TO REAL PEOPLE AS INDIVIDUALS
Context is key There is inevitable tension between the subjective and the objective and in particular how changes will impact real people. In Change Communications it is essential to keep both in mind. It is just as important to understand the likely and actual responses of individuals to change, as it is vital to keep in mind objective forces at work. Context has never been more important than at the start of the 2020s when, save for the two world wars, it is hard to envisage a more challenging time in which to do business while balancing the competing demands of the economy and the individual. Without letting the subjective morph into relativism, it is key for anyone involved in Change Communications to be aware of the many layers of understanding which must be navigated. Change might be in the context of a particular business, but it will usually be wider than that. In the UK we need to factor in not only the impact of Coronavirus (Covid 19) but also the most likely outcomes of Brexit negotiations. Businesses large and small are now subject to pressures that were previously unimaginable. Companies worldwide are trying to balance shrinking budgets with the need to maintain market share. Weaker businesses will face failure or acquisition and many large organisations will face radical re-structuring. Those organisations which are most flexible are likely to be most resilient. A company that has already adopted
to every employee most days, more formal Change Communications is better. Without regular updates there will be uncertainty; and uncertainty creates anxiety, stress, suspicion, loss of motivation and inefficiency. A leader’s silence may be caused by caution, by a genuine belief that if there is no news there is nothing to share or by the concern that there is only incomplete information available. However, this approach does not consider the human element. Without regular updates, the people who need to know what the changes imply will become uneasy and probably less trustful when there actually is news. So, if there is no news, that should become the news, and if there are questions left unanswered, those should be acknowledged. Another stumbling block is what Brent Gleeson has described as Change Fatigue 11 . This is where past failures – previous poor experiences of change – mean that new change is regarded with cynicism and suspicion, as a fad rather than a purposeful transformation. This re- iterates the importance of remembering that change happens to real people rather than anonymous employees. Consistent failure to recognise that an organisation is made up of individuals makes it likely that new ideas and new structures will be seen as impositions instead of improvements. In extreme cases this may mean that entire departments become demotivated and the most able members simply move on.
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