Today’s post is from Myra Cocca, founding principal of IronStrike.
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Good change communication is one that creates behavior change in individuals. While that might seem rather obvious, I am often surprised that organizations do not know what target they are trying to hit.
Having a high understanding of what successful change would look like for your company, and knowing the perceptions and attitudes toward that change, are the foundations for successfully communicating change to employees.
Also, when planning for change, it’s important to understand what communication channels are credible and influential within your organization. As an example, your company might take great pride in its internal newsletter. Yet, your readership surveys (because your company is conducting those on a regular basis, right?) reveal that readership is low or not read by certain pockets of employees. Given this, using your internal newsletter as the primary communication tool to communicate your change would not be ideal.
Similarly, if you know that employees mostly value hearing from their direct supervisors, as studies show, sending mass emails from a generic email box might not be the best tactic in communicating a significant company change – or any message for that matter. In summary, it’s important to know from what sources employees want to hear.
Outside of the above considerations, the following is an approach, with supporting tactics, to best connect with your employees during change:
“Letting Go” Phase: This phase starts upon the announcement of the change and is marked by employees letting go of the way things are now.
- Describe the change and what to expect in as much detail as possible. People need to understand the logic of the plan before it will be accepted.
- Provide information often and consistently. An inconsistent story breeds distrust.
- Clearly communicate what is NOT changing just as much as what is changing.
- Show how the end (the end state of the change) will ensure the continuity of the company’s success.
“Neutral zone” Phase: This phase marks the space between “what was” and “what will be in the future” and is marked by storytelling of the what the future will look like.
- Paint a PICTURE of how the outcome will look and feel, so employees can begin to imagine themselves as part of it.
- Communicate the PLAN for phasing in the outcome. Employees need to see how they will achieve the desired result.
- Communicate regularly via newsletters to maintain contact, give structure and show support.
“New Beginning” Phase: This represents the start of the “new normal,” or when the change becomes more institutionalized. It is marked by reinforcement of past messages and acknowledgment of successes.
- Consistently reinforce the messages that were delivered during the neutral zone.
- Take time to celebrate and officially mark the new beginning by doing something fun that breaks from routine. Share a give-away that is also a departure from what the company may have done in the past. This suggests to employees that they are part of the future.
By keeping these communications points in mind and putting yourself in employees’ shoes, you can more effectively help teams through transitions. That’s not to say that everything will go as planned, but understanding the underlying factors and motivators can help to restore confidence in the organization and get you through the transition more successfully.
Myra Cocca is founding principal of IronStrike, www.IronStrike.biz, which helps executives, companies and organizations navigate change through effective employee and leadership communications.
