Organizational Transformation – Part IV

The Role of Communication

By EMERGE International

Communication is also a crucial aspect of change. It must be direct, not understated. It is important to share accurate and honest information with employees on an ongoing basis and help employees explore and express their true feelings towards the change. The operative words here are “accurate” and “honest.” If employees do not trust the information that is being shared, all the communication tactics in the world will not help the situation.

When we talk about change we are talking about changing human behavior. And as you know, human behavior is controlled by the mind. So the only way to get the change you desire is to change people’s minds. Once someone’s mind is made up, it develops the ability to wall itself off from influence, and penetrating or circumnavigating the wall takes much more effort. As leaders, one of our biggest misconceptions is that we really think we can change people’s minds. People must change their own minds.

What are some of the ways that communication can help?  Certainly not by an edict from the “ivory tower” and certainly not by Ye Olde Management Speech.  The edict, the speech, and all of the persuasion in the world will not work. Beware of the “Hey! We’re all in this together” speech. You know, the one where you give them facts and hope they agree with you? The one where you hope they’ll see things differently after the meeting and act differently. The one where you talk about the change by telling them that it won’t be easy, but you have a plan. The one where you tell them you have confidence they can do it. The one you play louder and louder, over and over, hoping that it will have a bigger impact.

Why doesn’t ‘The Speech’ work? Think of your audience. Those who have already bought in need no persuasion, they’re already convinced. The rebel rousers have their arms folded and are saying, “Here we go again!” And, don’t forget about the WAS (Wait And See) group. They will do things the same old way and wait to see if this thing really sticks. So, basically, no one who attends that meeting and hears that speech will come out with a changed mind.

All employees affected by the change must have a thorough understanding of the change and its implications. You must pay as much attention to the emotional dimension as you give to the informational aspects of the change. Remember, employees cannot be mandated to a SHIFT in mind-set. They must be positioned to change their own minds by engaging them in the process.  You must engage their egos. Another point worth reiterating is that employees (individuals) make up organizations; therefore, if you change people’s minds, you change your organization. 

Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. It is how work gets down.  Actually it is the work.  Whether you are seeking information [ideas, solutions, approaches… feedback on performance] or providing input [direction, guidance, expectations, etc.] you are interacting in some way – either by phone, email, memo, meetings, etc.  And it is not just about the communication vehicles – it is about how you interact with each other on a day to day basis to get the job done and deliver the best possible service to your internal and external customers.  Therefore, creating a comprehensive communication plan is crucial to the success of any change initiative you are engaged in.   

When creating your strategy remember to include:

q        Purpose  - be very clear about your intent.   

q        Scope – be real clear about what the plan covers and what it does not cover.

q        Steps in the development of the plan – describe the steps involved in creating the plan. Remember to involve all stakeholders.  This will help you to determine: who requires what information when and how [what is the best vehicle for delivering the news?]

q        Guiding Principles – this is an important statement outlining the commitment to the plan.

q        Definitions - of the different types of information  - Vertical flow [downward and upward], lateral flow, intradepartmental flow, etc.

q        Accountabilities/roles – communication is a shared responsibility so make sure everyone is held accountable for participating.  Spell out what that looks like.  What is the role of leadership and what is the role of employees?

q        Training – take the time to understand the skill level of your leaders.  Are they natural born communicators or could they use some guidance?  And, don’t forget your employees.  Since this is a shared responsibility, it is important for everyone to be really clear about accountabilities.

q        Performance management – hold everyone accountable for carrying out his or her part of the communication plan.  Incorporate communication requirements into everyone’s performance appraisal.

q        Metrics – define how will you measure the effectiveness of your communication strategies.

q        Strategies – define your actual communication strategies that will be implemented and create a project plan using good project management methodology.

To support you in the development of your communication strategy/plan we have listed several best practices we have collected over the years.  See if any of these fit with your current culture or determine if some of these approaches would support the direction you would like to take n creating your future state.

Best Practices

§              The CEO is committed to the importance of communication as well as the rest of the management group.

§              All of management matches words with actions

§              There is a commitment to two-way communication; ineffective programs are dominated by downward communication. Successful programs balance downward and upward communication.  Q&A columns, encourage employees to submit questions – employees must take the initiative to do so, be objective when receiving questions, may requiring training supervisors in feedback techniques and think about reward systems.

§              Emphasize face to face dialogue along with courageous conversations

§              Shared responsibility – managers have some responsibility for ensuring that employees are well informed employees prefer to hear about changes from their direct supervisor – employees also have the responsibility for speaking their truth and asking the questions – everyone is courageous

§              Deal with bad news openly and honestly – candid reporting

§              Messages are shaped for the intended audience – what, how often and in what format

§              Treat communication as an ongoing process.

§              Managers convey the rationale underlying decisions – why is this occurring and how will it affect you.  Employees want more information so they can make intelligent career decisions.

§              Timeliness is vital – high performing organizations communicate what they know when they know it give facts as soon as they become available - this lessens the power of the grapevine and increases management’s credibility – communication tree

§              Communicate continuously

§              Link the big picture with the little picture – understand the big picture and then translate change into implications for each location, department and employee

§              Don’t dictate how people should feel about the news; communicate the who, what, when, where, why and how they let employees draw their own conclusions.

§              Consistency of message and actions make the difference in building trust and understanding

§              Report the good with the bad

§              Use humor or fun [trivia, contests, games, etc.

§              Keep information relevant and clear

§              Shared responsibility – give and take – everyone committing to speaking their truth, listening, reading and providing frequent and honest feedback. 

§              Take the time to read, to listen to ask questions.

§              Distinguish between urgent – non urgent – fyi - sensitive

§              Information is not filtered

§              They are very objective and stay away from selective perception

§              They are not defensive - when people feel they are being threatened they tend to react in ways that reduce their ability to achieve mutual understanding; defensive behaviors = verbally attacking others, making sarcastic remarks, being overly judgmental, and questioning others’ motives.

§              They watch their use of language: words mean different things to different people.  Age, education, and cultural background are three of the more obvious variables that influence language.

Interested in learning more about organizational transformation?

Visit us online at www.emergeinternational.com or email us at info@emergeinternational.comfor more information.