In my last column I talked about the necessary questions to ask while contemplating how to strategically communicate radical change to employees. Let's now explore the components of a change communications plan.
I will assume (for planning purposes) that there is already in place a change management team. This will be the heart and soul of the undertaking. As agents of change, this team must be given the responsibility and the authority to generate buy-in to the process of change and - through that - employees will have an ownership of the outcomes. The members should represent the core operational and staff components of the organization.
If your organization has regional offices, they must be represented on the team. The team leader should be highly respected and must be in a position to report to the CEO and executive management committee directly and regularly on the team's progress.
With respect to developing a change communications strategy, you must have a seat at the table of the change management team.
A senior communications officer must not only be a key member of that team, but will often spearhead a change communications team, which can implement the strategy. Even if communications resources are tight, why not co-opt communications volunteers from operational and staff divisions?
Ensure senior executive buy-in: the CEO and the senior executive group must be not only behind the team but willing to provide it with the support and visibility necessary to get the job done.
The role of the CEO is to communicate the vision behind the change. Create vehicles and channels for the CEO to communicate regularly to employees at all levels and to be visible and responsive. Focus on the supervisory levels. In their gound-breaking book, "Communicating Change," TJ and Sandar Larkin exhaustively chronicle failures and successes in communicating change within organizations. Referring to research studies by IABC and TPF&C, they conclude that employees' preferred source of information is supervisors - not top executives or even their unions!
Always tell the truth. Central to credibility for the entire process is not to make promises that you can't keep. In a seminar in Washington D.C., last year, a participant asked me: "What if I know there will be more lay-offs down the road - beyond what our original estimates have been?" I replied: "Do not lie."
It is important that your message be consistent. If, for example, you cannot rule out future lay-offs, then you should say so. Employees aren't stupid. In fact many of them have probably figured that out already. They will respect you for your honesty. However, do not get into speculation on how many and where. You're setting yourself up for contradiction - besides demoralizing the employees.
Create an interactive communications process, which is team-based and revolves around peers communicating with peers wherever possible. The key ingredient here is involvement. The change communications team is the hub of the initiative. Radiating out from the team is a series of spokes, which lead to a range of teams - crossing the usual turfs and divisions so that those teams can truly invite broad participation from their own units. Assign the teams a task, ranging from problem-solving and trouble-shooting client problems to streamlining internal processes and improving service delivery.
Set up a dynamic, focused communications program to support the change management team. It should be led by the senior communications person who is a member of the change management team. Provide him or her with targeted resources, either staff or contracted.
Train the team leaders in communications skills. They will be expected to lead problem-solving and brainstorming meetings; work with teams; communicate with employee groups; present their recommendations; and listen to complaints and suggestions. Are they equipped to do so effectively? A skill-based training program is not only vital for the success of the change process, but making the training available to these volunteers is an important message that the organization values their contributions and wishes to make an investment in their personal skills development.
Report on progress monthly - whether good or bad. The change management team should try to achieve early success - even in small steps. These victories might include improving turn-around time or giving front-line workers more authority and tools to enhance client service. Use your communications vehicles (employee newsletters, Web site, recognition awards, videos) to report on these.
Give voice to the employees and the stakeholders in the process. Wherever possible, utilize the comments of third parties to endorse the changes. These might include clients, customers, industry officials, media and analysts who have a stake in the change.
Finally, encourage the employees to share their views and comments on the change process. How have the changes improved their productivity or the service to their clients? Where can improvements still be made? By doing so, you will have successfully transferred ownership of the communications as well as the change management process over to employees.
Barry J. McLoughlin is president of the media consulting and training firm, Barry McLoughlin Associates Inc., with offices in Washington, D.C., Princeton, N.J., and Ottawa, ON Canada. Author of the "Communicate with Power" series of strategic communications tools, he can be reached at http://www.mclomedia.com or by e-mail at [email protected].