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Communicating
change through an organisation is a challenge lots of individuals
face, regardless of whether the organisation is large or small.
Here are some key things to think about with our
6
tips for communicating change
1.
Make sure you mean it
Lots
of change programmes are greeted with weary cynicism because
employees believe that the programme will have a shorter shelf
life than an airport novel.
If
you WOULD LIKE people to change what they do, make sure you
can resource the change to ENSURE that the change happens
(carrots, sticks, training, support, time to plan etc). Otherwise
don't call it a change programme. Find a different name and
set different expectations.
2.
Clarify your outcomes
Too
many change programmes are unclear about outcomes. What is
called change is in fact ‘live on-the-job research'. This
could also be called 'experimenting with the Profit and Loss
account', which may not make you popular with the finance
director!
Not
surprisingly, it is hard to sustain any benefits when they
have been arrived at in a haphazard way. It may not be at
all clear what the actual benefits are until much later
3.
Decide how fast to change
Some
businesses can change their customer offers in minutes if
they choose, others may take years to introduce new products.
Communicate WHEN you expect change to start and over WHAT
TIMEFRAME you expect to complete it.
Be
aware of what looks and feels like fast change to your organisation.
In general fast change is harder, it meets more resistance,
and more people will tend to keep their head down, hoping
that the storm will pass! On the other hand, if you go too
slowly, you won't ever deliver the expected results. Think
through your timeframe carefully, remembering it takes at
least 6 weeks to change even fairly straightforward behaviour
patterns.
4.
Complete your change
If
your change programme is never-ending, it isn't 'change' it's
a way of operating. For example, introducing a continuous
improvement process may involve a change programme. The change
programme is complete when the new processes and the way of
operating are embedded and functioning well. If you think
your change process is perpetual, think again!
5.
Consider your end goal
One
of our clients is working on a change programme where the
end is deliberately unknown. This is brave, and takes a lot
of backing from the very top. However, the benefit is that
leaving the end goal open makes way for some breakthrough
ideas that may not fit existing structures and plans.
If
you want to go this way, be sure you have done your homework
with the top team first, and you aren't just pushing through
a poorly planned change programme too early.
6.
You have to change too!
Its
great telling other people to change, but most of the time,
we forget that we have to be part of the change too. Make
sure you can ask people to do as you do, and not to do as
you say.
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