Techniques For Managing Change A Communicating Strategy that is good is in the core of any successful change management process. The more change there is going to be afterward the greater the need - and notably regarding the plans, the benefits, the reasons and projected effects of that change. It is important that an effective communication strategy actioned as soon as you possibly can and is defined and then properly maintained for the period.
There are 2 aspects to your change management communication strategy the balance between information content and psychological resonance; and Role of internal communications second the phase of the initiative, in other words prior to and during. The structural and content facet of your communications You'll benefit greatly from the discipline of a programme-based approach to directing and handling your change initiative, as your communication strategy will probably be based across the following: - Stakeholder map and analysis [everyone who is going to be affected by the change along with your evaluations of their reactions and those impacts ] - Pattern [ statement and the clear definition of the altered organization] - Vision statement and pre-programme preparation procedure [ the high-level vision and also the follow up preplanning procedure to unpack the vision and analyse the impacts ] - Programme strategy [the steps which are taken to create the changes and get the advantages - an agenda of undertakings and projects and initiatives ] The crucial FACTUAL questions that the communication strategy must address and to what level of detail? - What will be the essential used to disseminate information? - Who are you looking be encouraged? What advice an effect of feedback? - what exactly are the aims? - How much advice will be supplied, messages? - What mechanisms will be used The crucial MENTAL questions that your communication strategy should address Kotter exemplifies this the anecdote of Martin Luther King who failed to stand up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and say: "I've a great strategy" and illustrate it with 10 great reasons why it was
an excellent strategy. William Bridges focuses on the emotional and psychological impact and aspect of the change - and introduces these 3 easy questions: to the drivers making it crucial (1) what's altering? Bridges offers the following guidance - the change leader's communicating statement must:- Clearly express aim and the change leader's understanding - "Sell the issue before you try and sell the alternative." (2) what'll really be different as a result of the change? Bridges says: "I go into organizations where a change initiative is well underway, and that i ask what's going to vary when the change is doneand no one can answer the question... a change might appear very important and very real to the leader, but to the people that have to make it work it looks rather subjective and vague until genuine differences that it will make start to eventually become clear... the drive to get those differences clear should be an important priority on the planners' list of things to do." (3) who is planning to lose what? Bridges maintains that the situational changes are as easy for companies to make as the emotional transitions of the people affected by the change. Transition direction is focused on seeing the specific situation through the opinion of another guy. It really is a perspective centered on empathy. It's communicating and direction process that affirms and recognises people's realities and works with them to bring them. Failure to do that, on the part of change leaders, plus a denial of the losses and "lettings go" that individuals are faced with, sows the seeds of mistrust. 5 guiding principles of a good change management communication strategy So, in outline the 5 guiding principles of a great change management communication strategy are as follows: - Clarity of message - to ensure recognition and relevance - Resonance of message - delivery and the psychological tone of the message - Exact targeting - to reach the right people together with the message that is proper - Time schedule - to attain timely targeting of messages - Feedback procedure - to ensure genuine two way communication Failure reasons in change management are many and varied. But one thing is painfully clear. The root cause of all this failure is lack of clarity and also too little communication. It is what a Programme Management based approach to change is about and why it so important.