The first tutorial (Part 1) introduced ADKAR and how management activities can align to make change successful, as illustrated in Figure 1. This tutorial, Part 2, will present a model for creating awareness of the need for change. Awareness is the first step in the ADKAR model.

In this tutorial, the four key elements of awareness will be presented, including:

• Key messages

• Channels (enablers)

• Timing

• Communicators

Figure 1 - ADKAR Model mapped to enablers and management activities

Key messages

When creating awareness of the need for change, use Prosci's communication template shown in Figure 2. This communication template covers a broad spectrum of topics that are important to your employees when a change is initiated.

Figure 2 - Prosci's communication template

In some cases you may not have answers to every area of this template. The most important message you can deliver when the answers are not currently known is to share when more information will be available.

Channels for building awareness

Management communication is the most common method for creating awareness of the need for change. Communications can range from face-to-face meetings to newsletters or email announcements. A complete list includes:

Face-to-face options

• Department or enterprise meetings
• Group meetings
• Focus groups
• One-on-one meetings
• Road show presentations (by project team)
• Town Hall meetings
• Team meetings
• Brown bag lunches
• Training courses and workshops

 Alternate communication channels

• Emails
• Bulletin boards
• Cafeteria postings
• Change booklets
• Corporate newsletters (feature section)
• Demonstrations
• Faxes
• Frequently asked questions (memos or newsletter feature)
• Internal memos
• Intranet pop-ups
• Leaflets
• Posters
• Project newsletters
• Videos
• Voicemails
• Webcasts
• Website (Intranet)
• Word of mouth

What is important to note about communication channels is that they should be carefully selected based on the timing and impact of the message on the audience. You would not want to use an email note, for example, when layoffs may be part of the change. Employees prefer face-to-face announcements for large impact changes.

Other channels for building awareness

Building awareness around the need for change is not limited to management communications. Other methods for building awareness that are not necessarily under the direct control of management include:

• marketplace changes
• customer input
• ready-access to information
• employee rumors

Marketplace changes could include mergers and acquisitions, or the entry of new competitors. The recent announcement of a take-over bid of Disney by Comcast was reported in the news long before managers were able to inform employees of this possible business change. In most industries, employees are aware of competitor offerings or services that may pose a threat or challenge to the business.

Employees interact with customers every day. In cases where the business issues are customer-affecting, employees most likely have already heard complaints or requests from customers for a change. This constant interaction with customers creates a strong awareness of the need for change with employees, and in some cases can cause employees to be the first to surface the need for change with managers.

Depending on the culture and policies of your company, financial and business information may be readily available to employees. Such ready-access to information creates an ongoing awareness of the business condition and issues, and makes the introduction of change easier for employees.

Rumors from employees are an alternate channel as well. Change management teams may be faced with damage control when employees spread rumors about change. The worst part of rumors is that employees tend to make up answers to any questions they are unsure about. Rumors are more problematic if a communication plan is absent, if communications are delayed or if messages are not well formulated for each audience.

All of these alternate channels create awareness of the need for change with employees. However, even in the presence of these alternate channels, management communications are still required. These management communications, using the template provided above, are necessary to create a complete story and provide the proper context for the messages.

Timing and audiences

When building awareness of the need for change, timing is critical. You should think of the change in three key phases as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 - Phases of change

When creating awareness of the need for change, you are balancing two difficult aspects related to the nature of change. The longer employees endure the change process, the greater the overall impact on productivity and on customers. However, if you withhold information about the change from employees until every last part of the change is known and understood, you risk "surprising" employees and you potentially lose the opportunity to have them involved in the overall design of the change. Research shows that it is preferable to share information early and often, and involve employees in the change process. Therefore, awareness building should begin as soon as it is clear that a change will be necessary.

The other aspect of timing is related to the Prosci communication template presented in Figure 2. Not every topic in this template should be covered with the very first announcement. In fact, careful dissemination of this material over a specified time period will be a critical success factor, and can make the difference between a mediocre communications plan and a great communications plan. Refer to the Change Management Toolkit for more information about timing and communications planning.

Communicators

When building awareness of the need for change, the communicator is as important as the message. Based on the most recent benchmarking study, employees prefer two communicators:

• CEO or business executive

• Direct supervisor

Employees want to hear elements from Sections 1 and 2 of the Prosci communication template (Figure 2) from the CEO or a business executive. Employees want to hear from the person at the highest possible level. Messages from Section 3 are best communicated by the direct supervisor because they relate to the personal impact of the change on employees.

Summary

Building awareness of the need for change is the most critical first step in managing change. Successfully using multiple channels for building awareness, covering all the key messages and timing those messages carefully will ensure that the change process will begin in the best possible way.

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Building desire for change - Part 3

The power of knowledge - Part 4

Developing ability to change - Part 5

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