Communications: with and without
change management
The communication plan
is one of the key tools
available to change management professionals. In Prosci's 2009
best practices benchmarking study, effective communication was
cited as the number two contributor to success,
just behind "active and visible sponsorship." We can all agree that in times
of change, communications are central to success. Unfortunately,
there are many instances where communication plans and efforts
are taking place without a change management framework or
perspective. Communications frequently show up in project
management methodologies and processes. In fact, many
organizations have complete departments or functions dedicated
to communications. However, "communications with change
management" and "communications without change management"
are very different. This tutorial looks at five main
areas that vary when a communications effort occurs with or
without change management:
-
Intent
-
Focus
-
Frequency
-
Methods
-
Senders
What does "with change management" mean?
Can you have a communication plan that is not part of a bigger change
management approach? The answer is certainly yes. Will this type of plan
produce positive results toward managing the people side of change?
Often times the answer is NO. Without being grounded in change management, efforts
usually result in a telling plan rather than a
communication plan. To be
effective, communications must be targeted to the particular audience,
sharing why the change is happening, addressing their specific concerns
and where they are in the change process. The timing, content and
"sender" of messages in times of
change is crucial and plays a key role in building a communication plan
focused on change management.
Communications in the context of change management has several
implications that are unique from communications in general:
-
The communication plan is just one of the change management
plans that are part of a robust change management approach. In
addition to the communication plan, change management professionals
also develop a sponsor roadmap (providing specific activities
required by senior leaders), a coaching plan (outlining how managers
and supervisors will engage their direct reports), a training plan
(detailing the knowledge and skill-building necessary for employees
to adopt the change) and a resistance management plan (proactively
addressing objections and key areas of concern for employees). These
five plans are the levers that change management professionals have
to support individuals through their own change process.
-
The communication plan takes place as part of a larger
process. Prosci's organizational
change management process occurs in three phases: Phase 1 - Preparing
for change, Phase 2 - Managing change, Phase 3 - Reinforcing change. The
communication plan is developed in Phase 2 - after the development of a
change management strategy based on an understanding and assessment of
the unique situation that occurs in Phase 1. The up-front strategy work
in Phase 1 insures that the communication plan is not created in a
vacuum, but rather with a solid situational awareness and appreciation
for the specific risks and challenges of the project.
-
The communication plan needs to be created against the back drop of individual change.
An individual change management model, like Prosci's ADKAR® Model,
describes how one individual makes a change successfully. ADKAR says
that for an individual to make a change successfully, he or she needs
Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. ADKAR
provides the answer to the question: What are we trying to achieve
by communicating? Communication plans that have a context of
individual change are results-oriented and grounded in the ultimate
unit of change - one person making a change to his or her work.
-
The communication plan needs a focus on "them"
not on "us". The "them" in this statement are the employees who
are impacted by the change, the ones who ultimately have to adopt a
change to their day-to-day work for the project to be successful.
The "us" is the project team and those who are developing the
solution and implementing the change. When change management guides communication efforts, there
is a distinct shift from telling employees what a project is doing
toward answering the questions and concerns of those employees. A
communication plan focusing on "us" is a
telling plan, while a plan focusing on the "them"
is a true change management communication plan.
Below, five aspects of communication are addressed with comments on
what can occur without a foundation in change management.
Intent
|
Without change management |
Communications designed to tell you what
"we" are doing |
| With
change management |
Communications designed to build awareness
and engage employees in the process |
Focus and content
|
Without change management |
Project details, design details, status
and progress updates, milestones |
| With
change management |
Answers to the questions that employees
have - 1) why is this change happening, 2) what's in it for me,
3) risk of not changing, 4) organizational benefits |
Frequency
|
Without change management |
Dictated by project milestones |
| With
change management |
High frequency with repetition of key
messages |
Methods
|
Without change management |
One-to-many, broadcast messages (typically
one-way) |
| With
change management |
Face-to-face interactions, discussions,
variety of media (always two-way) |
Senders
|
Without change management |
Project team members, communication
specialist |
| With
change management |
Someone at the top (the sponsor of the
change) and the person the
employee reports to (my direct supervisor) |
We often hear project teams say "we already have a communications
plan". What we find instead is that they have developed a plan to
tell others in the organization about
their work,
their progress and their
plans. When you look deeper into who is sending the message, the message
content, the delivery method and the goal of the communications, you
find very quickly that communications without a foundation in change
management actually create negative consequences for the organization
undergoing change, and in some cases can undermine change efforts. Here is a checklist to ensure that your communications are
rooted in effective change management techniques.
Checklist for ensuring communication efforts are governed by best
practices in change management
|
|
Impacted groups have been segmented - specific, unique
audiences of communications are identified |
|
|
The "why" for this change has been thoroughly developed
including the risk of not changing |
|
|
The spokesperson for these messages is a "preferred
sender" from the perspective of that particular audience |
|
|
The messages have been customized or adapted for each
segmented group and are designed to meet their specific
needs |
|
|
Communications are face-to-face whenever possible and
always include two-way communications |
|
|
Employees are given the chance to provide feedback in a
safe, non-threatening environment throughout the change |
|
|
Employees hear from both "the person they view as in
charge" as well as their immediate supervisor (and key
messages are consistent from both individuals) |
|
|
Key messages about the change are repeated 5 - 7 times |
###
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Prosci Change Management Certification
Program highlights:
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Tools for applying change management:
- Change
management certification ($2100) - 3-day program where you bring
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-
Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report
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from 650 participants, presented in an easy-to-use format - reads as
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-
Change Management Toolkit ($389) - hardcopy 3-ring binder presenting Prosci's change management methodology, includes templates, checklists
and assessments for managing the people side of change (includes USB drive)
- Change
Management Guide for Managers and Supervisors ($189) -
tools to help supervisors engage and coach their direct reports
through change (includes 4 copies of the Employee's Survival Guide)
- Change
Management Pilot ($449) - online tool including Prosci's change
management methodology, eLearning modules and downloadable templates,
assessments, presentations and checklists
-
Change Management Pilot Professional ($559) - the content of the
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online version of the Change Management Guide for Managers and
Supervisors
-
Change Management: the people side of change ($18.95) - a primer for anyone
involved in organizational change that addresses why manage change,
individual change management and organizational change management
-
Employee's Survival Guide to Change (14.95) - a handbook to help
employees survive and thrive during change, answers frequently asked
questions and empowers employees to take charge of change
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Email a Prosci analyst or
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right resources to support your change management activities.
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