“Wait, what? We’re moving?”
“Will I still have a job?”
“What if I’m not interested in doing the duties of my new role? I never asked for this.”
Change communication – can’t live without it. So, why is it that organisations never seem to get it right? Without effective workplace communication, your change process will probably fail. You’ll piss off a lot of employees, you’ll probably piss off your customers then, too, and you’ll probably lose a bit of money as a result.
Communication is a tough one to get right because there are so many things to get right. I’m going to explore why it’s vital for successful change management, and what to focus on so you can get it right.
Image: Jon Tyson on unsplash.com
Once up on a time…
Lemme first tell you a story about a young seamstress who once worked in a kingdom, far, far away.
One day mid-shift, Betty Busybody, who at the time was working over at the old Rumour Mill on Main Street, popped her head in to ‘chew the fat’ with the seamstresses over a cuppa. She shared a few juicy gossips with all the girls (who of course shared them with the candlestick makers who then shared them with…). Mild hysteria spread through the kingdom, forcing the Prince to come down from his ivory tower and clarify the state of the kingdom’s affairs.
Gathering his nerve, the Prince gallantly addressed the merchants and craftspeople who’d gathered in the outer court.
“Yes, it is true that the King is probably taking on responsibility for another kingdom. It is true that this kingdom has its own seamstresses and candlestick makers, butchers and bakers. It is likely we won’t be needing everyone if and when the kingdoms merge. It’s too early to know at this stage so I’ll come back when I have more news.”
And he climbed onto his noble steed and returned to the castle.
Weeks passed and there was no news from the Prince. So the villagers started talking and speculating and soon, again, mild hysteria ensued. There was something mentioned about a purple monkey dishwasher.
The Prince returned,
“It’s true that I don’t have an update for you. It seems the King is hesitating with his decision to assume responsibility for the other kingdom. Which means, quite possibly, we will still need everyone to continue working as they are. I’ll share more when I have something to share.” And off again he rode.
Weeks passed and there was no further news from the Prince. The villagers calmed down and returned to their duties, living their lives with merriment.
One day, the Prince arrived and gathered the villagers in the square. Betty fainted, overwhelmed by the hysteria and anticipation.
“It’s bad news, I’m afraid. It turns out we are merging kingdoms and we’ll no longer have the funds or need to employ you all. We’re all going to leave this kingdom and move to the other kingdom, for it has a larger living quarter for the King, and more space for the court and merchants. I can’t tell you anything more at this stage, the King is being quite elusive and prefers to keep the information to himself until there is something concrete to share.
Thank you for your patience – I’m sorry for this upset.”
The Prince looked solemnly at his people, aware of the stress this was placing on them.
The King resumed control of all communication from this point, and issued a royal decree only once all change directives had been finalised for the kingdom to enforce.
Some seamstresses were made redundant. Some candlestick makers found work in a kingdom in France. The bakers had to bake the King cakes so he could choose the best bakers to remain in the new kingdom. No one knows what happened to Betty.
Giffy: Purple monkey dishwasher situations can ensue
So, what went wrong in this fairy-tale?
While it was unlucky that the rumour mill gained control of sensitive information and forced the hand of the Prince to communicate earlier than was wanted (i.e. before change was certain), the Prince tried his best to allay concerns and communicate updates as they were known to him. But it was always reactive.
What can often happen in change environments is that the followers are last to know. They’re not involved in the process. They’re not asked to contribute ideas. They’re not being trusted with up-to-date or well-thought out information. This can then lead to distrust and bitterness.
But when change is the only thing in life that’s constant and certain, why hold back information? No one’s perfect, and being human, it’s not expected we should be.
It is OK to admit you don’t know something (not that I ever have this problem…).
Why you need clear and effective communication during change
Essentially, it comes down to (dis)trust. When you’ve earned trust, you’ve earned followers. But it doesn’t take much to break trust and loyalty when;
you keep people in the dark, unnecessarily, while the rumour mill is spinning (and it’s ALWAYS spinning), and
employees don’t understand why change is happening (“something dodgy going on here”), because
you didn’t invite them to join the conversation, which obviously means “you don’t care about us”. So, why should they care about you?
When employees don’t understand why change is happening, it can be a barrier to driving ownership and commitment, and can result in resistance = transformation fail. Help them make sense of it.
There is no such thing as over-communication (unless you’re my mum)
The main benefit of strategic change communication is you are in control of the messaging; your change narrative. Here’s how you can over-communicate well.
1. Be clear and consistent
It makes a difference when you can clearly articulate the reason for change and the vision, and that these messages are shared consistently. A communication plan will help you create your change narrative for the leaders and communicators to refer to.
Why?
It’s hard to buy into a rumour when it contradicts everything else being said by credible sources.
2. Be honest and humble
We’re in a freakishly fast-moving world and it’s bloody hard to keep up! You don’t always have all the answers and info as quickly as it’s available. But don’t lie; you could try taking questions on notice instead 😉
Reassure your people their concerns are heard and your mission is to share more info as soon as you hear it. This will help with trust and credibility.
3. Include your employees in your messaging
What’s in it for them? How will they be personally affected? How will this change impact their contribution to their employer and community? What do they need to know to continue a) living their life and b) performing their role effectively?
The first thing we humans ever want to know is, how will I be affected? So, make sure you tell them.
How to share the right things well to avoid overwhelming hysteria
Start with a communication plan.
Consider your audiences, consider your messaging, consider your channels, and consider your frequency. You need all to successfully communicate. You’ll also want to use a range of reliable mediums, like;
emails,
newsletters,
slack channels,
videos,
blogs,
team meetings,
CEO / leader workplace tours,
intranet news.
The most effective communication happens when you have a conversation. Hiding behind a royal wall of secrecy can damage your credibility and cause distrust. If people don’t trust you, they won’t follow you. And for change to work, you need your people to follow you through it.
p.s. I love you, mum <3