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ThoughtForm 'Communicating for Change' webinar
- 1. Hello. Communicating for Change webinar
- 2. We are communication designers who bring beautiful clarity to complex ideas, driving understanding and change.
- 3. Agenda: 1 What is change? 2 Why is change so complex? 3 What seems to work? 4 The role of communication 5 Example of a strategy 6 Avoid common pitfalls
- 4. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 5. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS The only thing that is constant is change. “ ”
- 6. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 7. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 8. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 9. 70% of all change initiatives fail 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 10. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS SUCCESS OF CHANGE INITIATIVES
- 11. Change is hard in the same way that it’s hard to finish a marathon… it requires significant effort. –Nick Tasler, Harvard Business Review Stop Using the Excuse “Organizational Change Is Hard” July 19, 2017 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS “
- 12. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 13. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 14. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 15. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 16. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 17. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS COMMUNICATIO N IS THE KEY TO CHANGE MANAGEMENT Communicate consistently, frequently, and through multiple channels Be clear and honest about what’s changing and why Listen. Avoid defensiveness, excuse-making, and answers that are given too quickly. Open two-way communication channels.
- 18. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS 1 2 4 3 Broad Specific Inspirational Informational
- 19. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS MAKE IT VISUAL
- 20. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS MAKE IT VISUAL
- 21. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 22. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 23. Four guiding principles 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS 1 Create and distribute as few tools as possible. 2 Develop reusable elements that provide a strong identity for your change effort. 3 Focus on providing clear explanation and building understanding, not persuading. 4 Adjust the level of detail based on the audience.
- 24. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 25. LEADERS 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 26. MANAGERS 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 27. EMPLOYEES 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 28. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 29. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 30. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 31. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 32. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS Don’t see the need for change. Nothing is really happening. Skepticism to the vision. COMMON CHANGE PITFALLS
- 33. COMMON CHANGE COMMUNICATION PITFALLS. 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS “TOO SMALL” “I ALREADY TOLD THEM ONCE” “THEY READ THE EMAIL”
- 34. WHITE PAPER 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 35. CONTACT Marisa Boevers mboevers@thoughtform.com www.thoughtform.com @thoughtforminc and LinkedIn: ThoughtForm 1 WHAT IS CHANGE? 2 CHANGE IS COMPLEX 3 WHAT WORKS 4 COMMUNICATION 5 EXAMPLE STRATEGY 6 AVOID PITFALLS
- 36. THANK YOU!
Editor's Notes
- Welcome to ThoughtForm’s Communicating for Change webinar. My name is Marisa Boevers, and I wear a couple different hats here at ThoughtForm, including as a strategist and consultant, as well as our Director of Marketing. Clients often ask me what communication modes are best for change management. Of course, communication needs are driven by a number of factors including the magnitude of the change, the size of the company, and the organizational culture. Every change effort is different and worthy of a thoughtful communication plan. But in my 10 years of experience here at ThoughtForm, I’ve developed a bit of a philosophy and a set of go-to communication tools for change. These are not your typical emails or town hall meetings (though you may need to do those, too). They’re out-of-the-ordinary pieces that require some extra resources and expertise to produce.
- But before we get into all of that… For those if you who aren’t familiar with ThoughtForm, we are a design and communication consultancy, located in Pittsburgh PA. We work with clients in a broad range of industries on solving challenging business problems using information design, visual thinking and communication. This can be anything to launching a new company, bringing new products and services to market, or starting a new process. Almost every engagement that we have somehow touches on change—and because of I’ve become somewhat of a student of it. And that’s why I’m here, talking to you today on the internet: to share a little bit of what I’ve learned and observed and give you my approach.
- So, today I’m going to talk through what change is all about, and what seems to work and why communication is so crucial. Then I’m going to share a theoretical and a real-world example of a change communication program and wrap up at the end with some common pitfalls. Along the way, if you have any questions, please type them into the QA box and I will try to answer them along the way or at the end.
- Heraclitus’ famous quote that “the only thing that is constant is change” is certainly a cliché, but is it also true? In 1972, paleontologists Niles Eldridge and Stephen Jay Gould hypothesized that evolution happen not as a slow steady stream, but as rapid, radical spurts bookended by long periods of stability. Subsequent organizational dynamics studies have shown that groups and societies behave in much the same way. Now, some of you out there are thinking “But my company has re-orged 3 times in the last two years”, so yes, you think change is constant. But my guess is that two years were proceeded by 10 years of relative stability. Many social scientists and futurists think that we are in a period of great change—being driven by technological advancements, political uncertainty, shifts in population, and a string of unprecedented global events. Companies today are feel those pressures and as a result change has seemed to become the norm in many industries.
- So, but what do we mean by change? Merrian Websters definition of change is pretty simple: to make different in some particular, to make radically different, or to give a different position, course, or direction Alter, transform, switch Organizational change management is a collection of theories and methods to apply the science of management to helping groups, and corporations go through a transformation—big or small. Because its grounded in the “science of management” it focuses on rigorous process—identifying who will be involved, what the level of engagement is, cascading information.
- Something that I think a lot is what—if any—difference is there between changing a single individual’s behavior versus a corporation or team? Obviously the types of change are often different—an individual may want to loose weight, quit smoking, save more for retirement, etc while a company might want to improve sales or customer service or eliminate waste. But is there relevant guidance in the methods of AA, weight watchers and countless self-help books for companies? Or conversely can business principles be applied to help whittle my waist line and grow my 401K? I’m curious to know what all of you think—so let’s do a quick poll. Poll #1: Is there a difference between changing an individual and a group’s behavior? Review results Ok, interesting. Well, remember your answer, we’ll come back to this.
- So whether you’re a company improving customer service Or an individual trying to stop snacking between meals, we can probably all agree that change is hard. In fact, its frequently cited that 70% of all change initiatives fail—you’ve probably heard that before and you probably believed it. But is that really true? (click animation) A 2011 study in the Journal of Change Management, led by the University of Brighton researcher Mark Hughes found that there is no empirical evidence to support this statistic. Hughes traces the mythical 70% failure rate back to the 1993 book Reengineering the Corporation, in which authors Michael Hammer and James Champy stated: “our unscientific estimate is that as many as 50 percent to 70 percent of the organizations that undertake a reengineering effort do not achieve the dramatic results they intended.” https://hbr.org/2017/07/stop-using-the-excuse-organizational-change-is-hard
- So, do we have an empirical evidence about how successful corporate change efforts are? A 2009 McKinsey study surveyed about 1,600 executives And 38% of respondents said “the transformation was ‘completely’ or ‘mostly’ successful at improving performance and organizational health, So, does that mean that 62% are unsuccessful? Is change binary? Well, not quite-- another 1/3 reported that the efforts were somewhat successful on both counts. That seems like a brighter picture to me than 70% the erroneous 70% failure rate. https://hbr.org/2017/07/stop-using-the-excuse-organizational-change-is-hard
- So, if more than 2/3 of all change initiatives are at least somewhat successful—why are we so quick to believe a made up statistic that contradicts that? Why do we all believe change is near impossible—for ourselves or for our organizations? Could just be some negative thinking bias, but maybe we want to believe change efforts fail as a little cover for ourselves if and when we do fail. Nick Tasler writing this summer in the Harvard Business Review says change is hard because it requires significant effort. And I agree with Nick—change is hard because it requires significant effort. But I also think that change is hard because it is complex. It requires a mix of logic and emotion, of thought and action. For change to happen, I need to know what I need to do, why I want to, and be able to do it. The significant effort that Nick speaks of has to be spread across three different areas. To be successful at change—for yourself or for others, you have to get all three of these pieces right at the same time.
- So if 2/3of change initiatives are at least somewhat successful—we must have some idea about what works, right? In fact, forests have cut down trying to explain how to successfully change organizations and behaviors. And I stand on the shoulders of giants here like John Kotter, and Malcolm Gladwell, and Chip and Dan Heath, not to mention really deep, well thought out theories and methods like: ADKAR—awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement McKinsey 7s Framework (strategy, structure, systems, staff, style, and skills) And the original change management scientist Kurt Lewin with his “unfreeze-change-refreeze” model Each of these writers has a unique perspective and great insight into organizational dynamics and the human condition. But in all of the reading, the through line that I see is the three areas I just mentioned: the what, the why, and the how.
- First, you have to know and be able to articulate clearly what the change is. For anyone who’s spent time in the self-help aisle, you’ll know that creating the vision of the future is a key part of any program. You have to know where you’re going with as much precision and detail as you can muster. At the same time, you have to explain why we’re changing--to win hearts and minds. You have to create a compelling motivation—imbuing the change with a purpose. And also at the exact same time you have to be prepared to enable the change, to support the “how”, to have the process, the tools, the tactics and mechanisms for making that change possible and measuring success.
- So, back to our question of whether individual change and group change is the same or different. I think that are the same. I think where they are different is what parts we focus on.
- So that brings us to communication. Communication is how you are going to convey and align the what and the why of your change initiative. Now I am not unique in saying that communication is the key to successful change. Any good change management expert is going to stress the importance of communication. Peruse any of those books I showed earlier or the plethora of articles on the internet and you will get advice about the importance of communicating for successful change management. You will get advice like: Communicate consistently, frequently, and through multiple channels Be clear and honest about what’s changing and why. Listen. Avoid defensiveness, excuse-making, and answers that are given too quickly Open two-way communication channels. This is all good advice—I can’t argue with any of it. But, I don’t think it goes quite far enough—these are crucial tips, but they are not a methodology. So, I want to share my methodology.
- So, here’s my change communication framework. I think you need four different types of communication or messages, unfolded in a particular sequence. This could be four different communications—it could be 40, especially if you’re a fan of the good ole’ “tell ‘em 7 times, 7 different ways” adage or it could be all in one communication. But they are four separate steps and I think they have to come in this order to effective. Broad, informational (what) This is the vision. It could be a positive vision of glory, financial rewards, and world domination. Or it could be a negative vision—a hellish future that we must avoid at all costs. But, just like imagining yourself walking into that high school reunion trim and fit, it has to be vivid and tangible. Research has shown that recalling a story that we heard that was vivid triggers the same neurochemicals as recalling an actual memory. In other words, we do learn from others mistakes. Broad, inspirational (why) Once you’ve painted the picture of the future, now is the time to inspire the journey. Why now? Why us? Why this change? We’re beginning that journey to the positive vision of the future, or away from the negative vision, but you need to convince the audience that you considered the other journeys available and this is the right one. Specific, information Once you’ve explained the vision and convinced me that this is the journey we need to go one—now tell me what my part to play is. Depending on role and culture will vary how strategic versus tactical this needs to be—but it should be directive instructions. Save that for the how nitty gritty—you’re still recruiting me for the journey. Specific, inspirational Finally, even your most loyal employees probably need to hear some direct benefits from the change. By unfolding each of these messages, even briefly, in this order you recreate the same experience as hearing about a new diet that REALLY WORKS or meeting someone who lives in a clutter-free minimalist home—you see how their life is different than your current state, you are tantalized by the journey, and you imagine yourself on it and reaping the rewards.
- In addition to stepping through those four message types in that sequence, the other part of my methodology is a reliance on visual communication. At ThoughtForm we believe that visual communication is the key to helping people understand and remember new ideas, especially ones that are abstract. Consider all the situations in which visuals help us lead our lives. Things like: washing instructions on the tag of your t-shirt health and nutritional symbols on your cereal box or the road signs that help keep traffic orderly on the highway. Everyone is able to translate symbols, icons, colors, lines, and shapes into meaningful We learn the ability to read and interpret images at a very early age. In fact, researchers have found that children can associate photographs with real life experiences before their first year—like seeing an apple and understanding what it tastes like. As adults, we continue to use visuals to increase understanding. Why do visuals work for change? 1. Visuals help us communicate quickly We understand visual information quicker than words. When a visitor asks for directions to their hotel, a quick sketch is far more valuable than the most detailed of descriptions. Using visual communication to convey complex ideas can save both you and your audience valuable time. 2. Visuals improve understanding Many ideas are difficult to convey with words alone. Visuals can help decrease the complexity of ideas by demonstrating relationships rather than describing them—like overlapping team memberships or size and priority. And you don’t have to be an artist to get your point across—stick figures work wonders.
- This is an example of visual communication that we call a Foglifter. Foglifters are usually 11” x 17” “placemat” size documents that combine illustration and text to explain new concepts, processes, and ideas in a way that is clear, engaging, and memorable. A simple change, done all in one piece visual allows the high-level glance and the detail all in one tidy package Used for both getting permission to make the change and manage the change Broad, informational (what) What’s changing at a glance Broad, inspirational (why) There are lots of benefits Specific, information Here are the details of the change Specific, inspirational Here’s how your life will specifically be better
- So once you have your messages sorted—now you just need to feed them to the right audiences, in the right channels. Now, every organization has its own unique hierarchy and groupings, but for my purposes, I mostly see three audiences. The leaders are in charge, the managers are in the middle, and the employees are on the front lines. So, for today we’re going to use those segments and labels, but of course, your mileage may vary.
- And before you start, you need a few guiding principles: Create and distribute as few tools as possible. Develop reusable elements that provide a strong identity for your change effort. Focus on providing clear explanation and building understanding, not persuading. Adjust the level of detail based on the audience
- And at the end you’re going to get something that looks like this: A series of communication tools, directed to different audiences, over time. Let’s take a closer look by audience.
- 1 Visual explanation “placemat” We’re all inundated with PowerPoint slides these days. Why not surprise everyone with a concise, thoughtful one-pager about your effort? Visual explanation placemats—or as we call them, “Foglifters”—combine images and words to explain a process, business model, or new product or service. They focus on the 10 to 20 big ideas, making them tangible with illustrations of actors, props, and actions. This placemat will be the cornerstone of your change communications. You can distribute it widely in its entirety, but you can also use it in pieces and parts. 2 Overview presentation The visual explanation will cover most of the key information, but there will likely be a few remaining points you want to cover. Don’t try to cram them into your placemat; create a brief presentation instead. You don’t even have to make slides—this presentation could just be talking points. Try to answer the following questions: What value will we realize from this change? Why now? Who inside and outside the organization will be most impacted, and what will be different for them? What is the project timeline, and what are the key activities to get there?
- Middle managers are in a difficult position for change efforts: they need to understand both the macro and the micro picture. To help them do that, you need to give them the right tools without overwhelming them. Managers should receive the information that was shared with leaders, as well as tools that help them package messages for employees. I recommend: 1 Visual explanation “placemat” Managers should be given the same high-level overview of the change that leadership receives. However, they probably need a lot more detail, so they should also receive: 2 The deep-dive playbook Now, just because this is a deep-dive, doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to cram in every piece of content that “might be useful.” The playbook still needs to be a tailored and concise document—just with more tactical details. Build on the structure of the visual explanation, providing more detail about the actors (people and systems), the props (tools and other physical items) and the actions (the inputs, outputs, and process) that make up this effort. The key to a great playbook is structure and a systems approach. Be sure to organize the book as a whole and the content on each page to be highly skim-able and logical, making the comprehensive picture easy to digest. 3 Manager guide If managers are expected to help their direct reports or other employees through the change, you need to direct them on how to do that. This guide should help managers to unpack critical topics, giving them phrases and key ideas to discuss, and it should anticipate questions. (And for the sake of consistency, it should also tie neatly to the video, talisman, and discussion forum for employees that I detail below.)
- To cut through the day-to–day “noise” employees need change communication to be as tangible and direct as possible. 1 Visual explanation “placemat” Yep—employees should get the same placemat you shared with leaders and managers. This allows you to create common ground and understanding across the organization. It also shows employees that you care about communicating to them and trust them with the same information as the top brass. And finally, reusing a piece you took the time and resources to create makes your life easier. Everyone wins! 2 Video walk-through of the visual explanation Just as managers have the detailed playbook, employees also need additional context around the visual explanation. A video is a great way to provide that context. Perhaps a narrator reads out each of the big ideas as different pieces of the Foglifter are highlighted; or maybe the video shares some of the relevant deep dive content from the playbook or the “Why now?” from the leader’s overview presentation. The video can also include an introduction from company leadership or some testimonials from a pilot group. In all cases, the video walkthrough of the placemat can be played and watched again and again with the click of a button—a definite “plus” over a live presentation. 3 Talisman When a change isn’t too complex, the placemat may be enough of a talisman (a tangible reminder of the effort) to have a real impact for employees. But if they don’t spend much time at their desks or in a common area, or if the effort relies on individual behavior change (for example, rolling out revamped customer service principles), the placemat alone won’t cut it. In that case, a small communication piece like a wallet or pocket guide can be effective. This tool is never intended to be the first introduction to the topic or the sole communication piece. Instead, it’s a small, portable recap of key ideas to help employees remember how they are supposed to take action. 4 Discussion forum Even with changes requiring formal training, it can be useful to also offer more relaxed employee discussion forums centered around the effort. The idea is here is to give employees a chance to ask questions and voice concerns in a non-judgmental way. Small groups of familiar colleagues are key: 8 to 10 people who sit near each other, who work in a field office together, etc., along with their direct manager. Spread the forums out over a few weeks, starting immediately after the change is introduced, with follow-up sessions as the change is implemented. Low-pressure discussions allow employees to raise issues and questions throughout the change process.
- SO, lets take a look at program like this in action. This project that we did for Otis elevator was used globally in dozens of countries to roll out a new approach to service. The program began with Service Excellence Overview. A fold-out Foglifter illustration which explains that everyone’s role is important in delivering excellence service to the customers. The Foglifter was presented by team leads at each office and everyone in the organization received this Foglifter—from the top brass on down.
- Employees also received: Service Excellence Video from CEO and Area President explains the importance of service excellence to the business and the new enhancements to service excellence Pocket guide. A detailed guide which provides a description and illustration of the 8 commitments, frequently asked questions, and an overview of the program. 8 commitments wallet guide. For all employees this wallet guide is a quick reminder of the 8 commitments.
- Managers also received a guide, sharing details of metrics and accountability for the program, as well as additional information and a facilitated discussion guide for the 8 commitments.
- If your organization has been attempting change and falling down—its probably happening in one of three places. Don’t see the need for change. clarity issue—they’re not seeing the problem defined correctly or the vision of the future is perfect/hellish enough make the destination more attractive and sell the idea Nothing is really happening. getting bogged down in analysis—focus on the feeling make sure the vision is clear, sometime we stall and procrastinate because we don’t really know where we’re going Skepticism to the vision. find quick wins change is too big—remind them the they’ve been married and/or had kids and what your change is, that one was far bigger
- The number one pitfall to change communication? Not doing it. A lot of change communication efforts get sandbagged by skeptics—folks who feel like this is a lot of trouble to go to when the initiative is probably going to fail anyway. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy and you must not get bogged down it. Common reasons not to do a well-conceived and through change communication effort? The change is too small. There are certainly small changes that aren’t worth a full communication program. But, if a change is crucial to the business and has the possibility of being confusing, hard to remember, or difficult, its worth it. “I ALREADY TOLD THEM ONCE” Although I am not as dogmatic as though who insist that change messages have to be repeated 7 times, in seven different channels, we have to respect that people are busy, distracted, and generally not as receptive to new information as we’d like. Many people get frustrated that message repetitions doesn’t seem to help—and studies have shown that repeating isn’t what helps us remember. It’s recall. So, rather than repeating the same information over and over again, a better approach might be two or three gentle repetitions interspersed with some quizzing, either formal or informal. “THEY READ THE EMAIL” Same as the repetition issue—just because you said it, doesn’t mean they heard it. And I can guarantee they didn’t read the email. And so can you—cause you didn’t either.
- Please make sure you grab the handout: 4 change management ideas you haven’t heard yet
- Have time for a few questions… If you enjoyed this presentation and want to learn more, please get in touch with me via email. I’d be happy to talk about change management—your favorite books and theories and approaches. You can also visit our web site to sign up for our monthly mailing list, follow us on Twitter at @thoughtforminc or LinkedIn at ThoughtForm. Thank you for joining me and have a great rest of your day!