It's often said that humans naturally resist change, preferring the status quo. This is not completely true. Homo sapiens is a successful species because of our ability to adapt. We change all the time. We move house, change jobs, get married and, sometimes, divorced. In fact, we change our lives frequently and in many different ways. The choices we make aren't always logical and rational, but quite often based on emotion.
John P. Kotter, in his books Leading Change and The Heart of Change, says that the case for change must appeal to people's feelings as well as to their minds. He says change communication should focus 40 per cent on the mind and 60 per cent on the heart in order to achieve both rational and emotional buy-in. People resist change if they think it's meaningless, when they don't see its relevance or when it comes as a surprise.
So, change management communication must help people understand what's changing and why, and how that will affect them specifically. Good change management communication follows four general rules.
1. Communicate the why
Show the reasons for the changes openly and honestly. Emphasize that the changes are inevitable and explain why. Share a vision of how the organization will benefit from the proposed changes. Make it clear and simple. People will see through any attempt to gloss over difficulties or exaggerate the benefits. They'll then lose trust in any future communications.
The most common reasons why organizations change:
- A crisis — such as managing the pandemic
- New technology — introducing more efficient working methods
- Performance gaps — not fully meeting goals and objectives
- New opportunities — increasing competitiveness in the market
- Planned abandonment — moving resources away from unprofitable areas
- Mergers or acquisitions — managing dual organizations and staff functions
- A new leader — proving to the board they're doing something
2. Communicate the what
Provide a clear plan of what will happen, showing how the proposed changes affect the workflow of the whole organization. It needs to identify tangible expected outcomes, and make clear exactly what should be done, by whom and by when.
A good plan must meet certain criteria:
- The changes are seen as absolutely necessary.
- The proposed plan is clearly better than any of the alternatives.
- The changes are needed urgently.
- The positive effects outweigh the negative consequences.
- The processes involved are effective.
3. Communicate the who
Of course, people will be concerned and curious about the impact on their working lives. They will wonder whether their roles will change or disappear. They will ask if their work will be evaluated differently and if they will join a new team or work with new colleagues or a new boss.
According to data from Gartner in 2019, 73 per cent of change-affected employees reported experiencing moderate to high stress levels. It also showed that employees suffering from change-related stress perform worse than normal. Your communication must address these concerns. Be open with the good and the bad news, and recognize the fact that many will be apprehensive about the future.
Make your messages employee-focused:
- Stress your appreciation of people's cooperation, patience and loyalty to the organization.
- Even when there are no benefits, share that aspect openly. Your staff will respect your honesty and be more likely to work through the transition.
- Explain what resources are available to help. These may include retraining, coaching and (in the worst case) redundancy support and counselling.
4. Communicate regularly, often and two-way
Change communication must be two-way. You can be firm about the expected outcomes of the proposed changes, but must also listen to those who will implement them. Provide regular updates and be prepared to repeat the key messages frequently.
Choose appropriate communication channels:
- Small, face-to-face meetings are best for feedback sessions. You could use online platforms to encourage collective decisions about common issues.
- Have a dedicated virtual space to enable easy access to important documents and information.
- You might also hold anonymous surveys during the transition period to get feedback on how people are reacting.
Change is inevitable. Communicating the need for that change takes time and effort, but it's worth it. Skilfully managed communication will enable you to build awareness and support for your proposed change management programme.