- what exactly are the goals?
- How much http://www.comment8engage.com advice is going to be provided, messages?
- What mechanisms will likely be utilized
The vital EMOTIONAL questions that your communication strategy need to address
Regarding the mental resonance characteristic of the communications, John Kotter makes the point that great change leaders are great at telling stories that are visual with high psychological impact. Kotter illustrates this the anecdote of Martin Luther King who failed to stand up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and say: "I have an excellent strategy" and exemplify it with 10 great reasons why it turned out to be a great strategy.
William Bridges focuses on facet of the change and the psychological and emotional impact - and introduces these 3 easy questions:
(1) what's altering? Bridges offers the next guidance - the change leader's communicating statement must:- Certainly express intent and the change leader's understanding
- Link the change to the drivers making it essential
- "Sell the situation before you try to market the option."
- Not use jargon
- Be under 60 seconds
(2) what'll actually be distinct as a result of the change? Bridges says: "I go into organizations in which a change initiative is well underway, and that i ask what will vary when the change is done-and no one can answer the question... a change may seem really important and incredibly real to the leader, but to the people who need to make it work it looks quite intangible and vague until genuine differences that it will make start to eventually become clear... the drive to get those differences clear should be an important precedence in the planners' list of things to do."
(3) who is likely to lose what? Bridges maintains that the situational changes are as easy for firms to make as the psychological transitions of the people affected by the change. Transition management is really all about seeing the situation through the other guy's opinion. It really is a view predicated on empathy. It's management and communication process and works together to bring them through the transition.
5 guiding principles of a good change management communication strategy
So, in summary the 5 directing principles of a good change management communication strategy are as follows:
- Clarity of message - to ensure recognition and relevance
- Resonance of message - delivery and the emotional tone of the message
- Accurate targeting - to reach the right individuals with the message that is proper
- Timing schedule - to attain timely targeting of messages
- Feedback process - to ensure two way communication that is genuine
Failure reasons in change management are many and changed. But one thing is painfully clear. Any organisational initiative that creates change - or has an important change element - has a 70% likelihood of not reaching what was initially envisaged.
The root cause is a lack of communication and also dearth of clarity. That is what a Programme Direction based approach to change is really all about and why it so important.
