Seven best practices for change communication projects, especially when they involve influencing without authority (which they often do)
Change communication is one of the most common and most important responsibilities of business communicators.
Driving change is also one of the most challenging tasks for executive leaders.
Here are seven best practices for successful change communication.
Be informative
Be transparent and explicit. Err on the side of communicating too much. Important information doesn’t always filter down. Ensure that everyone involved knows everything they should know.
Share business drivers and objectives
From front line managers to back end administration to the C suite, your people want to help the business succeed. Let them understand the reasons for the change, the benefits that will come, and why their participation is valuable.
Make it as easy as possible
Don’t ask people to change and then make it difficult. Providing tools and resources to make the change smooth for everyone will hasten compliance and improve morale.
Engage early and often
Don’t rely on a single broadcast email. A change initiative is a process. It requires time to be fully embraced and implemented. Employees need to know ahead of time what will happen, what is happening as it happens, and afterwards what just happened.
Two-way communication is vital
During a time of change people need a platform to ask questions, express anxieties, provide feedback, and just generally be heard. Providing them such opportunities shows your workers respect. And their insights may help improve the change process.
Take action when appropriate
When your people give valuable feedback – when they identify an issue or make a good suggestion for improvement – they need to know that it is being considered seriously, and what happens with it. Don’t make them feel that their contributions are ignored or considered useless.
Encourage collaboration
People become more engaged and supportive when they are invited to contribute as part of a team. There are many options, from advisory boards to office change champions and so on. Try to convert employee mindsets from “you are doing this to us” to “we are doing this together.”