The 3 Cs of Change Management : Communication, communication, communication

How did you learn about the last change that was going to happen in your organization ? Was it an intended communication (e-mail, all-employee announcement, face-to-face meeting with your manager) ? Or was it an unintended communication (for example a rumor heard at the coffee machine) ?

Today I want to touch on the communications aspect of change management, and why this is arguably the most important component of a successful change initiative.

According to Tiffany Childs (Change Manager and trainer in Sydney, Australia), "At least 70% of the effort on change should be devoted to communication".

Pour mobiliser et encourager les parties prenantes à participer au processus de changement, il convient d'adopter une approche de communication axée sur les personnes. Cette communication doit être en phase avec l'état de progression des individus dans leur courbe de changement personnelle et doit les soutenir tout au long de la transition (voir mon article sur le Changement et la Transition).

To engage and commit your audience to the change process you need to adopt a people-focused approach to communication. Communication needs to be in synch with where people are along their personal change curve and needs to support them through the transition (see my article titles Change and Transition).

If communication is the most important dimension of a successful change initiative, its timing is a crucial aspect of that communication. In an ideal world, all individual transitions would start and end simultaneously. This would ensure that the change process takes place on schedule. To achieve this, targeted and regular communication is essential. So keep in mind the three fundamental principles that promote commitment and participation through communication :

Start communicating early and frequently. Don't wait until you have all the information to start communicating

To avoid uncertainty in the early stages of the project, do not delay your communications until you have all the information. It is better to say "We don't have all the information yet and this is what we are doing to get it. We'll let you know in 2 weeks' time", rather than being vague and allowing doubts to linger. Regular communication to all members of the organisation, not just those affected by the change, keeps stakeholders informed of progress and counteracts the rumour (or coffee machine).

Segment your audience to target your communications

Make sure you segment your audience appropriately and identify the right message, channel, medium and timing of communication for each group.

Also identify the person(s) most appropriate to communicate the information to the different audiences.

Encourage feedback and act on it

Communication is a two-way process. Plan a consistent flow and exchange of information using different types of channels (face-to-face, intranet, email, newsletters, public meetings, video, social networks, chats, etc.). Once you have received feedback from your audience, thank them and inform them of any actions (if any) have been taken as a result of their feedback.

Finally, here is a last piece of advice. Contrary to what most people might think, effective communication is based on "what I want the other person to understand", not on "what I want to tell them". The difference is subtle but crucial.