Fitz N9. Change

Figure 9.1

Figure 9.2
SOURCE: Kübler-Ross, adapted by FitzPatrick and Dewhurst

John Smythe uses the metaphor of a train in a tunnel. He describes leaders as sitting in the driving seat where they can see daylight in the distance and can control the speed of the train, while employees are like passengers with no idea how long the tunnel is and no influence on the speed at which they are being carried.

Aim: maintaining performance during a period of uncertainty, which means providing information and support in a timely manner.

To pass through the initial stages of the curve people need to understand what they are being told and so have a high demand for facts and data. To pass through the later stages of the curve, the role of communication moves from an information source to that of providing support and encouragement.

A change communications plan starts with identifying the impact this change will have on different audiences as well as tools for delivering news and progressively delivering materials and advice for line managers to use.

Five principles for announcing change:

• Leave nothing to chance. The initial announcement of change is crucial – done well, it leaves a lasting positive impression, do it badly and you’ll spend months unpicking the mess. To paraphrase the Duke of Wellington: time spent on planning is seldom wasted.

• There are no prizes for coming second. The person who tells the news first normally has the most credibility and if you delay communication you risk being overtaken by rumours and leaks. When you are left to react to misunderstandings or gossip it is hard not to appear untrustworthy or reluctant to come clean.

• Face to face. Face-to-face communication is nearly always best, especially when the news is difficult. People like people and like to see a human face rather than an anonymous e-mail. Can you gather everyone together or is it clear what managers are expected to do? Do make sure that people have a further written communication to which they can refer later or share back at home.

• This is no time for amateurs. There are few things worse than being told you are losing your job by someone who lacks any skill at communicating. In your planning, think about how you will prepare or coach the leaders who are to deliverthe news.

• Why should they care? At the heart of everything, come back to the question ‘Why should they care?’ Asking this question continually ensures that you see the announcement through the eyes of the audience and not just through the haze of excitement from the executive team.

Figure 9.3

Step 1: have we explained what we are all about?
❓ What are the basic facts of our situation?
❓What are the issues that necessitate the change being proposed?
❓What is happening in our wider environment (eg the marketplace, among competitors or in government) that could shape our situation?
❓What is the aim for
change – where do we want to get to? 
❓What, objectively, might happen if we do not change?
❓Who has decided to drive this change? 
❓Who will be affected by this change? 
❓When will the change happen?
❓When will people know how they are affected?

People need to hear a message at least eight times before it registers.

Step 2: Do we know if they understand?
Local leaders have a significant role to play. Commonly, change is announced at a high level and sometimes it is actually quite conceptual in its early stages. Leaders will often want to share an intention or a general outline long before the specifics of transformation are known.

The result of sharing early for regulatory or other reasons is that some employees may struggle to see how change will affect them or translate the high-level intent into specific actions that they will be expected to follow.

A communications manager has to manage the potential vacuum and the resulting impact on performance when everyone stops working while they wait the full facts to be shared. This is often one of the most difficult situations to manage for communication professionals.

It is good practice to be clear to everyone about dates when things can be shared and to keep repeating for reasons for change in as many innovative or interesting ways as possible. 

Questions:

• What information do I need to provide managers with in order to help them discuss the issues with their teams?
• What tools will leaders find useful (eg videos, talking packs)?
• Who is briefing the managers? Are they offering more than an e-mail from the CEO? Where do they get to ask questions?
• Have we fully explained the case for change to leaders - is there a simple statement that all top management will sign up to and which can be shared with local leaders?
• How do we make sure managers are handlling tricky questions? What coaching can we provide?
• If managers get questions they can't answer? who will they turn to for a rapid response?
• What direct route are we provididng to staff?
• What opportunities exist for people to sample or experience the change or transformation?

Step 3: Have we excited them about it?

Appealing to people's sense of peronal impact.

A communicator should look for the emotional triggers that matter in their organization and ensure that the change story reflects them. 

Step 4: Are they able to deliver?
Step 5: Does it feel like the right thing?

PREPARING LEADERS

An exercise to help managers handle difficult questions

Step 1
Introduce them to the idea that when faced with a question they need to include three key elements in their answer:

• Acknowledge the intent and emotion behind the question, eg. 'I can see you'd be concerned about your job' or 'I think you're asking me is whether we'll need to move offices'. This reduces the likelihood that they might sound evasive or political.
• Respond to the question being asked in the most helpful way with as many facts as they know. It is normally acceptable to say that they don't know the full answer at this stage - a promise to come back at a later date is normally preferrable to speculation.
• Bridge to the key message, eg. but we should not loose sight of the fact that we are hoping to grow the business and that means opportunities for you all... or The aim of this development is to give service users a better experience.

Source: Internal Communications: A Manual for Practicioners (2014) by Liam FitzPatrick, Klavs Valskov