At KVA, we work with companies every day that are planning organizational change or transformation initiatives.
From facility optimization to mergers and acquisitions or return to work plans, our clients are constantly challenged with how to deliver their vision for the future to employees.
Any company aiming to implement new business strategies, tools, or processes needs a change management and communications plan. After all, simply communicating what is changing often leads to employee resistance, reduced productivity, or a failed project.
When you prepare your leaders and employees for change by communicating what is happening, why it’s happening, and how it impacts them, you increase your organization’s adaptability and resilience. When employees understand the vision for the future and the business objectives, they are more likely to quickly embrace change (now and in the future).
As you build your change management and communications plan, here are a few tips that we frequently share with our clients:
Employees must hear from those responsible for the change.
Those typically responsible for the change – the executive team – must be visible and set the tone. The executive team’s role is to (1) prep people leaders to support in leading the change and (2) to step the broad organization through the vision for the future and how the change will help the organization meet its business objectives.
Empower people leaders to lead the change.
People leaders play a critical role in adoption of new processes, tools, or strategies during a time of change. With the executive team setting the vision and tone, people leaders should be empowered to reinforce messages, define specific team and individual impacts, and support employees through the change.
To do this, they must be enrolled in the vision for the future and need tools, training, and feedback channels. Before you go live with a change, build a leader toolkit with customized audience speaking points, FAQs, and resources for leaders. Preview the vision for the future with them and brief them on the toolkit they will receive. Communicate your feedback channels and cadence so that you can continue to coach people leaders once the change announcement goes live.
Provide consistent core messages across all audiences (internal and external).
In times of change and transformation, you can expect that any internal communication will also be shared externally by employees. You want to keep the broad audience, both internal and external, focused on the vision for the future. That’s why your core messages (what, why, how) must be consistent across every audience. Then, more detailed messaging can be tailored for each audience based on individual needs and impact.
Plan for ongoing reinforcement of concepts.
Change takes time to process and adopt. Identify existing routines where you can reinforce concepts and new processes. Town halls, executive chats, business updates, and department meetings are great opportunities to re-ground employees in the vision for the future.
Need change or transformation communications support? We’d love to share more about the KVA way with you.
