2020 is here! For some organisations, the year has been earmarked for changes like scaling down products, the introduction of new technology, retrenchments or management reshuffling. Whatever the change may be, a critical ingredient in the transformation plan is a robust communications strategy that speaks to what the change is, when it will take place, why it is happening, core messaging, tactical communications activities, desired outcomes and evaluation/measurement methods.
The mandate to communicate should ideally sit with the corporate communications team as they have the technical know-how and insights on which communications channels work best for what, as well as the ability to craft a narrative that is easily understood by all the affected stakeholders. There must be close collaboration with the human resources team as they have the raw information and strategic insights about the transformation as well as the expertise in the applicable policies and training requirements.
Far too often communications teams pass the buck to human resources to deal with it, instead of leading the communications drive. This can result in long complicated letters been sent to employees, unnecessary technical articles in newsletters and speculation.
There are a few crucial players in a change management communications strategy:
1. CEO – Regardless of the scale of the change, the CEO should be visible and be seen as driving the change; it begins with creating synergy at top level. An article published by Mckinsey put it aptly: "The CEO of a company facing transformational change must be, by definition, the driver and facilitator of… top-level "conversation." Without it, no change program will stay focused, integrated, and in balance."
2. Company spokesperson – this should ideally be the head of communications; a competent person to handle key stakeholders like the media and unions with poise and relevance.
3. Human resources executive – this person is the ideal change leader and should actively encourage employees to be supportive of the change through various initiatives like facilitated small group dialogues and training.
4. Transformational communications expert – this person is responsible for the overall communications strategy which includes crafting the transformational change narrative and creating meaningful messaging (not incomprehensible abstract jargon). An understanding of target markets and communications channels is imperative for the comms expert to be effective.
5. Team leaders and executives – the people that lead the organisation should be seen as embracing the change and lead by example. This requires leaders to be well briefed by the communications team and the human resources team. Everyone should communicate the same message at all times. Rumours tend to arise when each leader has their own version of why the change is happening.
According to an article published by Forbes: "Communication helps remove the unknowns and makes change easier for a team. Having an informed team can squash the rumours that tend to develop in times of uncertainty...". Absolutely.
It is worth noting that an effective communications strategy is also flexible as it adapts to feedback and unforeseen nuances; the overall objective should always be to communicate to obtain desired results as opposed to ticking boxes and racing through a rigid plan.
A unified organisational approach; simple messaging; executives leading by example; communication at regular intervals; and, feedback channels; make the journey to transformation understandable and easier to accept.
