Skip to main content

Change management process: How to communicate changes


Any change management process requires good communication skills as many employees are naturally resistant to change.  If changes in the business are also not congruent with some employees' self-seeking interests, the challenge for managers is even greater.  Employees also have unique personalities and may react to change differently (also read my post why employees might be resistant to change).

 Employees need to prepared for the change in the business and all changes need be reinforced.  What role does communication play in the change management process?
Source: Soshable.com

  • Before the changes are implemented, the manager first needs to motivate employees to appreciate the need for the change.  Many employees feel too comfortable in the current status quo and need to see how the changes could benefit them in the long term.  The manager could, for example, communicate current problems in the business and explain how the changes would solve them and also benefit the employees.  Numerous tools are available to motivate employees, for example, face to face meetings, the business Intranet, personalised emails, desktop feeds and newsletters.  It is especially important to manage any rumours which could spread fast and harm any positive messages. Employees need to know their roles in the anticipated changes and need to hear it from managers.
  • Once employees are aware of the need for the changes, they need to be empowered with new methods and guidelines to accommodate the changes to the best of their abilities.  The manager should, for example,  introduce training programmes where necessary to provide employees with the necessary skills to use any new methods and procedures.
  • Lastly when the changes are implemented, the manager has to communicate reinforcing messages to support the role of the employees in embracing the process. The new way of doing tasks, for example, could be praised so that employees feel part of the whole process.
Implementing changes has never been an easy task, but with the necessary communication skills all resistance could eventually be surmounted.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

The role of the manager in effective business communication

Happy employees are more productive. Business communication is no longer about how to write a letter, email or use effective writing skills.  It has also extended to other areas in the business, for example, excellent relationships within the business. A manager should not only concentrate on successful communication with its external clients, customers and stakeholders.  The employees of the business actually are   internal clients   and should also be treated with care.  Many scholars refer to this as   internal marketing , a very important feature of good business communication.  Employees’ well-being and work satisfaction play a large role in their productivity and how loyal they will be towards the business.  The role of the manager is to ensure good relationships with and among employees.   A healthy working environment is equally important.  Previous research has indicated that employees also have other career as...
Read more

Time for a communication audit?

When is the right time to do a communication audit in a business?  Why is it important to know whether communication in a business is effective or not? During a communication audit the strength and weaknesses of all communication in the business is analyzed, namely its communication policies, strategies, practices, messages, capabilities and even the media that are used, including social and other online media. If you have read some of my other postings in this blog, you will know how important communication in a business is.  Lack of effective communication can even cause the business to eventually fail. When is the right time to do a communication audit?  You could consider a communication audit in your business when: a major restructuring of the business is taking place   the business seems to be failing and not reaching its objectives. union negotiations are upcoming a merger or acquisition of another business might be happening a new management ...
Read more

How Storytelling can liven up Business Communication

Storytelling is referred to by some experts as the future of internal communication.  Telling stories is not new and has been around for thousands of years. Many psychologists can tell you that something is better remembered if it is linked to a compelling story.  This is just how our brains work. This is why storytelling can be a powerful internal communication tool to engage and inspire employees. Using stories for internal communication messages could evoke a shared sense of identity due to an emotional connection with the stories. Language The Coca-Cola Brand is renowned for its stories. can be used to the business' advantage as it can evoke such emotional connection with other employees and what the business stands for. Businesses therefore now also use stories to share or explain their business culture or goals. The business can, for example, use stories to explain difficult data, facts, and figures.  Stories can also pro...
Read more