Like most organizations in this tough economy, yours is one with challenging issues that aren’t going to go away on their own. You’re going to have to take real action - something purposeful and programmed to let everyone know you mean change - large scale (like a new corporate strategic focus) or more localized (such as departmental shifts).
You realize that the first step requires you to acknowledge that change is needed - your organization’s survival depends upon it. People need to know that you’ve got a plan for making that change happen. But the truth is, effective internal communication has never been one of your organization’s strong suits. Worse yet, you may not even be certain what it is that you need to communicate or how to measure it.
What makes this problem even more alarming is that yours, like most modern organizations, seems armed to the teeth with the kind of technological instruments that are supposed to make the process of internal communication relatively easy. But too many organizations are confusing the media with the message. As a result, content often takes a back seat to speed and quantity. And neither of those elements is necessarily critical to orchestrating an effective internal communication campaign. To the contrary, speed and quantity can be what makes your message fall on seemingly deaf, if not overloaded, ears.
So, how DO you communicate to get workplace change?
Make internal communications a key element in any strategic plan requiring people to behave differently. The need for different behavior may come from a realization, for example, that service teams are not providing the results that customers value. Or, it may result from a strategic shift where certain employees have new responsibility to deliver a strengthened promise of value.
In any case, organizations should think “program and process” as they map out their internal communication effort. And while the effectiveness of your communications will depend, to a large extent, on the power of the content, the real magic will come from effective frequency and timing of the messages.
To be effective, internal communication should be tackled like any other organizational task, with a defined process and according to a relatively rigid execution schedule.
The Three-Step Staging Process
In many companies, internal communication plans are a loose collection of seemingly random communication activities. There will be a video here, an email there, perhaps a memo to all hands, an informal employee survey , or a town hall meeting. But while these activities are indeed the activities of internal communications, results occur when these events are staged according to a simple, three-step plan.
Stage #1: Creating a State of Awareness
In any organization, absence of communication creates a crippling environment. When there is an information void, employees make up their own. And their version is usually much worse than the truth.
So, in this stage, employees are given their wakeup call. The focus is on making everyone aware of exactly what is about to be implemented, with some high level commentary on why it is important. It’s a good time for sensitive bluntness.
Critical messages should be delivered by a single voice - the leader of the executive team. Employees need to know that what they are hearing comes from management’s top rung.
It’s important to remember that employees respond positively to truthfulness and candor. They don’t usually respond at all to what they perceive as corporate hype or management puffery. You just want them to become aware of what’s going to happen and why. In each of these stages, use your full arsenal of communication instruments: the written word, creative innovations, videos, e-mail, the intranet, face time, and unique ideas like conversation pits to spread awareness.
Hold focus groups and conduct formal employee surveys to determine if people are getting this first stage message. While “cascading” the information downward, from senior executives, to mid-level managers, and finally throughout the entire organization, keep in mind that important feedback must have a path back up the corporate mountain.
Stage #2: Building an Informed Workplace
At this stage, employees need to understand why change is necessary and how everyone will get to the same place at the same time. Inform and educate employees as to the breadth and depth of the change. Tackle the tough cultural issues and don’t downplay how difficult and demanding the change will be. Be very clear as to what’s expected of each employee. It’s time for the tough content.
Use similar communication tools as in Stage #1, but demand that management become even more involved in the cascade and feedback processes. Managers should observe and take part in focus groups and review employee survey results. Face time becomes extremely important because anxiety will be everywhere.
Rumors will spawn and multiply at warp speed if they aren’t preempted. Keep in mind that one employee’s perception can quickly become a co-workers truth. Have a strict schedule and stick to it. Its tightness speaks to the urgency of the entire effort.
Stage #3: Achieving Workforce Commitment
There is an obvious intensity to the communication cascade. It’s reached the point where commitment is everything. Those who aren’t comfortable or haven’t been able to adapt to the demands for change will need to be provided with alternatives. The organization’s leaders are everywhere, visible, energized, and supportive of those who have climbed on board. Management needs to be engaged heavily in this final stage.
Implementation Guidelines will be covered extensively in the second part of this article.
About the Author:
Dr. Jan Stringer has authored numerous articles and publications about surveys, training, and employee and customer satisfaction. To view a free Web-based Employee Survey Demo click here: http://www.nbrii.com/Employee_Surveys/
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