Organisational change can be a daunting process, requiring careful planning and execution. Around 70% of change programmes fail due to employee resistance, poor management, and poor communication. So, it's paramount that we do what we can to provide effective communication for employees to support a smooth transition amidst the chaos and uncertainty.
In an ideal world, changes would happen just as we want them to, but we're dealing with humans and humans are naturally resistant to change because our brains crave stability. We also need to remember that no two people are the same or feel the same about a situation, meaning that reactions can be unpredictable.
Kübler Ross' Change Curve Model can be useful here as it breaks down the rollercoaster of emotions people go through during significant changes. It's like a roadmap for understanding how individuals move through stages like denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.
Why is this so important? Well, by embracing this model in change communication, organisations can truly connect with people on an emotional level. It helps us anticipate and address the resistance and challenges people might face, while offering the support they need to embrace the change. What's important to recognise though, is that we all go through those five stages at different speeds and that's where it can become challenging.
I designed The Field Model™ to help clients go from chaos to calm and as a result, a lot of the conversations focus on change – the root cause of issues, behavioural change and broader organisational change and transformation. It was never designed to be a model for change, but it has been used by leaders and communication professionals to get to the real challenges and address them.
When I talk about change, I come back to three main areas again and again as no matter what you’re changing, people, relationships and alignment will always be something to focus on:
Understanding and empowering people
During times of change, employees can experience a wide range of emotions such as fear, uncertainty, and resistance. To be effective communicators, we need to understand people. Understand why we struggle with ambiguity, how we are hard-wired to focus on threats and how we fill in the blanks with something negative. Transparent and empathetic communication helps address these concerns and fosters an environment of trust and understanding.
We can't just tell people that something is happening, as humans we also need to understand why, so it's crucial that we provide employees with a clear understanding of the reasons behind the change, its impact on them, and the benefits it can bring in the long run.
Building strong relationships
Without strong relationships and foundations of trust, mutual respect and honesty, communicating and managing organisational change is hard.
It can be helped by going beyond just sharing information and instead building strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels. Taking a collaborative approach and involving key stakeholders early in the process helps build trust and encourages open dialogue. By actively seeking input and involving employees in decision-making, organisations demonstrate that colleague opinions matter, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the change.
Ensuring alignment and consistency
The leadership team needs to be aligned, to each other and to the organisational strategy. Without that, change is even harder to navigate.
Change initiatives often involve multiple teams and departments working towards a common goal and it's crucial they receive clear and consistent communication from the leadership team to ensure alignment across the whole organisation.
Communicating organisational change requires lots of component parts coming together. You need to know the outcome you’re looking for, the current state and desired future state, to know the gap for employees. Importantly, change frameworks allow you to do what is right for your organisation, culture and people. There shouldn’t be a strict change model or process; you’ll need the flexibility to do what is right that is individual to your organisation and teams.
If you’re a leader looking at organisational change right now, Redefining Communications has the tools and insights to help: take a look at The Field Model™ for organisational change.
