Eight Keys to Successful Change Management Communications

THE SKINNY
The keys to successful change management communication boil down to having an engaging message, and leveraging leadership, sponsors, and data to keep your audience abreast of all activities - - before, during and after the change.

THE SCORE
Corporations like Navistar, The Boeing Company, and Kaplan, Inc. wrestle with change management issues every day. Here are eight of their best practices related to change management communication:

1. Get Good Data Upfront – Do baseline surveys and focus groups to get good a handle on the current state.

2. Engage Leadership - Engage leaders to help communicate and sell the change through key messages as ambassadors. Explain the business case and explain its impact relative to the larger marketplace and competitors.

3. Leverage Sponsors – Have the right sponsors in place, and leverage them to win over audiences, address objections, and knock down barriers.

4. Select Local Change Agents – Select influencers in the organization and brief them on the project during regular touch points. Don’t just rely on the push of traditional corporate communications but rely on local influencers (or champions) to drive success.

5. Manage the Customer’s Image – Acknowledge what your “current state” image is in your audience’s mind and define what the “desired state” image is that you want to project and achieve in their mind.

6. Manage Employee Communications – Write your internal corporate communications as if they will end up on the front page of the local or national newspaper - - because it very well may!

7. Be Flexible – Adapt your communications plan and tactics as required.

8. Capture Good Metrics – Define how you will measure success and follow through.

Source: Compiled from a panel discussion featuring Colleen Campbell from Navistar, Michele Mazur from Kaplan, Inc., and James Warda from The Boeing Company.