Chapter 10 communication and change
- 1. © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 2. Chapter 10 Communication and Change © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 3. Learning Outcomes • Appreciate the importance of communication during times of change • Outline the elements of the communication process • Develop relevant communication strategies • Identify the key elements of a communication plan © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 4. The communication process Communication – the transference and understanding of meaning (Robbins et al 2010) © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 5. • ‘Only messages can be sent and received; meanings cannot be transmitted. This means that senders of messages must encode their meanings into symbols, choosing those that are likely to be familiar to their audience’ (Guirdham 2005: 89) © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 6. The communication process • Encoding – sender’s translation of idea into a form which can be recognised by a receiver • Transmission via communication channels – of which there are many • Decoding – process whereby a receiver perceives a sent message and interprets its meaning • Feedback – whereby the sender and receiver exchange roles so that the receiver responds to the message • Noise – factors of distortion © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 7. Communication plays a vital role in the change process Clampitt et al. (2000) suggest that communication strategies often emerge from existing practices with little hard thinking about communication objectives or processes. © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 8. Underscore & Explore Identify & Reply Withhold & Uphold Tell & Sell Spray & Pray Amount of information transferredGreat Little Communicationeffectiveness Low High Clampett et al’s (2000) Communication Strategies © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 9. Organizational silence (Morrison & Milliken, 2000) The widespread withholding of information can: • deprive decision makers of the opportunity to consider alternative perspectives • inhibit organizational learning because it affects the ability of managers to detect and correct the causes of poor performance © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 10. In pairs • Discuss how the need for change is communicated in your organization. • Is it communicated to everyone affected by the change? If not, who is left out? • Identify how communication about change be improved? © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 11. Communication supports change but proactive integrated communication accelerates successful change Guiding Team How will we mobilise our leaders? Increase urgency How will we manage the change? Make the Change Stick How will we configure ourselves to achieve our business goals? Don’t Let up How will our vision and environment encourage desired behaviours? Create Short term wins What’s in it for the company and for me? Empower Action How will our people processes be aligned to support the change? Communicate for Buy-In How will we energise stakeholders and secure buy- in? Get the Vision right What’s our vision and change story? © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 12. 4. Sustaining Momentum 3. Inspiring for Action 2. Clarifying the Vision The change communications process Step 1: Explain the Need • Announce the change • Give compelling business reasons for the change • Begin to motivate people to change Step 2: Clarifying the Vision • Focus on 2 way communication • Allow for resistance & questioning Step 3: Inspiring for action • Build on current awareness • Motivate people to let go of the old way of doing things • Influence people to accept new way of doing things Step 4: Sustaining momentum • Reinforce the changes • Promote the internalisation of new behaviours • Encourage sustained acceptance and internalisation of new culture 1. Explaining the Need © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 13. Communications Plan Audience 1 Audience 2 Audience 3 Audience 4 Objectives Desired Outcome Key Methods Distribution Methods & Channels Frequency Responsibility For Preparation & Delivery Key Impact & Feedback Measures © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 14. Summary • Communication is integral to sustaining change. • Communication is an ongoing activity and should be adapted to the nature and stage of the change. The methods, messages, audiences and feedback are all vital parts of the communication process during change. • Communication enables leaders and managers of change to create a shared sense of direction, purpose and values, establish strategies, plans and priorities, reduce uncertainty, build trust, and empower and engage people in doing what needs to be done. © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill
- 15. References Clampitt, P., DeKoch, R., Cashman, T. (2000) ‘A strategy for communicating about uncertainty’, Academy of Management Executive, 14(4): 41-57. Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A. and Campbell, T.T. (2010) Organizational Behaviour. Harlow: FT/Prentice Hall. © Julie Hodges and Roger Gill