2. Topics
• Elements of change
• The paradox of the situation
• Preparing to communicate
• Strategies for success
• Special considerations
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
4. Change
• Immediate
• Event
• External
• Gains
• Starts
with
the
outcome
The
Process
of
Change
• Takes
Time
• Psychological
• Internal
• Losses/le@ng
go
• Starts
with
the
end
Change
versus
the
Change
Process
Communica)ng
well
through
the
change
process
is
essen)al
for
ul)mate
success.
5. Audience Reaction to Change
Resistance is natural, and often inevitable
Resistance can be visible or hidden
Reactions can be positive or negative, this
is predisposed by the individual
Reaction lasts throughout the change
process
Resistance absorbs energy which should be
directed to something more productive
The faster the change process moves
forward, the more successful the change
will be
6. The Paradox of the Situation
• Employees will have suspicions
• Change in business performance
• Visits by outsiders
• Unusual behavior of business leaders
• Requests for business/operational information
• Deferred projects and/or discretionary spending
• Customer/market rumors
• Employees will not be prepared for the news
• Reactions can vary from shock, anger, sadness
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
Effective communications must meet both the
informational and emotional needs of the employee.
7. The Paradox of the Communications
• Empathetic but..
• Minimal slides but…
• Employees first to know but…
• Notification meeting is short
but…
• concise, communicating key points,
leaving no doubt that decision is
irrevocable
• details about “what does this mean for
me?”
• employees find out only after all
approvals/agreements are in place
• on-going communications can last for
months
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
8. 70% of change initiatives fail due
to “not enough” or “not the right
kind” of communications.
Thompson, Communication Process Re-engineering
9. The goal of communications isn’t
necessarily to have people happy
about the decision, but to have
them understand how the
decision was made and what’s
next for them.
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
10. Preparing to Communicate
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
• Ensure that the Communications focal
point is a member of the overall
project team
• Articulate vision and key messages
• Develop communications plan, ensuring
that confidentiality rules and guidelines
are in place
• Provide leadership with training, on-
going coaching and counsel
• Monitor responses and assess progress,
report to leadership
11. Model of Overall Plan
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
Human
Resources
Legal
CommunicaCons
Project Plan
12. HR/Communications Considerations
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
Human
Resources
CommunicaCons
• Size of affected groups/roll-
out of notification
• Benefits information
• Local resources
• Union contract
considerations (with legal)
• Employee review boards
(with legal)
13. Legal/Communications Considerations
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
Legal
CommunicaCons
• Material disclosure
• WARN Act (federal and
state)
• Works Councils
• Union contract
considerations (with HR)
• Employee review boards
(with HR)
14. Message
• Simple and compelling vision is the context for all
messages
• Messages must be repeated and reinforced to overcome
emotional obstacles within change curve
• Messages should address short-term, tangible, measurable
goals
• Think “roadmap” – use visuals, schedules, directions, vision
of the destination
15. Messenger
• Messengers MUST be leaders!
• Two required attributes
• Ownership of the decision
• Trustworthy and credible
• If one person doesn’t possess both
attributes, 2 people will do
• Leaders must support and defend the
decision as non-negotiable, irrevocable
• Leaders must commit to on-going
communications that may last for
months
16. Media
• Face-to-face is the most effective medium, especially in
the early stage of process
• Supplement verbal communication with written to
overcome cognitive static
• Think of communications as a progress report
• Institute two-way communications vehicles, both
informal and formal
• Brown bag lunches
• Question box
• Team meetings
• Walk abouts
17. Confidentiality = Respect
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
• Supports compliance with laws & regulations
• Protects material value of the company and business
partners
• Respects employees and their families
• Maintains your control of communications plan
18. How to Work Confidentially
• Adopt a random name for project and use it
exclusively among team
• “White cover” all documents
• Don’t discuss project in public places
• Set up separate e-mail groups, protected file
shares, phone lists, etc. for team
• Don’t raise curiosity by flaunting project name
• Keep all documents secured when not in use
• Train, reinforce and enforce confidentiality
practices
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
19. Timing
• Schedule notifications to the minute – goal
is to cascade to stakeholder groups in the
shortest amount of time
• Affected employees should know first
(along with the market, if announcement is
material), but provide a just-in-time heads
up to union leaders
• Call key stakeholders while media
announcement is sent (local officials, key
opinion leaders –those with a generally
favorable opinion of company)
• General employee/company announcement
• Key customers/business partners
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
20. Employee Notification Meeting
• Face-to-face establishes respect
between leader & employees–
important in the days to come
• Eliminates the risk of employees
hearing it from others
• Messengers have to be someone
with accountability for the decision
(e.g., site leader, business leader )
• Have plan to contact those unable
to attend
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
21. Documents for Employee Meeting
• Slides for visual reinforcement - keep it
short (<10 slides)
• One slide to summarize situation then
go right into stating the decision
concisely in plain language
• Remainder of the presentation is, “What
does this mean for you?”
• Leave time for Q&A – stick to prepared
Q&A to guide answers
• Provide hand-outs: synopsis of
announcement, FAQ, List of resources
(e.g., EAP, HR, etc.)
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
22. Employee Follow-Up
• Promote 2-way dialogue as soon as possible –implement
facts-back process after meeting to collect confidential
questions and disseminate accurate answers
• Have EAP resources on-site after the meeting
• If downsizing, have career counselors also available to be
introduced along with a schedule of when they will meet
with employees
• Having an HR leader on site with experience in these
situations is a plus
• LISTEN and address concerns
Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
23. Playing the Numbers
The Rule of Thirds...
• People who Agree
• People who are Undecided
• People who will ALWAYS Disagree
Work with people who
agree, swing those
undecided
= 2/3 POSITIVE
MOMENTUM
24. Rosemarie Rung APR, August 14, 2013
What Good Communications Looks Like
Visible, enthusiastic, united leaders who actively communicate
Picture of what the future looks like
Open access/honest information
Two-way dialogue (vs. newsletters)
Responsive feedback systems
