CommunicationPlanningThisdocumentdescribessomecriteriaweshouldtakeintoaccountwhendesigningtheinitialcommunicationplanforthecurrentchangeprocess.Thepurposeofan“ideal”initialcommunicationplanisto:✑Increasetheorganization’sunderstandingoftheneedforchangeandsenseofurgency✒Describewheretheorganizationisgoing✓Increasecommitmenttochange✔Reduceconfusionandresistance✕PrepareemployeesforboththepositiveandnegativeeffectsofchangeThelistbelowdescribesthecharacteristicsofthe“ideal”communicationplan:◆Describeswhatthechangeisaboutandwhatitwillaccomplish.◆Describeswheretheorganizationisnowandwhythechangeisnecessary.◆Communicateswhatthevisionis,orwheretheorganizationneedstogo.◆Describeshowitwillgettothedesiredstate.◆Identifiesthechangeteamresponsibleforthetransitionandimplementation.◆Addresseswhenthechangewilloccur,phasesofchange,andtimingissuesregardingimplementation.◆Identifieskeythingsthatwillnotchange.◆Predictshowthechangewillaffectorganizationmembers,includingboththenegativeaspectsthattargetsshouldanticipateaswellaspotentialbenefitsforthechangerecipients.◆Conveysthesponsor’scommitmenttochange.◆Explainshowpeoplewillbekeptinformedthroughoutthechangeprocess◆Describeswhoemployeescanturnforassistanceduringthetransition.◆Describeshowemployeescanparticipateinthechangeprocess/transitionandotherexpectationsforthetransitionperiod.◆Communicatestheneedforinputfromtheorganizationonissues,obstacles,problemareas,andwheretosendthisinformationCommunicationStrategyOverviewWhyIsaCommunicationsPlanImportant?Communicationiscriticaltosuccessfulimplementationoforganizationchange.Peoplewillresistchangeiftheyarenotlinkedtotheprocesswithfrequent,credibleinformation.Acomprehensivecommunicationsplanwillassureleadersthatalloftheirstakeholdersarereceivinganappropriateleveloftimelycommunication,inmethodsthataremostmeaningfultothem.Itwillallowchangeleaderstobuildoncommunicatedmessagesovertime,tomakesureallmessagesarealigned,andtomakethemostofavarietyofcommunicationvehicles(newsletters,meetings,luncheswithsupervisors,etc.).Creatinganon-going,open,honest,multi-dimensionalcommunicationfeedbackloopwithyourpeoplewillbeakeyleverforenergizingthemforchange.Benefits:◆Createanunderlyingfoundationoftrustneededtoengagealllevelsoftheorganizationinchange.Open,directcommunicationandsharinginformationbetweenleadersandemployees(aboutbusinessstrategies,currentresults/problems,needforchanges,plansforthefutureandhowanticipatedchangeswilleffectthempersonally,etc.)helpstobuildthetrustthatisneededtosustainchangeandlearning.◆Controlshapingandcommunicatingmessagesaboutthechange.◆Minimizedestructiverumormills.◆Energizepeopleforchange.Consequences:◆Withoutacomprehensivecommunicationplan,changeleadersrisk:•Decreasedproductivity.•Mistrustandresistance.•Lostopportunitytoengagepeopleinthechangeprocess.•Hiddenquestions.•Disseminationofincompleteorinaccurateinformation.•Unanticipatedgaps:Keystakeholdersorimportantmessagesareomittedfromcommunicationprocessduetoinadequateadvanceplanning.Principles:✑Createacomprehensivecommunicationsplanandresourcestoimplementitthroughoutthechange.Theplanshouldaccountfor:❁Keyconstituencygroups(Makesureallkeystakeholdersarecoveredatregularintervalsandatcriticaljuncturesduringthechange);❂Vehiclesofcommunicationusedtoreachthem(Utilizeavarietyofvehicles,toassuremaximumpenetrationand...
