Chaotic.
That was how John described the changes in his organization.
Just as he started to gain traction and feel like he was making progress, the organization appeared to switch direction or add a new change initiative that felt like it was undoing the progress he had made.
Employees could never get anything done. There was no stability.
If you’re thinking, Wait a minute. We can’t stand still. We must constantly move or we’ll stagnate. Consider this:
Communication is one of the most challenging—and essential—elements of enabling organizational change.
Every leader must determine what to communicate, to whom, and when. Yet even when those decisions are made, there is still another challenge: ensuring the intended message is actually received and interpreted as intended.
If you’ve ever said:
“He knew precisely what I meant.”
“I was perfectly clear when I told her.”
“I’m an open book.”
…only to discover your message was misunderstood, you’ve experienced what social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson calls the transparency illusion.
What makes communication during change effective?
When I ask that question, employees and leaders consistently respond with the same qualities: consistency, accuracy, relevance, clarity, timeliness, and transparency.
The foundation for building that level of communication is your change communication strategy.
Communicating to create healthy and sustainable change involves much more than simply giving and receiving information. It is the way we interact and engage with people, interpret data, make meaning, develop understanding, and build—or, in the case of poor communication, destroy—relationships.
Communication is the thread that weaves through every aspect of your change efforts and your organization. It is reflected in what you say, what you do, and even what you don’t say or do. It is an essential element of every change.
Although communication serves many purposes throughout the change process, it has one overarching purpose:
