Leading and Communicating Changes

Leading and Communicating Change : 

Leading and Communicating Change John Aderibigbe DU&T Consulting 08033746076 dutconsult@yahoo.com

Introduction : 

Introduction Change is the only constant thing and we are subject to it not by choice. We sometime resist it to our detriments

Questions? : 

Questions? What changes do you notice in your life till dates? What products do you know in the 80s and 90s that are no longer available?

Causes of Organizational Change : 

Causes of Organizational Change Customers needs Technology Competition Government International influence What others?

Barriers to Change : 

Barriers to Change Habits Routine Negative Thinking Attitude Culture Subjectivity Emotions

Questions to ask before Introducing Change : 

Questions to ask before Introducing Change Before starting organizational change, ask yourself: What do we want to achieve with this change, why, and how will we know that the change has been achieved? Who is affected by this change, and how will they react to it? How much of this change can we achieve ourselves, and what parts of the change do we need help with? These aspects also relate strongly to the management of personal as well as organizational change.

Don’t of Change Management : 

Don’t of Change Management Do not sell change to people as a way of accelerating 'agreement' and implementation. 'Selling' change to people is not a sustainable strategy for success, unless your aim is to be bitten on the bum at some time in the future when you least expect it. When people listen to a management high-up 'selling' them a change, decent diligent folk will generally smile and appear to accede, but quietly to themselves, they're thinking, "No bloody chance mate, if you think I'm standing for that load of old bollocks you've another think coming…"

Rather… : 

Rather… Instead, change needs to be understood and managed in a way that people can cope effectively with it. Change can be unsettling, so the manager logically needs to be a settling influence. Check that people affected by the change agree with, or at least understand, the need for change, and have a chance to decide how the change will be managed, and to be involved in the planning and implementation of the change. Use face-to-face communications to handle sensitive aspects of organisational change management. Encourage your managers to communicate face-to-face with their people too if they are helping you manage an organizational change.

Conditions for Leading change : 

Conditions for Leading change A compelling story, because employees must see the point of the change and agree with it; Role modeling, because they must also see the CEO and colleagues they admire behaving in the new way. Reinforcing mechanisms, because systems, processes, and incentives must be in line with the new behavior. Capability building, because employees must have the skills required to make the desired changes.

Creating a compelling story : 

Creating a compelling story Change leaders need to be able to tell a change story that covers all five things that motivate employees like impact on society (for instance, building the community and stewarding resources), impact on the customer (for example, providing superior service), impact on the company and its shareholders, impact on the working team (for example, creating a caring environment), and impact on “me” personally (my development, paycheck, and bonus).

Creating a compelling story : 

Creating a compelling story Let them write their own story Let the story be with + and -

Role Modeling : 

Role Modeling Know what to change personally and change Use the 360 degree feedback to identify what you must change Avoid overinvesting in influence leaders but the four conditions for change management

Reinforcing mechanisms : 

Reinforcing mechanisms Money is the most expensive way to motivate people. Use gestures and gifts. For instance . John McFarlane, former CEO of ANZ Bank, sent a bottle of champagne to every employee for Christmas with a card thanking them for their work on the company’s “Perform, Grow, and Break-out” change program.

Reinforcing mechanisms : 

Reinforcing mechanisms The process and the outcome have got to be fair: In making any changes to company structures, processes, systems, and incentives, change managers should pay what might strike them as an unreasonable amount of attention to employees’ sense of the fairness of the change process and its intended outcome.

Capability building : 

Capability building Employees are what they think, feel, and believe in. All these affect how they behave at work. Identify and Build skills, talents and behavior needed for the change Empower, support and promote change. Give employees opportunity and time to apply training to work. Hardwire the new skills into their job responsibilities

Communicating changes : 

Communicating changes Studies have shown that leaders must repeat the message of the change at least seven times before most people will even begin to understand it. This is a challenge for leaders. How many ways can you communicate the message? The answer is, the more the better. These message repetitions could take a while—months perhaps—but this part of the process is absolutely essential. Repetition is not only OK, it is a must.

What to communicate : 

What to communicate What’s wrong with the way we’ve been doing things? Why were we doing them wrong before? What will happen to me? When? What can I do about it? What is expected of me? What does it mean in my day-to-day job? What will management or leadership do about it? If I encounter problems, what do I do, to whom do I turn?

How to communicate : 

How to communicate Distribute an initial handout (memo, flyer, brochure) explaining the initiative and the process involved. Hand out laminated cards with the initiative, core philosophy, or vision on them. Display laminated or framed statements strategically around the organization. Run a series of articles in the organization’s newsletter.

Slide 19: 

Hang banners with the initiative on them near the podium at every meeting. Conduct employee or member meetings to explain the initiative. Top leadership should mention the initiative at every gathering—even picnics and parties. Put the initiative on the agenda at every meeting and mention something about it.

Slide 20: 

Arrange to have presenters cascade the initiative down through various levels of the organization (this requires some presentation aids and talking points for the presenters to ensure a consistent message). Make a big deal out of accomplishments—both large and small wins—that show the organization is making progress.

Slide 21: 

Establish an open-door policy at the highest level of the organization to get feedback—questions, comments, instances of misalignment, etc. Walk the talk—people believe what they see more than what they hear and read.

Change communication cheklist : 

Change communication cheklist Make it tangible: over communicate your compelling vision Tout your success: remind and emphasise success achieved so far Use teachable moments: to praise openly but criticise privately The objectives: let each interpret the vision and his roles in his own word The bottomline: create a compelling vision that you communicate with clarity to all

Case Studies : 

Case Studies Short and beautifully simple analogies useful for illustrating aspects of causing or dealing with change, for example : The North Wind and the Sun (gentle persuasion rather than force) The Lion and The Ass (enforced change - might is right) The Crab and his Mother (lead by example and evidence - or you'll not change people) The Miller, his Son and the Ass (no single change is likely to please everyone - everyone wants something different) The Oak and the Reeds (the need for tolerance - changer or 'changees') The Rich Man and the Tanner, (time softens change - given time people get used to things) The Ass and the Mule (agree to reasonable change now or you can risk far worse enforced change in the future)

Case studies : 

Case studies You have been an employee in major commercial bank for the past 15 years. Recently the bank reengineered and introduced ICT into their system. You are not computer literate to understand this software and you feel comfortable with your normal written records. The management spent huge amount in training for one month you but because of old age, most of you find it difficult to understand the process. The management has given a directive, use this software or resign. In trying to learn by doing, you used the software and it has made you inefficient that you are now lost over N1.5 Million to wrong data entry and over paying some clients (all of which you cannot prove). Your retirement benefits is just N2.5 Million. If you resign now, the management will deduct N1.5 Million from your expected severance benefits of N1.7 Million. What do you do? Advice the management?