Leading Through Change Communications

Editor’s note: When it comes to supporting your organization’s transition efforts, it helps to better understand some basic principles of change. This was the topic for the recent IABC Heartland webinar to members of IABC Omaha, Lincoln and Iowa, as they work to resurrect their chapters to the combined IABC Heartland chapter.

As a teaser piece, this webinar introduced participants to a few of the concepts provided in the IABC Academy course, “Leading Through Change Communications.” This one-hour, e-learning module is targeted to junior communicators and provides introductory ideas as one works to support change communications in their organization. Originally launched at the end of 2019, this course continues to be offered as a member benefit. Check it out today at the IABC Academy.

Dr. Julie Bjorkman developed and designed the course, and recently presented to IABC members about the topic in the aforementioned webinar.

Can we really manage change? Or is that simply an oxymoron? We can lead change and support our organizations by the messages we create. When we first know ourselves — and how we respond to change in our professional and personal lives — we are better adept at supporting others. This is especially true when it comes to creating the right messaging as our organizations move through transitions.

Making sense of the multitude of messaging an organization has to offer is a good first step at developing clearer, more succinct communication strategies and tactics. What have we communicated too much about, and not enough? Understanding where gaps exist helps us identify where we can make a contribution through communications.

When we spend as much time, or more, on why the change is happening — not just the what and how — we help our employees better understand the rationale of the change underway and how we might be able to support it.

Changing behavior should be the objective of our messaging — what actions can people do today that they weren’t doing six months ago. By focusing your messaging on first creating awareness, then understanding, you move your audience into taking the necessary actions on the job to support organizational transitions.

Knowing that some change is evolutionary, occurring over time, while some is revolutionary and a shock to the system (like suddenly moving to remote work in a pandemic), helps you identify how to best communicate to your audience. Perhaps always sending your messages via email from a corporate email box isn’t the best use of that channel. Ensuring the sender of all messages is relevant, credible and trusted makes a difference.

Aristotle told us in 350 B.C. that if communication is to change behavior, it must be grounded in the desires and interests of the receivers. So, it makes sense to ensure that you’ve done your homework to listen to employees, their concerns and their communication needs. The same goes for those leading the change effort to ensure you can integrate many different messages and deliver them in a way people want — be it via face-to-face meetings, emails, websites or other channels. (Bjorkman, 2009). How can you successfully lead others through change? Continue the conversation with IABC members on The Hub.

Bjorkman, Julie M. (2009). Change communication: Enabling individuals to act, in Woodman, Pasmore, and Shani (ed.) Research in Organizational Change and Development, Volume 17. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.349 - 384