Organisations are rarely static: they are either progressing or declining. Constant change is required to avoid degeneration. Influential factors in organisational change are:
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Corporate structures (takeovers, mergers, divestments)
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Market pressures (greater competition, declining margins)
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Technological change (computerisation, Internet)
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Social change (corporate social responsibility, customer attitudes)
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Legislation (anti-discrimination, tax)
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Conformance with external standards (quality)
People often resist change. The most common causes of resistance have been categorised in research as:
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Lack of understanding of the need for change
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Belief that proposed changes violate core values
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Misunderstanding of change and its implications
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Belief that the change is not in people's best interests
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Distrust of those introducing change
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Disbelief that leadership is serious about change
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Disbelief that leadership is capable of effecting change
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Perception that change is uneven, selective and unfair
Change theory offers guidance as to how the communications process can guide people towards change and move them from the status quo.
Edgar Schein characterised three stages of change: unfreezing the existing state, moving through transition, and then refreezing in the new state. At each stage, discrete communication strategies must be employed.
Stage 1: Unfreezing - Creating motivation and readiness to change
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Disconfirm. Information that contradicts peoples world-view is usually ignored, but people will actively seek out evidence for their existing views. The communications task is to disconfirm the old mindset and only factual, logical and well-targeted information that understands this mindset is likely to be effective.
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Create guilt or anxiety. This is done by linking disconfirmation to personal goals and ideals. When people feel uncomfortable with the status quo, because they believe it is not the best place to be, they will be more prepared to change. The communications role is to show that the status quo is deficient relative to the desired state the organsiation wishes to move to.
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Psychological safety. This is the process of helping people accept disconfirmation by removing any sense of personal threat. Old is comfortable because it is known. New can be disconcerting because it is unknown. Communications can assist by shedding light and understanding on the new, thereby reducing its threat and enhancing its appeal.
Stage 2: Transition - Introducing a new point of view
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Identify with new ways of doing things. This can be achieved through techniques such as training, small group work and the use of mentors and role models.
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Scan the environment for new and relevant information. People moving through change can be reinforced by information supportive of change that is relevant to their situation.
Stage 3: Re-freezing - Owning the solution and stopping reversion
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Integrating the new perspective in peoples minds. Once the change has been made, we need to prevent backsliding by constantly reinforcing the new mindset. A range of communications techniques can be applied to achieve this.
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Improving relationships within the organisation. Theres nothing quite like peer group influence.
The notion of the communications funnel is important to the change process. If employees are involved at the mouth of the funnel - when plans are being made, decisions taken and strategies set - they are able to take on board a level of understanding of the change process that does not happen at the spout - when plans are being implemented and change is being forced through. At the spout, people are mere recipients of the decision to change and are unlikely to fully understand it or be fully committed to it.
So begin to communicate early - at the mouth of the funnel - not later, noting that:
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People won't participate readily unless they're involved from the start. You should share the problem before sharing the solution.
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People want to be heard, and to have their views taken into account. You should create a dynamic communications environment. Organisational communications is a three-way process: initiation by management; feedback from employees; response by management.
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People want to be involved in shaping their future. Provide opportunities for participation.
When change communications fails, it normally does so because of one or a combination of these reasons:
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Lack of CEO commitment and follow-through.
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Reaping the rewards before changes are made.
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Lack of management confirmation: supervisors and middle management merely go through the motions without any real commitment (may be passive aggression).
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Insufficient sense of urgency ('if this is really about saving the organisation, why doesn't management get on with it).
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Too many fragmented change programs ('this month's management fad').
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Too much propaganda, not enough substantive content.
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Avoiding the bad news. Managers must address, not avoid, the critical issues.
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Lack of verification ('they say that, but who believes them?').