Communicating organizational change

1. Communication is the foundation to successful management of organizational change.
2. The goal of communication during organization change is to deliver information that changes behavior in front-line employees.

Getting “buy in” represents 90% of the effort needed to accomplish any change effort. Many managers are embracing e-mail, intranets, and other technological innovations as efficient solutions to the high communication demands during times of change. However, simply making information available is not the same as communication.

During organizational change employees are often in turmoil, fearing loss of employment security and loss of loyalty to seemingly uncaring employers. For all its capacity, information technology provides only limited relief for the anxieties and frustrations of human resources burdened by change.

Factors in communicating organizational change

During organization change perception equals reality: The level of stress an employee feels during organizational change is proportional to the level of perceived threat. Managers need to anticipate and adjust their communication to minimize the perception of threat during change.

Organizational change trust and credibility: A message is as credible as the highest credible source that will state it.  Trust is the single most important factor in the perception of a threat.

To gain the advantages of trust, managers must understand the basis of trust.
• Honesty and openness
• Competence and expertise
• Dedication and commitment
• Caring and empathy

Organization change Perceived control: Research shows that when we feel we have some control over an event it is perceived as less threatening.

Making sure employees have a voice in decisions, in an appropriate manner is critical to their sense of control and therefore acceptance of organization change. It does not constitute a vote or a veto. What employees need is assurance that their point of view has been heard, reasonably considered and responded to before the decision is made.

Personal benefit: A change that has a definable level of benefit is not seen as threatening as one that does not.