2 Wrongs and 1 Right

by Chris Edgelow

Over the past two and a half decades of helping organizations change, I have been amazed at how frequently leaders underestimate the challenge of getting communication right. Organization after organization, leader after leader fall short in ensuring change information is engaged throughout their system.

Typically, leaders will take one or two approaches in communicating change throughout their organizations. Unfortunately both of these approaches are woefully inadequate to the task at hand. And that task is to ensure people have the motivation and information required to ensure each and every change is successful. These two approaches are inherently wrong and continued reliance on them will ensure the same results, which the most current research indicates is about 35% success rate for organizational change.

The first wrong approach is cascading communication from one layer of the organizational hierarchy down to the next. Starting at the top Executive level, there is often an implicit assumption that all Executives are fully engaged and on the same page with the desired outcome and specific changes. There is another assumption that each one will talk with their direct reports in a timely manner and ensure they become fully engaged along with the Executives. From there the assumptions continue, that each subsequent level down are fully informed, have the same level of commitment and clarity as the level above and they in turn tell the next level below. This supposedly continues until all the Employees get the information they need, when they need it and make the required shifts in behavior so the changes are successful.

The myth here is that information flows down hill like water, hence the term cascading. We all have been subject to this assumption and method of communication at some point in our lives and know how fraught with pitfalls it is. It is nothing more than an organizational version of the party game young children used to play by lining up all their friends in a circle with the birthday girl or boy whispering a message to their best friend beside them who in turn whispers to the next person until the message goes around the circle and everyone laughs at the interpretation of the original message that is spoken aloud by the last person.

Communication and people are simply too complex for this form of information sharing to have any value. The Employees are usually picking up bits of information, however reliable from the rumor mill even before the Executives initiate the flow from the top. The Executives may nod their heads in agreement around the executive meeting table signaling they are aligned, yet when it comes to sending the same clear conviction and direction to all their direct reports, their own opinions, preferences and interpretations weave in along with whatever the official message is and the distortion process begins. Intentionally or unintentionally, this distortion continues down the hierarchy. Gaps, additions, shifting emphasis and fluctuating commitment continue until the message breaks up leaving Managers and Employees either confused by the variety of interpretations they receive or simply in the dark about what is going on. The result is a haphazard approach to engaging with the change and very typical success rates.

The second wrong approach to sharing change information is broadcast communication. Here, the Executives will in-source the responsibility for change communication to their internal Communication Department. With the best of intentions, these communication professionals will try to craft the message in clear and understandable ways and use the channels at their disposal to ensure everyone gets the same information at the same time. Emails, text messages, web sites, live web meetings, change newsletters etc. are all examples of how the information gets sent throughout the system.

Several problems inhibit this approach from being truly engaging. I’ve seen electronic messages go out in organizations where some regions don’t have access to the technology. These broadcast methods are a one-way flow of information that provides no effective means for questions and comments to surface. While the well intended Communication Department often add a line at the bottom of the message with the name, phone number or electronic connection of someone to contact for more information, people with questions rarely if ever make the effort. Some messages contain links to web sites with much more detailed information for people who want to know more. All of this simply requires people to work for information they didn’t want in the first place.

The one right way I have found that truly does work is called engaging communication. The simple key here is to align all levels of leaders by getting them together to talk. It is essential that all of the leaders get the same information at the same time and are able to get all of their questions and concerns answered. This requires face-to-face dialog.

Engaging communication provides the most important level of leaders with the change information they need, when they need it. The most important level of leadership when it comes to ensuring all the employees actually change is the Supervisor. Study after study (Rogen, 2001; Glover 2001) clearly proves Employees want to get their change information from their immediate Supervisor and they want to get it face-to-face. These first level leaders already have the relationships, trust and ongoing access to their Employees. All they need is the up to date change information. And the best way to get them that information is through engaging communication with all leadership levels.

Using this approach to communicating change involves all levels of leadership which is essential as each level takes direction from the level immediately above. Especially critical are three specific groups: Executives (who have the required power and authority), Change / Project Teams (who have the most current detailed change information) and Supervisors (who have the ongoing access to Employees). Sometimes it is important to get every leader in the organization together, which can be a daunting undertaking. One client does this once a year for 2 days and they have around 700 leaders. In other situations, the leadership groups can be based on geography, function or involvement with specific changes. Which ever way seems most appropriate for your situation, ensure all leadership levels are involved.

Presentations during these leadership dialog sessions are kept to a minimum with the maximum amount of time spent on questions, answers, concerns and issues all being thoroughly discussed. Simple one page updates outline the most current information available and include strategy, change and transition facts. The focus is on the desired outcomes. Expectations regarding what the Supervisors are required to do to engage their Employees are clearly spelled out. Having a skilled facilitator involved can help leaders keep these discussions productive. Using communication professionals to ensure the support materials are clear and easy to use is also helpful.

Organizations that invest the time and effort to use this form of engaging communication are always amazed at what happens when the leaders get a chance to get together and talk things through before the Supervisors take the messages to the Employees. Everyone’s awareness, understanding and commitment to the changes increase dramatically. More importantly, the changes get implemented on time, on budget and with the desired results much more consistently without frustrating people in the process. And that is good for the organization as a whole.

Give engaging communication a try. Stop relying on broadcast or cascade approaches and get the leaders together to talk. I know it will work.

I look forward to meeting you in our next Guiding Organizational Change Professional Qualification program. I can help you learn how to craft and implement an effective plan for change. To register or for more information, contact us toll free 1.888.944.1182.

Chris Edgelow
chris@sundance.ca
1.888.944.8383
Copyright 2008