Best Practices For Communicating Effectively In Times Of Change

Organizations must find ways to adapt quickly

In the early 2000s, when change management became a staple of the business lexicon, most organizations adopted this new concept as a specific function. They hired change management experts, project managers and created other roles specifically dedicated to implementing and orchestrating organizational changes, virtually all of which had a specific scope—a defined start and finish with benchmarks and measured progress along the way.

But the last 18 months have been a crash course in what the future holds: a constant, rapid state of change…a perpetual iteration with no defined start or finish. Hybrid work and work flexibility is just one issue—organizational diversity, globalization, the growing role of the gig economy, shifting to meet ever-changing consumer demands and expectations will all force businesses to adapt to being adaptable.

Post-pandemic, we’ll no longer be able to say, “that’ll take three years to implement,” because we’ve proven what’s possible. Remember those digitization plans that were in the works for over a year? Done in a month. Those new HR policies about remote work? Done overnight.

The pace of change demands companies to approach change management as an integral business function that’s baked into the fabric of the organization, not a separate entity. While change is not the same for everyone; the key to organizational success is the ability to embrace agility. Individuals each approach and react to change differently, and how they deal with change varies based on their work environments, demographics, lifestyles, personalities, and many other factors.

Regardless of their background or circumstances, however, Gartner has found that, across all levels, regions and geographies, there are two distinct and common factors that enable employees to better absorb change: trust and team cohesion.

And what’s the one thing that’s essential to building trust and cohesion? Communication.

Effective organization communication is the foundation of organizational agility, adaptability, and success because it allows employees to understand what’s expected, what’s happening and how they can play a critical role in overcoming challenges and achieving business goals.

Yet, according to Gallup, only 13% of U.S. employees believe their leaders communicate effectively, and that’s a huge problem for organizations as our workplaces become more diverse and distributed. When employees feel excluded—whether it’s because of information being withheld, misrepresented, or miscommunicated, or because they don’t fit in or are physically distanced—they’re quick to disengage. Soon, their performance, and that of the organization, suffers.

To prevent that downward spiral, organizations must implement modern, effective communications that support and enable trust and team cohesion in a diverse, distributed, and fast-paced environment. Here’s how:

1. Communication must be constant and dynamic. As the world becomes more dynamic, so must our messages, tactics, and channels. The days of issuing a static, one-way decree from the C-suite are over; employees today need reinforcement, the ability to provide feedback or ask questions and the respect that their concerns or questions are being heard. They want regular updates, even if it means you don’t know anything more at the time. Simply keeping the dialogue open and flowing is essential in times of rapid change.

2. Communication must be cross-functional. If your managers are hearing about changes in the same manner and at the same time as your employees, you’re doing it wrong. Today’s communication environment requires a comprehensive, orchestrated team effort and managers play a vital role. They must be armed in advance with the information they need to answer front-line questions, keep the message consistent and head off any rumors or misinformation before it becomes problematic.

3. Communication must be customized. With so many variables in how, where and when employees work and live, not to mention cultural and individual factors that influence their perceptions and reactions, a one-size-fits-all communication strategy is a recipe for disaster. Instead, organizations must customize messages and the communication channels they use to meet individuals where they are. Consider that remote workers don’t have the benefit of in-person conversations to discuss things with co-workers, or that distributed workers might be receiving messages at different times, in different circumstances. And certainly, key messages might be different for employees at different levels of the organization. Being sensitive to and catering to those differences will drive better results in the form of the desired behavior change you seek to implement.

4. Communication must be transparent. Employees can spot it when you’re lying or withholding information, and that breeds contention and opposition to change—the opposite of what you need right now. As much as possible, be transparent, open, and honest with employees. In other words, treat them like the adults that they are. Even if it’s bad news, they’ll appreciate your candor much more than if you try to hide or operate in secrecy. And with today’s digital media, the truth will come out eventually, which will only make it worse.

5. Communication must be measured appropriately. Too many organizations measure communication in a binary way…did it get through? Yes, or no? But beyond whether the message was received, it’s important to understand how it was received and what was the result. Did it drive the desired behavior? Or did it fall on deaf ears? Just because employees got the message, doesn’t mean they acted on it. Ask employees for their feedback on communications. Do they understand? Does the content, delivery, or style work for them? If not, make changes that will optimize reception and drive action not just delivery.

As the pace of change continues to accelerate, organizations must find ways to adapt quickly or else get left behind. There’s simply no time for change management to be a bolt-on solution—it must be woven throughout the entire organization.

With successful change driven by trust and cohesiveness, modern, dynamic communication strategies are becoming essential to adapting to this constant state of change. Now is the time for organizations to invest in solutions that allow them to deliver the customizable, transparent, optimized communications they need to thrive.