Change Management & The Role of
Communications
IABC Southern Region Conference, Sep 30, 2008
. . .
Avneet Jolly, Insightory Inc.
www.insightory.com
Agenda (well, sort of . . .)
About me
How (much) I know about change
What I do (not) know
Change theory
What we agree on
What I have learned
What should communicators do?
Everything I know about change, I
learned from:
1. Business ventures
A BIG BANK (Yes – it is still standing)
(Yes – I checked this morning!)
Everything I know about change, I
learned from:
2. Clients
Everything I know about change, I
learned from:
3.Family
is the new
Everything I know about change, I
learned from:
4. Community leaders
How much I know about change
My age
Fortunately, I’m in good company
One cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it.
- - Peter Drucker
There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of [changing], and that's your own self.
- - Aldous Huxley
Why is it so difficult?
(vision, goals, leadership, skills, personalities, structure, resources, systems, processes, industry, legislation, . . .)
Translation: No one really knows that the %^&$ this is all about!!
Change =
Different views on change
A few things everyone agrees on
1. There is a beginning and an end
2. Place in the middle is very hard
3. It is always much harder & much slower than you think
4. Cannot be done without a burning platform
5. Two-way communication is critical
6. Leadership support is critical
7. A (good) part of change management is: just getting used to
it!
8. (Individual) transition is different from change
9. The initiative will probably fail anyway
Individual transition (aka Peak-Valley diagram)
Normal
Denial, Fear
Anger
Acceptance
Enthusiasm
Ending
Neutral inflexion
New Beginning
Most people are CONFUSED about what
they’re really supposed to do
IME*1. Each type of change requires a different
approach
RIF
Process or
System
Program Outsourcing
M&A
* In my experience (IME), which is difference from “in my opinion” (IMO), because O may or may not follow E; and is
very different from IMHO (mostly because there is nothing H about my O)
IME 2. The more benign the change, the more
work it seems to require!
Benign Malignant
Less work
More work
RIF
Outsourcing
M&A
Process or system
Program
IME 3. Sometimes we don’t go further than the
valley
END
Normal
Denial, Fear
Anger
IME 4. The most under-used technique
REPEAT
IME 5. To make people change, you have to use
all available methods ...
Most organizations use the rational approach
5 most recent clients
1 2 3 4 5
There is >50% chance your change will fail
Pass Fail X
Why does change fail – the classic reasons
1. Lack of vision
2. Changing priorities
3. Weak leadership
4. Failure to acknowledge wins
5. Not recognizing organizational culture
6. Resisting all “resistors”
7. Not supporting individual change/ transition
Why does change fail: IME 1. Bad Idea
Why does change fail: IME 2. B team
Why does change fail: IME 3. Gave up too soon
What do leaders expect from Communications?
Writing, Production
Project Management, Media Selection
Leadership, Make it happen
Everytime
Sometimes
Occasionally
Questions you must ask: How compelling is it?
How simple is it?
How often is it?
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat
In closing . . .
If you want to be really good . . . Become a better writer
If you want to make a difference & grow your career . . . Be a
project manager
If you really want to kick &%$# . . . think like a leader and
communicate!