Part One: Foundations of Communicating Change- The critical communication challenges in each phase of change: Launch, Execution, Sustain
- Balancing the 3 elements of change communication: Information, Emotion & Action
- 5 most common mistakes leaders make when communicating change
- An easy to use checklist to review any message before sending (written or verbal)
Part Two: Perfect Phrases for Leading Change A. Best Practices for Communicating During Change
In this section we would outline Best Practices from research and experience for communicating change such as:
- Make it Simple
- Empathize
- Personalize Messages
- Tell the truth
- Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
- Link to Business
- Avoid Wishful Thinking
- Create 2 way communication
B. We will include the following Perfect Phrases sections and appropriate phrases lists to support each of the following areas:
- Announcing Change
- Responding to Questions
- Overcoming Fear
- Creating Urgency
- Addressing Loss of Power / Status
- Career Discussions
- Clarifying Roles & Responsibilities
- Handling Resistance
- Communicating Change Goals
- Coaching around Emotions
- Coaching around Skill
- Empowering Employees
- Keeping People Motivated
- Recognizing Success
- Addressing Performance Problems
- Rallying Teams
As change communication is always within the context of a specific business change, we could include subsections to provide specific phrases for typical types of change, including:
- New Structure (i.e. Reorganizations, Layoffs, Outsourcing, Merger, New Teams)
- New Project (i.e. ERP and other Software Rollouts, Process Improvement, Innovation)
- New Leader (i.e. Succession, Merger/Acquisition, New Team Members)
- New Strategy (i.e. New Markets, New Corporate Positioning, New Products/Services)
Part Three: Communicating Change VirtuallyWe are currently conducting research on what works when communicating change virtually. This section will include do's and don'ts for communicating in a virtual environment and appropriate use of communication technology in the context of change (face to face, phone, email, web casts, video conferencing, and state of the art social networking tools).