How can you promote a sense of purpose through change communication?

One thing that I feel has helped me in the past is to clearly identify all the stakeholders involved in the planning, execution and outcomes. It is often true that the core messaging can differ for each stakeholder. Their motivations and drivers can be unique and hence a differentiated pitch which is aligned in some way to the core message helps. Then this customised and more relatable core message can help influence the stakeholders positively.

I would add that it's important to also communicate how the change will benefit employees, what to expect through the process, and how individual employee efforts can contribute to the change. This has to be clear, consistent, and communicated regularly in a variety of channels.

This core message should include not only the future vision that could be achieved from the change, but also these important items: 1) Metrics to expect: Some people will love the vision, but others love numbers. Metrics provide a tangible aspect to the communication. 2) What is not changing: Ever try to take away a the favorite stuff animal from a child? Now, try taking that away while you are moving a child across country. Not everything is changing during a change. People appreciate holding onto what is known. If they know what is not changing, it provides comfort and relaxes fears. 3) Why now: Sometimes the change has been a long time coming. It is critical to explain why the change is needed now to clarify the urgency.

In the dynamic landscape of change management, fostering a sense of purpose is essential for achieving buy-in and commitment from stakeholders. Clarity of Vision: Learn how to articulate the purpose and vision behind the change clearly. Understand how to connect it to the organization's mission and values. Emphasize Impact: Explore techniques to demonstrate how each stakeholder's role contributes to the change's purpose and the organization's overarching goals. Storytelling: Discover the power of storytelling in conveying the change's purpose. Master the art of sharing stories that resonate with individuals on a personal level. Transparency: Gain insights into being transparent about challenges and uncertainties associated with change.

To craft your core message, start by understanding how the change advances the organisation's vision, contributes to its strategic goals, or aligns to key organisational values. Draw on the collective memory of pain points and aspirations of the organisation as a social group. Connect the change to the outcomes it aims to achieve. Contextualising the change communication in this manner will help build a shared sense of purpose.

Identifying the needs of the various audiences is key to a successful change initiative. This change communication should also be a two-way conversation, where employees are able to discuss their concerns openly and those leading the initiative can acknowledge anticipated challenges. Opening the communication door early in the process will make it more likely that employees will bring forward concerns as the process unfolds.

Adding to those points already mentioned, you need ambassadors of those respective departments where you aim to drive change further.

A change readiness assessment is mandatory to identify the audiences, how the change impacts them and when. Once the audiences have been identified, it is possible to create a tailored message that is communicated using suitable channels. When communicating a change initiative, organisations have to communicate that the change is happening and also the why. Whilst for the senior executives the why could seem 'self-explanatory', for the impacted end users, it could be seen as just another unnecessary nuisance. The message has to take into consideration the 'what's in it for me' of each audience. There is no such thing as the same message for everyone. This is where effective storytelling plays a vital role.

Don't fall into the trap of using a “watering can principle” to save time and communicate to everyone in the same way. It never works. Especcially executives require a different communication message as well as different channels and frequency of communication. For some most critical stakeholders you need to create individual communication strategy.

One aspect to be considered is integrity and consistency of the leaders, in terms of embracing and modeling the change, as they might play a pivotal role in the overall success of its implementation. Their commitment to the change is a powerful signal to the rest of the organization about its importance. They must walk the talk, demonstrating through their actions that the proposed change aligns with the organization's values and strategic direction. This display of leadership can significantly influence not only the adoption of the change but also its successful and meaningful implementation. It can set the tone for a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, and drive the organization forward into the future.

Personally, I would hesitate to use negatively-focused stories to drive change. While we don't need to portray false positivity, setting the stage with doom and gloom doesn't have the same ability to inspire others as a more positive outlook. We can say something very similar in different ways. For example: ??"Our competitor failed to do XYZ. Now they are losing money and had to layoff 50% of employees. That's why we need to do XYZ." vs. ??"Doing XYZ can lead to a more sustainable business and growth - we saw a similar business take this approach and now they are leading the marketplace. That can be us after we do XYZ."

I've found it most helpful to center impact stories on the end user of the product/service to unlock empathy and evoke the response of commitment to change, for the sake of a sympathetic character. Demonstrate the desired outcome in terms of meeting the needs of a single, sympathetic target customer character, with whom they may be able to personally relate. For example, to introduce a new cross-functional management system that requires public transit employees to collaborate transparently, I'd focus the story on a single mother in the community, whose commute would be made simpler/easier/more reliable during a critical time, if only the company's employees changed the way they work together.

Use testimonials and quotes, create short videos talking about experience with new change initiative. Make those messages very personal what the change mean for this particular person. Do not shy away from sharing challenges in your stories. Create a call to action to reach out to you if someone has an idea and make it a two-way communication.

We love to use videos - but not showcasing leadership but peers. We talk about real feelings and experiences with the change. Peer level communication makes it more relatable and relevant.

To increase the relevance of the topic for my audience, I have had very good experiences asking them to write their own chapter of this change story. If the situation in the market is (A) what does this mean for our company (B). To best deal with that situation, the plan is (C). If your functional area has to contribute (D), what do you think can be the specific contribution of your own department/team (E)? + Where do you think you can/want to contribute/want to be involved in beyond (E)?

Change is the only constant and a tough one indeed! Managing change requires exceptional skills in planning, communications and execution as changes may not be welcomed by all in equal enthusiasm. Thus, creating a sense of purpose is essential for enabling positive participation and seamless integration with the new systems. Personalizing communication for each stakeholder has its rewards as the purpose and impact of change will differ based on the role and responsibilities of employees.

Communication is a two-way endeavour. To be effective, it should be a communication rather than a telling plan! The way to effectively engage the end users depends on the company culture: it goes from good old feedback to gamification. One of the methods that I saw failing is giving people the possibility to provide feedback on how they feel about a change initiative and then ignoring - or even worse - silencing those who are not onboard. Be honest, and if you talk about psychological safety and freedom to speak, walk the talk. When people are impacted by change, they are mindful of what leaders say and do. If engaging individuals is just a tick-the-box exercise, it'll have a boomerang effect and it's likely for your initiative to fail.

Giving employees the opportunity to be directly involved in the change makes a big difference. One of the ways I like to do this is by asking employees to participate in pilot sessions or focus groups prior to finalizing learning for a change initiative. I'd work with managers to identify employees who would be able to give constructive feedback and that are at all levels in their career journey - top performers and those that are still learning. I then take this feedback to strengthen the program and acknowledge the contributions of those on the pilot team.

There has to be this reinforcement throughout a change initiative. Stakeholders need to hear about progress, new findings, wins, and what's coming next in the change process. This should be communicated in ways that will reach the audience, and may mean using different methods for different groups. Employees working on a manufacturing floor are going to get their information through different channels than those in a corporate office - make sure to develop the updates and communications accordingly so that no one is left out.

Don't wait for a huge milestone to celebrate success, create your own small creative milestones to celebrate. Include a kudos board into your regular meetings to acknowledge individuals and teams.

Keeping your team regularly informed will also show that this topic is important to you! When you regularly talk about the change specific activities, challenges and progress in your team, you focus attention and energy on the change process. And when your team members realize how important the issue is, they will be all the more engaged and drive the change. Energy flows where attention goes. (Milton Ericson)

In the context of organizational change, reinforcing and celebrating progress is crucial. For instance, during a transformation aimed at improving customer service, regular updates on how the changes have resulted in higher customer satisfaction scores can remind employees of the purpose. Recognizing and celebrating employees who have gone the extra mile to enhance customer experiences can boost morale and reinforce the importance of the change. Such positive reinforcement and celebrations maintain motivation, build confidence, and ultimately drive successful change implementation.

Reinforcement involves consistently reminding stakeholders of the "why" behind the change and its alignment with their personal and professional goals. It also includes providing regular updates, feedback, and recognition to keep them motivated and engaged. On the other hand, celebration plays a pivotal role by acknowledging milestones and achievements, which enhances morale, confidence, and satisfaction. However, excessive celebration can lead to complacency and detract from the change's overarching purpose. An effective approach entails a harmonious blend of both aspects to maintain a purpose-driven and successful change process.

In addition to qualitative insights, quantitative data can play a pivotal role in evaluation. This includes communication metrics to gauge the popularity of tools and activities among employees, identifying which feedback loops are most used. Pulse surveys, consisting of a few targeted questions, can consistently assess employee knowledge, acceptance, and adoption of the change, offering insights that can be compared across different employee groups and locations to pinpoint areas of concern. Analyzing trends in questions, information requests, and comments can reveal obstacles employees are encountering, prompting necessary adjustments and updates.

Jon Smart once said: "Impediments are not in the path, impediments are the path". You need to build resilience not to give up when you hit roadblocks and tackle challenges one at a time as they arise.

Transparency plays a central role by openly addressing obstacles, setbacks, and resistance during the transformation. Sharing the lessons gleaned from these challenges underscores the organization's ability to evolve and improve. Adaptation is crucial, highlighting the change plan's flexibility in the face of unforeseen obstacles, reinforcing the purpose's resilience. The concept of continuous improvement underscores that the change is a continual journey towards progress. However, it's vital to strike a balance in communication, ensuring that while challenges are acknowledged transparently, the primary focus remains on the positive aspects of the change, its overarching goals, and its benefits.

No procedural model works for all types of projects. As you go through the project, consider adapting and modifying as you go: - Vary the ADDIE activities to expedite production. - Identify changing customer requirements and react quickly and flexibly to errors in implementation. - Begin with the longest or most complex component first to validate the design, learning strategy, and ID process. - Seek and implement SME feedback early and often so there are fewer and less dramatic revisions later in the process after the product is developed. - Have the developer SME/instructor facilitate the first course, especially for training developed via Rapid Prototyping, and use that instructor’s feedback to make improvements to the training.

To ensure effective communication during and after a project launch, it's essential to gather feedback from various sources, including leaders, change agents, and your cross-functional advisory team. This feedback is a valuable compass for assessing what's working well and identifying areas that require improvement to meet employee needs. This process involves asking probing questions and delving into the emotional pulse of employees, understanding their feelings, challenges, and concerns. This feedback can be collected through ongoing conversations, input meetings, surveys, or stakeholder interviews.

Communication about change may go unheard by those who have goals against the change. It may even be that those opposed to the change begin to argue publicly. This attracts the attention of others. In most cases, it is the interest of the resisters to gain supporters. The only thing I have found helpful in these situations is to respectfully isolate the resister. I break up public debates and invite face-to-face exchanges instead to better understand that position. I'm accepting to work with the others to drive that change while respecting that the resister doesn't. In my view, this approach has been the most effective in having a constructive dialogue with the resistance without affecting the others.