Have you lost the narrative?
Jeff Skipper, CCMP?
International Change & Strategy Expert | Solopreneur | Build tomorrow's strategy, build your business, and lead change like a pro! | Speaker | Author | Facilitator
This is one of my regular posts from the IMPACTED newsletter I ship weekly to all subscribers.
A single comment shared and repeated quickly becomes fact. In social media, opinion becomes truth at lightning speed. Brands and leaders struggle to combat misinformation.
If you run a search on “lost control of the narrative” it’s amazing how many hits you get. Check out these headlines:
This same effect happens within organizations. When people can’t get the answers they want from official channels, they go looking for answers anywhere they can get them. Half-baked, exaggerated stories from neighbours and cousins become critical sources of insight. Employees make up likely answers based on their limited perspective. Chat spreads the infection in no time.
What can you do?
1. Establish a communication cadence.
Sales teams meet regularly to check on progress across all of their opportunities. It helps the team stay coordinated and anticipate any emerging problems. Team members can work together to resolve issues.
The potential threat to individuals of difficult change plus the timeline of your project should drive the frequency of your communications. High intensity and short timelines drive more frequent communications. Refer to my previous article for additional guidance. Make it a regular occurrence.
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2. Build a better story
People learn through stories. They listen when narratives are interesting and engaging. Leaders often feel uncomfortable with story-telling because they think of kids’ story time. Instead, they should picture themselves relaxed at a bar or restaurant in a casual conversation with an employee who has asked, “Where are we going?”
Tell a story about a customer experience you envision in the future when the change is complete.
? What do they want?
? How are they feeling?
? How will employees help in new ways?
? How does that change each person’s life?
? How do they feel after delivering this new experience?
Every one of us tells stories regularly. We have the skills. We need to apply them to a new context.
If your project is not communicating regularly, you are at risk of losing control of the narrative. Create your own and tell it often.
Thoughtfully yours,
Jeff Skipper
Assist in eliminating resistance during IT changes - inspire employees to charge forward to a better future with new technology & bringing order to the chaos of change! Prosci Certified | Certified Assistant in PM
2 个月Spot on! People's imagination can sometimes take over and then they only hear what they want. Clear and consistent communication is what is needed for successful change!
Organizational Change Management + ERP Implementations ?? HR Consulting ?? Leadership Development ?? PROSCI Certified
3 个月This is 10000% true Jeff Skipper, CCMP?! People make up their own ideas, thoughts, and opinions about changes (or anything). This is what I call the 'Telephone Game', where kids gather in a circle and whisper something in the other kid's ear. It could start with 'I love chocolate cake' and ends with 'My Mom burnt pizza'. We should always start with the 'so easy that a 1st grader would understand it'. We are all storytellers! ??
Org Development / Change Mgt / Learning & Talent Dev / Tech Adoption/ Program Mgt / I help people adopt & excel in new ways of working so their organizations evolve and achieve their objectives.
3 个月Thank you Jeff Skipper, CCMP? - this topic is extremely relevant, as you point out. Your two suggested actions are practical & proven ways for us to address it in the context of transformational change, where the 'narrative' often is never fully developed, or fizzles out before it can reach its audience. ??
Managing Director, Organizational Change Solutions at Levvel Inc.
3 个月Love this, Jeff! Don't over-engineer, tell a story like a human. Perfect.