Change Management communication has four phases.
Idea communication
Awareness
Project Communications
Gauging success
idea communication-
This is the time that the original idea goes through the process of matching to corporate strategy and connecting to the experience, perspective and knowledge of stakeholders. Obviously not everything can be communicated. A sensible level of transparency during this stage will be rewarded in later phases with increased participation and productivity.
awareness-
The second phase of communicating for change management is the process of illustrating and delivering the end state description. It is the foundation for the project and task orientation. It is a translation of the idea into action and an illustration of what that looks like on the broadest scale. If done well the next phase begins, as it should, with participation, understanding and anticipation (and not the dreaded kind).
project communications-
I make it a point to educate both my high level clients and change participants that the project work is a piece separate but distinctly connected to the change piece. Change approached at the high level with a project focus has inevitable failures. Project work burdened with the lack of the first two phases also produces a level of failure. The instant a timeline becomes visible that has actual dates a different kind of process has begun than existed in the first two phases. The train has left the station and that has profound effects on people and work.
success gauge-
To have a repeatable change process, especially for transformation, a communication loop must be created to tie into the first stage of the next initiative. Also the effort, sweat (and maybe tears) of the current change deserves to be acknowledged. If Human capital development was included this is a phase for rewards. It is always a phase for rewards in general. Added celebration gives time for contemplation, confirmed acceptance of the change and a foundation for the next strategic venture.
These are not the typical phases. What usually happens is that the idea is thrown into our purple Project track with the expectation it will be converted to success and profit through the smiling faces and busy hands of the employees. Our purple phase then extends off the page with no resolution and the absence of the original change. There is however lots of change in general… just Not the kind you want as a leader.
