Social media has found its way into the organization. Fear not, that can be a great thing. The list:
Blog, Yammer, an intranet website for the project/program/initiative/transformation, FAQ’s, a Forum specific to the change, even instant messaging counts.
1. Start Early
The days of staying top-secretive for change are over. Stakeholders are observant and wise. Mess with transparency at your peril.
Still with me?
Use social media to begin a conversation/dialogue early. I can guarantee you it will pull in a good percentage of the information you wanted to gather with your stakeholder assessment (or analysis or whatever you are calling that information that deals with their connection to the change).
People get wind of change and begin looking. Maybe they get a copy of the new software. Maybe they go out of your intranet and find out what others are saying about the type of change you are doing (or thinking of doing in keeping with the start early tip). They will do this for two reasons- one curiosity (that’s likely the good one) and two for “ammo” (not necessarily bad- hey they are participating). Let them bring back that information and add it to the perspective exchange.
For the change team, and the initiative as a whole, loaded up ahead of time social media establishes at least a first level of credibility.
2. Monitor in Both Directions
Input to build an informational foundation, to start an exchange and, yes, to message (just remember you are defining the “make sense” nature of the change- not selling). Input, input, input after your early start to guide perspective, keep things positive and to give good numbers to back up your work.
Now watch.
You will likely see an exchange in each of your different areas. On the Forum there will be a lot of perspective (and voiced confusion). Blog comments will illustrate stakeholders making connections between the knowledge you are giving them and their willingness to participate (in the change not the blog). Your FAQ’s will reduce the number of repetitious questions which gives you time to address the answers you gave. Keep an eye on this though. Don’t miss your chance to calmly clarify, clear up perspectives and be GENUINE.
Did I mention transparency?
3. Differentiate Formal from Informal
In the past change communication was through email (or maybe papyrus if you go back far enough). Formal, templated and usually boring. We still have this media and it can be used- for just that. Formal clear announcements. However boring your corporate templates may be (I would give anything to suddenly have all the headers and space hogging titles disappear) they show consistency. Change a color here and there and you can signal what the communication is for (to preempt or give permission for a delete button push).
Now we have informal. Yes. This has made change management so much easier. We can finally, really include the stakeholders in the thinking, the designing and implementation. The big benefit to informal is that touching one person probably touches many (working equally well on good and bad unfortunately).
4. Deliver Tasty Nuggets
We found on a recent initiative that keystrokes would likely be reduced by close to 50%. TASTY NUGGET.
Function 3 was able to adjust their process to get “some number” productivity. Tasty Nugget.
The “big resistor person” is now onboard. Tasty Nugget (although be careful you do not say the wrong thing and throw them back on their chariot).
Tasty nuggets are all of those things that come up in conversations amongst the change team, from leader to leader and around the water cooler (which virtually is instant messaging). There is a lot floating around your initiative that would be very helpful if more visible.
5. Create Voices
No not in your head from the crazy business of change.
Voices from the middle of it all. Voices of leadership. Voices of the individual. The Voice of the change team- and each of their voices. We somehow stripped people of their collocated work environments and now it is hard to share small pieces of each others worlds. What makes them tick? Why do they do what they do? How do they feel they are connected to this whole change thing? Ever hear any of those conversations on a conference call?
Social media is a tremendous gift for change management. It is a brand new medium that can also be used like a set of tools. To not embrace it fully for your initiatives, as a friend of mine would say is, “just crazy talk”. Take these five tips back to work with you. I will bring you more in the future.
