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Change is inimical and often comes with its own challenges. Change is like a burger, the in-between can be messy while the cover is very appealing. Change takes place almost every day and in every sector. Refusal to pay attention to changes happening around today translates to signing up for future irrelevance. Change has the capacity to upset the status quo and makes the assured uncertain. It is the associated difficulties and unwillingness to pay the price that had led to catastrophic failure of many profitable institutions, family inclusive. Despite the challenges that accompany change, an effective and well crafted strategy in addition to a great communication road map will provide an efficient soft landing. Let us take the case of Nigeria's ruling party- Action Congress of Nigeria (APC) in many of its campaigns, over exaggerated promises of overnight success were pushed to the limit. While political campaigns are about promises, a major flaw associated with theirs was that proper research was not conducted to ascertain the extent of the damage and the rot created by its predecessors before making huge campaign promises. Coupled with this is the perceived absence of required capacity in the management team (Cabinet). The citizens in their hunger for change took the promise "hook, line and sinker "and gave the party their vote. The party got into power and discovered it might have under rated the challenges, overrated the opportunities. She began to fail on her promises. More than six years in office, the evidence of the promised changes are still far from reality. APC's trust and believability level is at the lowest ebb and citizens' anger is on the increase.
Another company faces challenges of increasing its revenue drive as the present market is going on extinction and finds saving hope in the introduction of a new product(s) thus necessitating the acquisition of a new technology. The management decided to lay off a huge percentage of the staff without any consultation with stakeholders. Zigzags Company limited has a bunch of unmotivated, resistant to change employees and many of its units are working in isolation instead of as a team. A bad situation that is traceable to "command and rule" approach to leadership. The company has great potential to succeed but the management keeps laying off her already unmotivated staff. This has resulted in loss of continuity and a declining corporate productivity.
While all the above change processes demand divergent strategies and communication road maps, it is essential to note that ineffective communication will make the change desired much more uncomfortable. When communicating through change, it is expedient to be aware that there may not be a "one-way-fits all'' road map. Benchmarking may not be a bad idea, but never copy a change manual in a different industry and context. The challenge of effective communication during the change process is apparent when management desires a quick adaptability so as to meet the expected goals. In this case what is needed is a sustainable change process which aligns culture, process, operations and other vital indices to deliver lasting value. Communicating effectively through a change process will require initial passionate and dispassionate research. Passionate because this will drive and sustain the energy required, dispassionate because ego must be jettisoned from the change process as it may hinder an objective examination of all the issues. Being dispassionate will also guard against heavy focus on exaggerated benefits associated with the change and over promising the values based on frivolities. In every envisaged value adding merger and great profitability lies possible tornadoes. Let us examine some of the vital points that enhance the change process through effective communication.
Many believe the essence of change is to improve or gain edge. It has been proven about 70% of change desired never fully saw the light of the day. This is often attributed to leadership's inability to articulate the vision and strategy of the envisaged change. Many management team members are often unclear about the results they want to achieve before they start out. When vision and strategy clarity is weak or absent , such envisaged change would often be dead on arrival irrespective of huge resources the management may commit to it. Infact,80% of all communication efforts may fail based on this. Effective communication rests heavily on clear facts and figures not ambiguity. Also, research had shown 62% of every situation where there is management's inability to accurately cast the vision and strategy, failure of the change and its communication process are inevitable.
Another important effective communication need during the change process is the need to craft a guiding document for executing the strategy. Research had shown 20% of the management team does not have a well spelt out guiding document. Where this exists, only the management has access to it. There is a need for correct perspective to corporate information management. Critical information is better shared than hoarded. For instance, if an organization is hoping to move into its own facility, an architectural design of the facility could be placed where staff converge regularly. However, if change must be achieved, every change management process and communication must involve external and internal stakeholders. This makes the demand for value/goal alignment easy. Unfortunately, in many instances, management often focuses on getting the external audience: investors and customers that bring in the money behind them. Once this is secured, management only communicates the final decision to the employees. To get the best, both internal and external audiences must be consulted through various communication pathways. Asking and putting all their concerns in the picture will ultimately lead to success. We should not forget no matter how lofty the goals and benefits are, their achievements are premised on people not machines or ghosts. The mindset of our people will support the change because of the benefits is an illusion. If there is anything a change management needs, it is highly engaged and spirited people willing to support and pay the required price for success .It is also essential for management's team to constantly facilitate discussion of options and scenario planning. This will supply a lot of insights and feedback which should be given necessary attention. Otherwise many may consider themselves alienated or not valuable to the change and may sabotage it. While waiting for the achievement of the big picture is great, a great dis-service the management would do to itself is waiting till the big picture is achieved. People want to know at intervals what the result of the sacrifices they are making looks like. This is the reason why communication of progress achieved and status update is critical. Beyond just communication, an important aspect of this communication is the need to be purposeful as well as ensure all the call to actions are simplified and understood. As progress is communicated, all the calls- to action which everyone needs to do to move to the next stage of the ladder must be emphasized. As already stated, there is no one - fits all strategy but as we engage the above, there is a guarantee our change achievement is around the corner.
#Yinka Olaito is a communications and media specialist with special interest in corporate and development Communications. Yinka shares his thought on communications, media and strategy at www.yinkaolaito.com.
