The Relationship Between Change Management and Communications
  • Change management requires great change communications, but change management goes beyond communications. To clarify the differences, let's look at an example of a personal change to quit smoking. Communications can provide information and inspiration - both of which can promote change. In our quit smoking example of change, communications can provide information about the health consequences of smoking, tips on quitting, as well as inspirational stories of successful quitters. Communications are critical and might be all that some people need to stop smoking. However, most people need more to help them change behavior.

  • Change management actively engages those impacted by the change in defining the problem, the case for change, and solution development - as well as in tracking and celebrating progress.
  • Engaging those impacted. A critical principle of change management is that people are more likely to adopt change when they are part of the process of defining what that change looks like and what is in it for them. In our example, rather than being told by friends, family, and doctors to quit and how to quit, the smoker has a better chance of quitting when engaged in articulating why smoking is a problem personally for him/her and committing to the cessation strategies that s/he believe will work best
  • Designing the environment. Changing based on communications alone relies almost solely on willpower - and that's often not enough. Change management includes designing the environment - physical and social - to enable the change beyond mere willpower. Our smoker might remove ash trays from his or her home, or carpool to work so there are no extra stops at the convenience store to buy cigarettes.
  • Role modeling change. In organizations and in life, we tend to mimic those we see around us - our innate need to belong is part of our biology and will dictate our behavior. When smokers surround themselves with role models who have quit smoking, smokers change behavior to be more like those around them.
  • Measuring, tracking, and celebrating progress. Change adoption requires progress measurement. Smokers can start to cut back on the number of cigarettes they smoke or the number of hours per day they smoke. They can count and track their progress in a very tangible way and celebrate even the smallest of milestones to keep going. Change management often constructs "quick wins" early in the change cycle to gain momentum and demonstrate results as soon as possible.
Communication is an essential part of change management, particularly in large-scale organization change. As a change management consultant, I have enjoyed great partnerships with communications specialists whose expertise is invaluable in sharing information, inspiring success, and creating two-way communication vehicles to engage stakeholders in the change process. Marisa Sanchez
What is the meaning of Organization Development (OD)? Why do it? Who does it benefit and how? Organization development is a broad field that draws from a number of disciplines and can be applied to any organized (or disorganized!) group of people. Based in human behavior theories and values, the goal is to build and sustain effective organizations by leveraging the knowledge and experience within the organization. This newsletter serves as a vehicle to inspire you to use organization development in your own work.