11. Stakeholder Communication
What is it?
The quality of communications is critical to the success of a change initiative. If it is done poorly it can mean that the need for change is never fully recognised, done well it can drive a major shift in organisational capability.
Stakeholder communication involves engaging and communicating with stakeholders in a way that drives commitment. Engagement is focused on two-way involvement in the change and helps win ‘hearts and minds’ through interventions that truly engage them.
This process enables the change initiative to create and maintain a change-specific communication strategy and plan that fosters understanding, facilitates acceptance and ownership of the change, positively sustains morale, increases the accuracy of the communicated material, supports the implementation of the change and reinforces the organisation’s vision.
Why do it?
This process will:
- Define a stakeholder communication strategy and plan tailored to each stakeholder group
- Ensure the change sponsor has an active and visible communication role
- Offer staff an opportunity to engage with the change and provide feedback where appropriate
- Ensure everyone understands the vision, future state and the way of getting there
- Ensure impacted people understand what they need to do differently and why
- Provide ongoing evaluation to ensure the communication remains effective
When to do it?
Communication and engagement needs to be focused in the Develop and Deliver phase, although early communication of the vision, roadmap and change impacts will need to be communicated during the Diagnose and Design phase. Celebration of success and confirmation of benefits realisation will happen in the Sustain phase
Inputs
Stakeholder Analysis
Future State Definition
Outputs
How to do it?
Effective communications are critical during a change initiative and it is important to consider the audience, the timing and the purpose of each of your communications. Ultimately, all the communications are to move people along the Change Commitment Curve.
You will need to think about different means of communicating for each step along the curve. You also need to think about the emotional and well as the rational aspects of your messages. Information helps raise awareness of the change but motivation is needed to build desire to participate.
Tool: The ’elephant and rider’ analogy is useful to understand the importance of both rational and emotional messaging (web link to YouTube video clip)
The key elements to consider in your communication plan are:
- Audience
- Message
- Messenger
- Channel
The Stakeholder Analysis will help you identify the key audiences.
The table below shows how the messages need to change with each phase of the change initiative
The Change Network (including Sponsor and other members of the change governance) should be involved as messengers. The Sponsor is important in setting out the vision and the drivers for change; Managers (change leaders) should provide the more detailed ‘what’s in it for me’ information for their teams.
The channels are the delivery systems for the communication messages. Face-to-face sessions are very important in change activities and these can be followed-up with written material. Remember to be clear to your audience whether they are there to be Informed or Consulted (RACI Matrix)
The messages will vary according to the phase of the change initiative:
| PHASE | MESSAGE |
|---|---|
| Diagnose | Initiative description and scope |
| Design | Headline change impacts |
| Develop | Describe any organisational development impact – changes to structures, jobs etc and any relevant HR processes and timelines |
| Deliver | Detailed descriptions of new solution |
| Sustain | Celebrate success |
Refer to Communication pages for guidance and templates.
The delivery of stakeholder communications is the plan in action and will centre around communication events. Consistent, honest and clear messages are absolutely critical in change communications.
Tip:
- Always begin with the big picture
- Don’t use jargon
- Avoid information overload
- Send consistent messages
- Use the most appropriate messenger and channel
- Speak to the head and the heart (logic and emotion)
- End each event by checking for understanding
You can check how well your communications are landing by running a stakeholder communication survey. You can also use the ADKAR worksheet to check for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement.
Tool: The Stakeholder Communication Survey provides a way of checking how your communications are landing.
Tool: The Prosci ADKAR worksheet is a way of tracking how people are moving up the Change Commitment Curve.
Tool: The Stakeholder Communication Survey provides a way of checking how your communications are landing.
Tool: The Prosci ADKAR worksheet is a way of tracking how people are moving up the Change Commitment Curve.