EL

Course Name: Managing Change in Organizations

Faculty Name: KBL Srivastava

PT
Department: Humanities and Social Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

N Topic: Communicating Change

Role of Communication
Communication plays a vital role in the change process

• it is an essential prerequisite for recognizing the need for change

EL
• it enables change managers to create a shared sense of
direction, establish priorities, reduce disorder and uncertainty

PT
• It facilitates learning

N
Role of Communication in Change
• Explain why change is happening:
• Ensure people understand the rationale for change
• Talk about the benefits / consequences

EL
• Emphasise what’s not changing

• Show people where they are going:

Map out the process of change

PT
•
• Identify and recognise key milestones; celebrate success

• Show people how they will get there:

•
• Give practical examples
• Be directional
N
Break it down into clear, simple steps
Communication Process
• The way change is communicated is important to the success
of the change program
• The communication process, or mix, includes elements such
as content, voice, tone, message, audience, medium,

EL
frequency and consistency.
• There are many problems can disturb the process of
communication:

PT
– message overload
– message distortion and
– message ambiguity
N
Problems of Communication

– message overload- occurs when information acquisition is

overbalanced compared to an individual’s response
capabilities

EL
– message distortion- occurs when meanings are
misinterpreted through intentional or unintentional problems

PT
relating to the sending or receiving of the message and
– message ambiguity- occurs when an organization has a vision
but is not prescriptively clear on how to

N
 The What, Who, and How of communication

What: Managers can communicate about anything but they cannot communicate
about everything - so, implicitly or explicitly, they make choices about communication
content.

EL
Who: They also take decisions or unconsciously act in ways that impact on the shape
of communication networks.

PT
For example, they may communicate with some organisational members but not with
others and they may authorise or encourage certain others to communicate with
each other.

N
How: They may also influence, if only by example, preferred channels for passing on
particular kinds of information
Planning Communication for Change
• Establish a clear vision and objectives
• Divide the project into phases

EL
• Confirm key milestones for each phase
• Identify your target audiences

PT
• Select your channels
• Select your spokesperson/people
• N
Determine resources and timetable
Audience Segmentation
Looking at the target audience

EL
Directly affected Stakeholders

PT
Close interest
N Wider community
 Vision in Communicating to Audience
Directly affected Close interest Wider community

Why is this happening? Why is this happening? Why is this

Will anything really change? What impact will it have on happening?

EL
When will it happen? my work? Will it affect my
How will I benefit? work?
What does it mean for me?
Where can I find out more? Will anything really
Is my job secure?

PT
change?
Where can I find out more?
How much will it cost
the University?

N
 Planning Communication in Change
Directly affected Close interest Wider community
How will it be different? What changes will What is changing and
How will my role differ? happen? why?

EL
Will my team change? When will they happen? What are the
How can I contribute benefits?
Will my manager change?
ideas? How much is this
Will my work location

PT
How can I raise issues? costing the
change?
University?
Is my job secure?
How can I raise issues /
concerns?
How can I get involved?
N
Implementation of Communcation Plan
Directly affected Close interest Wider community
What will happen over the What changes are What is changing &
next few months? happening and when? why?

EL
How will we know if we’re How will they affect me? What are the
on the right track? Will the service I use be benefits?
When will the changes disrupted? Will it affect my

PT
affecting me take place? How can I issues? work?
How can I raise concerns? How much is this
costing the

N University?
Implementation of Communcation Plan

High Plan
now, Engage
engage

EL
now
later

Influence

PT
Inform Inform
later now

NUrgency
High
Communication channels
Paper Website Face-to-face
Best for: digesting Best for: retrieving Best for: difficult
complex information factual information messages; changing

EL
people’s behaviour or
When to use: to support When to use: when
attitude
face-to-face people need to find
small pieces of When to use: primary

PT
communication, esp
when there are complex information quickly channel for change
messages communication
Avoid: Relying on the
Avoid: Relying on paper
as a primary channel N
web as a primary
channel; sensitive
information; changing
behaviour
Avoid: communicating
very complex or detailed
information
Primary channel
• Face-to-face allows you to:
• Articulate the end vision
• Use the appropriate tone

EL
• Gauge reactions
• Check understanding

PT
• Correct misconceptions
• Provide reassurance

N
Secondary channels
• Website: quick retrieval of information and check facts
• Q&As: tailored information by subject/group

EL
• Email: for short broadcast announcements and updates; not
for major announcements about restructuring
E-bulletin: regular updates; reminder of key milestones

PT
•

• Staff newsletter: recognise success; reminder of what has not

changed
•
ideas
N
Email inbox: allows people to submit questions, concerns and
N
PT
EL
 EL
Course Name: Managing Change in Organizations
Faculty Name: KBL Srivastava

PT
Department: Humanities and Social Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

N Topic: Strategies for Communicating Change

Define the Communication Needs During Change

EL
PT
N
Communication Needs During Change
• Need to talk and be heard
Deny
• Need to see the big picture and understand the benefits
• Need to be involved

EL
Resist
• Need to feel in control
• Need more detailed information
Accept • Need reassurance and affirmation

PT
• Need more active involvement
Explor • Need to be able to work with others
e

Comm
it
N
• Need acknowledgement
• Need recognition and reward
Language, Power, Gender & Communication
• Language, power, gender and emotion can also impact
the communication of change.
• Language reflects and reinforces underlying social and
power relationships.

EL
• Gender differences, for example, also affect this
process. Three examples of the difference are:

PT
– Getting credit
– Confidence and boasting
– Asking questions

N
• Other gender differences relate to how feedback is
given and received, how compliments are exchanged,
and whether the communication is direct or indirect.
Emotion & Communication
• Emotion is linked to change, and can also contribute
to the breakdown of the communication process.
• Individuals can perceive that organizational change
can harm them personally, thus their emotional

EL
state and sense of identity are threatened by change
situations.

PT
• Managers can use three techniques to avoid these
situations:
– Perspective taking

N
– Threat-reducing behaviour
– Reflection
Communication Strategies
• Can you communicate too much:
– depending on the change and the image of the change
manager the level and extent of communication can vary.
• Getting word out or buy in:
– this differentiates between focusing the communication

EL
process on the provision of information or gaining
participation in the process.
• Beyond Spray and Pray:

PT
– This communication continuum includes five approaches
• Spray and pray
• Tell and sell

• Identify and reply

• Withhold and uphold
N
• Underscore and explore
Communication Strategies
High
Communication effectiveness

Underscore & Explore

EL
Tell & Sell Identify & Reply

PT
Spray & Pray Withhold & Uphold

Low Great N
Amount of information transferred Little
Auditing communications
communication audits should focus on questions such as:

➢ Who is communicating with whom?

➢ What issues are they talking about?

EL
➢ Which issues receive most attention and arouse most anxiety?
➢ Do people receive all the information they require?

PT
➢ Do people understand and use the information they receive?
➢ Do people trust and have confidence in the information they receive?
➢ From what sources do people prefer to get their information?

N
➢ Which channels are most effective?
The importance of upward communication
Often change managers pay more
attention to communicating their
message to others than listening to what

EL
others have to tell them

PT
N
Organisational silence
The widespread withholding of information can

➢deprive decision makers of the opportunity to consider

EL
alternative perspectives

➢inhibit organizational learning because it affects the

PT
ability of managers to detect and correct the causes of
poor performance

N
Dynamics giving rise to organizational silence
Top Organizational
management and
team environmental
characteristics characteristics

Collective

EL
Organizational
structures and policies Sense-making via
Implicit managerial beliefs interaction and
•Centralization of communication
•Employees are self-interested decision making

PT
•Management knows best •Lack of formal upward
•Unity is good & dissent is bad feedback mechanisms Climate of Organizational
silence silence
Managerial practices
Managers’ fear of negative
feedback
N
•Tendency to reject or
respond negatively to
dissent or negative feedback
•Lack of informal solicitation
of negative feedback
Degree of
demographic
dissimilarity
between employee
and top managers
Interpersonal effects on the quality of communication

Factors such as trust and a willingness to listen can have an

effect on the quality of information that is exchanged

EL
PT
N
The interaction between change agents and organizational
members 1. Situation - We want
including behaviour of to help
What would
change managers you ...
happen if we
... ? What is

EL
6. Change managers’ their real
2. Others’ interpretation
rehearsal of what agenda?
of situation
to do next

PT
3. Their rehearsal of What will they
5. Change managers’
possible response do if we tell
interpretation of
to change managers them
others’ response
everything?

Are they
withholding
something?
N 4. Situation including
response of organizational
members
We will only tell them
what we want them to
know
 Communication Strategies
• Contingency approaches to communicating strategy vary
depending:
– on the type of change e.g.
• Developmental or incremental

EL
• Task-focused
• Charismatic

PT
• Turnaround (Stace & Dunphy, 2001)
– on the stage of change e.g.
• Planning
• Enabling
• Launching
N
• Catalyzing
Communication Media: Richness

• Varies in “richness” depending on how personal is its

ability to communicate change

EL
• There is a hierarchy of media richness than can be
more applicable for particular situations.
– For example, an email or memo is less personal (and less

PT
“rich”) than a face to face meeting
• Different types of media may also be more

N
appropriate for different audiences with differing
needs
Communication Media: Responsibility
• CEO: Many believe that the CEO should be the principle
communicator of change.
• Others find lower level managers more trusted by staff and

EL
therefore in a better position to communicate change.

• Tag Teams: Many organizations now use tag teams – a

PT
transition management team.
• The role of this team is specifically to stimulate open

N
conversations through organizational units and dispersing
information
Monitoring progress
• Did the briefings happen, how many people attended?
• What are people saying?

EL
• What does the rumour mill say?
• Who are people listening to?

PT
• Is there a change in behaviour?
• Do people need more support?

N
 Summary: Strategies for successful communication
• Clarify roles and responsibilities in advance, particularly the
decision-making and sign-off process
• Reduce uncertainty and instil a sense of control
• Be consistent – maintain tight control over key messages

EL
• Separate facts from reassurance
• Provide as much information and support as you can throughout

PT
the change process
• Ensure the structure, tone and content of communications
acknowledges people’s emotional and intellectual needs
•
•
•
N
Listen – provide a range of feedback channels
Use FAQs and keep them current
Get people involved – make them feel they have a say
N
PT
EL
 EL
Course Name: Managing Change in Organizations
Faculty Name: KBL Srivastava

PT
Department: Humanities and Social Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

N Topic: Skills for Communicating Change

Communication Skills

• These skills are aimed at involving people and

encouraging commitment to the change process
• It may not be possible to overcome some change

EL
issues through communication – at times the
differences between intended outcomes and internal

PT
and external pressures can be too deeply embedded
• Dialogue leads to transforming behaviours,

N
experiences, attitudes
Communication and Cycle of Change

EL
PT
N
Transition and typical Reactions

EL
PT
N
Transition and typical Reactions

EL
PT
N
Communication: Do’s and Don'ts's

EL
PT
N
Key Communication Skills
Four key skills for communicating include

– Listening: There are four types of listening skills –

suspending judgement, identifying assumptions, listening for

EL
learning, and reflecting.
– Telling stories: This is an effective way of helping employees
learn from past changes & painting pictures of the future.

PT
– Selling change upward: Issue selling is a way of gaining
senior management attention to changes initiated from
below.
– Toxic handling: Some people in organizations take on a role

N
of handling the ill-effects of change processes and absorbing
these as a way of shielding others from their negative impact
Key Communication Skills- Listening
• Four types of listening skills
– suspending judgement - identifying assumptions
– listening for learning - reflecting

EL
• Five type of listening
– Discriminative - Comprehensive
– Therapeutic - Critical

PT
– Appreciative
• Good listening is understanding different points of view

N
• Perceived lack of listening may endanger relationships
• Good listeners can recognize and use when and how
to use these skills/types
Key Communication Skills - Telling stories
• This is an effective way of helping employees learn
from past changes & painting pictures of the future.
• Content of stories

EL
– Protagonist
– Catalyst prompting action

PT
– Trails and tribulations
– Turning point
– Resolution N
Key Communication Skills - Selling Change Upward
• Issue selling is a way of gaining senior management
attention to changes initiated from below.
• Key tactics in presenting

EL
– Link to logic of business plan - Raising idea continuously
– Packaging the idea incrementally – identifying who/formality

PT
• Key tactics in bundling: Link you plan to…
– Profitability - Market Share
– Org. Image - Key Stakeholder Concerns

N
• Why don’t people speak out more?
– Myths, Assumptions, Beliefs that they can’t
Key Communication Skills - Toxic handling
• Handling the ill-effects of change and shielding the
negative impact
• Toxic handlers

EL
– Listen Empathetically
– Suggest Solutions

PT
– Work behind the scenes, easing pain
– Carry confidence of others
–
N
Reframing difficult messages
 Change Conversations
• Different conversations used at each stage of change

EL
PT
N
• Other Issues: defining stages, skills required at each stage
• Power: enforcing vs interpreting understandings?
Coherent Language
• Coherent language is important to avoid message ambiguity in
the change message.
• The desired change and the language used must be in sync

EL
with and reflective of each other.
• Four dominant language forms used in change conversations:
–

PT
Ideals: expressing preferences
– Appeals: seeking support
– Rules: seeking to direct the behavior of individuals
– Deals: serving as a form of bargaining and exchange
N
Imagery & Common Language
The use of metaphors influences the images of change. These
change images include:
Machine: based on the “fix and maintain” view

EL
Developmental: based on the “build and develop” view
Transitional: based on the “move and relocate” view
Transformational: based on the “liberate and re-create” view

PT
The use of words and sentences that are misinterpreted or have

N
evolved from their original meaning can be detrimental to the
change process. It is important that a common change language is
established
 Communication with the outside
• Communicating to external stakeholders is as
important as communicating internally.
• Research has focused on:

EL
– Impression management: four key defensive
practices used to protect organizations from negative
reactions have been identified:

PT
• excuses,
• justifications,
• disclaimers and
• concealment. N
Communication with the outside
• Research in this area has focused on:
– Sensegiving strategies: these are:
• acquiescence sensegiving - strategic changes are presented as being
aligned with current understandings and standards, and

EL
• balancing sensegiving - frames a change as deviating from current
standards.
– Crisis management: this refers to managing threats to organizational

PT
survival.
– Corporate reputation: this is an important asset that is positively
correlated: Apology
– Corrective Action

– Denial
– Shifting Blame
N
– Bolstering (Image Maintenance)
N
PT
EL
 EL
Course Name: Managing Change in Organizations
Faculty Name: KBL Srivastava

PT
Department: Humanities and Social Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

N Topic: Sustaining Change

Your Improvements— Are The change Sustainable?
Sustaining change is as hard as making it

EL
SUSTAINABLE?

PT
N
Sustaining Change
Often change decays and hard won gains evaporate.
Sustaining change involves refreezing behaviour at a new
level for as long as it is beneficial to do so

EL
• Once implemented, change is not always embedded in an
organization

PT
• The ability to make the change “stick” indicates the long-
term success of the change

N
• There are a number of actions that can help sustain
change
Not all change should be sustained

It may not be beneficial to sustain change when:

EL
• changes in the wider environment render recently
implemented working practices and outcomes obsolete

PT
• maintaining recently implemented practices impede
further and more significant developments
N
 Two aspects of sustainability

• “Stickability” – the extent to which gains achieved in a

particular part of the organization are held and built

EL
upon.
• “Spreadability” – the extent to which the new methods

PT
and processes which led to these gains are applied
elsewhere.

N
Holding on to gains at cell level (Stickability)
Bateman and David (2002: 520) report five levels of sustainability at cell level, ranging from
realizing but failing to hold on to gains (class E) to maintaining the new way of working and
applying the tools and techniques learnt to new problems as they arise (Class A)
% improvement

EL
100

Class A
80

PT
Class B
60
Class C

40

20

0 5 30 60 90
N 120 150 180 210
Class D
Class E
240
DAYS
Spreading change across the Firm (spread)

Firm level 1 –
Cell level improvement only

EL
Firm level 2 – Standardise
improvements & transfer
Cell level improvements
knowledge to similar cells

PT
Firm level 3 – Apply
knowledge to DIFFERENT cells
Cell level improvements

Firm level 4 – learn and apply

N
new knowledge in new areas

Firm level 5– identify and improve the

whole value stream
Cell level improvements
Factors which undermine sustainability
• Stickability: Reflect on your experience of change and
identify some of the occasions when new ways of working
were not maintained.
• List the factors that you think contributed to change

EL
decay.

PT
• Spread: Reflect on you experience of successful
changes that were not spread to other locations.
• List the factors that you think undermined spread and
fostered containment.
N
Sustainability can be undermined when
• Those who initiate the change move on
• Accountability for developments becomes diffused

EL
• Knowledge and experience of new practices is lost
through turnover

PT
• Recruits from less dynamic organizations import old
habits
• The issues and pressures that triggered the change
N
are no longer visible
Sustainability can be undermined when
• New managers want to drive their own agenda
• Powerful stakeholders are blocking progress
•

EL
Pump-priming funds run out
• New priorities divert resources and attention

PT
• Enthusiasm for change falters because of change
fatigue

N
Acting early to promote sustainability
Pushing hard for change may only gain compliance

Driving forces

EL
PUSH
For change

PT
Former New

N
situation situation

COMPLIANCE

Reducing restraining forces can promote ownership and win

commitment
Promoting sustainability later in the change process

• Avoid declaring victory too soon – remain focused

• Provide feedback that draws peoples’ attention to how new

EL
ways of doing things are making a difference

• Sell benefits and clarify what’s in it for all stakeholders

PT
• Beware the ‘bicycle effect’ where lack of forward momentum
leads to a crash – avoid faltering enthusiasm by relaunching
N
with new focus, themes and goals.
Spreading change

Implementation of innovations in new areas is affected by

at least three factors:

EL
1. attributes of the innovation,
2. attributes of the organisation,

PT
3. values of the potential users of the innovation

N
Attributes of the innovation
• Advantageous when compared with existing practices.

• Compatible with existing practices.

EL
• Easy to understand.

PT
• Observable in demonstration sites.

• Testable
N
• Adaptable to fit local needs
(Reinventing the wheel versus ‘exact copying)
Attributes of the organisation
The organisation’s climate for implementation

A ‘strong implementation climate’ can foster the spread of

EL
innovation by
• ensuing employees have the skills to use the innovation
• incentivising them for innovation use and imposing

PT
sanctions for innovation avoidance
• removing obstacles that hamper the adoption of new
working practices
N
The values of potential users (innovation-values fit )

Potential users’ perceptions of whether the

innovation will foster or inhibit the fulfilment of their

EL
values will affect their motivation to adopt the
change

PT
N
Combined effect of implementation climate and
innovation-values fit
Innovation-Values Fit

EL
Poor Neutral Good

Strong 1. 2 3
Implementation Employee opposition Employee indifference Employee enthusiasm
and resistance

PT
Climate
Compliant innovation Adequate innovation use Committed, consistent
use, at best and creative innovation
use

Weak
Implementation
Climate
4
Employee relief

Essentially no
innovation use
N
5
Employee disregard

Essentially no innovation
use
6
Employee frustration and
disappointment
Sporadic and inadequate
innovation use
Actions for Sustaining Change
• Redesigning roles: This is a common outcome of change and
is a sign that the change is of considerable importance.
• Redesign reward systems: reward systems form part of the
culture and changing this is a way to directly influence the

EL
core values of the organisation.
• Link selection decisions to change objectives: Selection
criteria are symbols of whether new ideas and change are

PT
being encouraged.
• Act consistently with advocated actions: This indicates the

N
permanency of change through adopted practices and
priorities.
Actions for Sustaining Change

• Encourage “voluntary acts of initiative”: New practices that

support the change should be encouraged as the norm at all
levels of the organization.

EL
• Measure progress: Measures are used as a means to quantify
the progress of change and to provide achievable goals.

PT
• Celebrate “en route”: It is encouraging for all involved in the
change if short term wins are acknowledged and celebrated.
This enhances the credibility of the program.

N
• Fine-tune: The change program should be open to
remodifications which will improve the change outcomes.
Change Managers Beware

• Expect some unanticipated outcomes

• Be alert to measurement limitations

EL
• Don’t “declare victory” too soon
• Beware escalation of commitment

PT
• Recognize “productive failure

N
N
PT
EL
 EL
Course Name: Managing Change in Organizations
Faculty Name: KBL Srivastava

PT
Department: Humanities and Social Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

N Topic: Evaluating Change

Objectives of Evaluation

Examine the arguments for evaluating organizational change

EL
Consider the limitations of evaluation

Consider different methods for evaluation

PT
Consider difficulties of evaluation in practice

N
Consider costs and benefits in practice
Reasons for evaluating organizational change
◼ Sound professional practice

◼ Basis for organizational learning

EL
◼ Central to the development of evidence based practice

PT
◼ To influence organizational policy

N
Practices adapted by highly effective organizations
Change Enablers focus on certain practices for managing organizational
change

EL
PT
N
Effectiveness of Communication in Change management

EL
PT
N
Enabling sustaining
Change

EL
PT
N
Measuring Change effectiveness
▪ Do you need the change quickly? Do you have time to effect the
Change?
Emotional Response

Inflated

EL
Expectatio
ns
Productivity

PT
Disillusionment Enlightenment

Technology
Trigger
N
Adoption Time Required
Aligning Change Initiatives with an Accurate Diagnoses
of the Need for Change

EL
PT
N
Change deployment strategy based on balanced score card

EL
PT
N
 Identifying the criteria of success
Meeting the goals and objectives of the change initiatives
Changes in the following areas

People management systems

EL
Organizational structure

PT
Technology

System and Process

Strategic change
N
Evaluating Change effectiveness

EL
PT
N
Measuring the success of change

EL
PT
N
Evaluation in Phases: Road Map

EL
PT
N
Conclusion:

Understanding the importance of communication

in the change management process

EL
Strategies and skills for communication

PT
How to consolidate change

N
How to measure the effectiveness of change
References:
1. Ian Palmer; Richard Dunford; David Buchanan (2009)
Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple

EL
Perspectives Approach: McGraw-Hill: New York
2. John Hays (2002). Theory and Practice of Change
Management. Palgrave Mcmilan: UK.

PT
3. Mills, J H; Dye, K; & Mills, AJ (2009). Understanding
organizational change. Rutledge: New York

N
N
PT
EL