As we said at the outset, communication is really complicated. So, a solution to this complicated problem shouldn't, by itself be complicated. If we're going to improve our ability to communicate change across a complicated organization, we need to use a simple, straightforward and easy model or framework to get much more planful, around communication. And that's what I'd like to share with you here. If we're going to make communication easy, we have to understand that there's three dimensions to this, who are all of the players, that would be all of the stakeholders that are going to be impacted by or have to implement the change? At any point in time?

What information do they need to know? And based on what they know or don't know what issues questions and concerns they have? Given that then how are you going to address Those questions, issues and concerns and get the details to those people need them. We have a communication planning framework here. Now this is a straightforward and simple one. And I like this simply because I can remember it, your communication professionals will have a much more comprehensive approach.

And that's fine. But I want communication in changing organizations to be a bit more intentional in a planful way by using a simple, easily remembered framework. This is the framework we can use three sheets of paper, three columns on one sheet of paper, we could use a whiteboard, you can use a flip chart sheet. I remember a project team got together for drinks after a particularly challenging project team meeting. And somebody mentioned, well, given that meeting and all of the decisions we made or the things we talked about, what about Communication. And of course, here they are, in a small pub, thinking about communication and somebody who had some ideas around communication came out with a sharpie, black felt pen that was easy to write on napkins, paper napkins, not cloth ones, and they came up with napkins.

So the first napkin that they created was a list of all of the stakeholder groups for that particular project. And then they needed a number of different napkins for each one of these groups, because for each particular group, they would have their own set of what issues. For example, here, I'll just pick one and it'll be the sales group, for example. And if we think about the sales group, as it relates to that particular project that they were talking about, here's what they think their questions and issues and concerns are. They listed that out based on conversations that they had, knowing a little bit about the sales group But in that particular project, and then for that sales group, the cluster those issues, questions and concerns and thought about Okay, so next week, how do we deal with all of this? What can we do to help the sales guys get their arms around this particular project, because they're pretty critical to all of this.

So then they started to think about how they could do that. Well, they decided they wanted to meet with the sales leaders to confirm what they thought were the problems. They wanted to get one of the senior executives and their project leader together to get to the sales meeting next week, and to discuss all the questions and issues and then they would follow up before the end of the month. So essentially, there's a communication plan on three napkins. But as you understand, I'm sure, first of all, we only pick the sales group. So manufacturing would need a napkin and they're not going to have the same issues and questions concerns that the sales group they would have their own list of questions and issues and concerns.

Same with it. Same with a Midwest group. So you're going to need a number of nouns If you will, for the what pile, and then for each one of those what piles, we need to get the how piece resolved, you will need more than three napkins for this because you're going to have more than one stakeholder group. This is just simply the example. And napkins. You know, it was a fun story.

They told me the next morning I'll get a job they'd done with a communication plan and they pulled out all these napkins and I rolled my eyes and took my another call my good Lord, what have they done? Because I knew they like to look for beer after project meetings. Well, as it turned out their pile of napkins wrinkled as they were were very thoughtful and they were really well articulated plan. The thing you've got to remember is even just for the sales group here, if we do all of those things on the House side of the equation, you're not done, because three weeks from now, the sales group will have a different set of questions and issues and concerns. And we will need to stay in touch with them. So this is an ongoing journey.

There is your task. How can you be more intention around developing a communication plan that works. So there's a worksheet for you to play with. And you can use napkins if you like. Just even this tool is helpful. The idea of different sheets of paper for different stakeholder groups as you list them out, you can figure out how to use this, I'm sure.

But this is simply a framework for you to be a lot more deliberate around effective communication in your changing organization.