Let's look at the ground we've covered so far in our work of exploring the integrated approach to leading change. We've talked about simplifying and engaging the strategy talked about aligning and implementing all the changes. And we've talked about transition. And we also talked about the system in which all of these things exist. It's time to talk about the last core competency. And that core competency is what knits all of this work together, and of course, makes it all successful.

And that is simply communication. The challenge of enhancing communication in a changing organization is daunting at best, which is, in some ways difficult to fathom. We would think that because we communicate all the time, it would be fairly straightforward. However, it's not in 30 years of doing this work. Every organization that I've wandered into, to help increase their capability to lead change successfully, has needed help with enhancing communication. So let's see what we can do to help the organization communicate change more effectively.

It's a good idea to start with looking at your current habits when it comes to communicating change. First of all, what's your current volume of communication in your organization? How many messages daily, weekly or monthly? Who are those messages coming from? And who are those messages going to? What's important to recognize, first of all, is that the volume of communication is overwhelming.

And I can't imagine, you'd even be able to calculate that what's critically important actually, is when you're sending information. So let's say these are voice messages, or let's say these are emails or let's say, these are websites that you're putting together. With Q and A's on them whatever it might be, who is that information coming from? From an employee's perspective? Is that person or group no more unknown? It makes a huge difference in terms of their willingness to pay attention.

And also, is it going to everyone? Or is it going to specific groups? The more targeted, focused and specific you can be, the more effective and engaging the communication? Is your organization differentiating between change related information and day to day transactional business business related information? If it's not, your change information is getting lost? Who owns change related communication in your organization?

Is it the Communication Department? Is it the project teams? Who is it? And how relevant is the information that's being shared to personal action? When employees read the information or listen into the information. Do they know what they need to do differently now and why?

So there's simply some thoughts that you could answer in terms of your communication habits. If you're working with a group of people, I would encourage you to push pause and answer these questions for your own organization. So, how that discussion go, maybe some insights already in terms of how you can improve, let me share some basic ideas that are critically essential to communicating change. The first one is if your organization is large enough to have a Communication Department, or even just one person that has communication in their job title, or job description, that person cannot be responsible. They cannot own change communication. They don't have the three critical ingredients.

A your Communication Department aren't the most current up to date experts on the change be Your Communication Department aren't known people who have the capacity to ensure that people take this change seriously. They don't have the clout. And third, the Communication Department does not have the ongoing enduring connection to all the employees. simply sending emails is not an enduring connection. So let's take the Communication Department off the hook. They are not responsible for change information, we'll determine who is very quickly.

What's really important is not to put the spin on things. simply telling the truth is far and away more important than saying nothing or just waiting for good news. Most organizations have fallen prey to an over reliance on technology when it comes to communication and it is just barely a start. It is not the be all and end all for communicating change rather than one About long project updates or long strategic plans, share the story, paint the picture use metaphors or analogies. human systems have been changing for centuries and centuries using these techniques, long before PowerPoint slides and long before web browsers and all the rest of it were invented. human systems changed very successfully.

So what's the story for your organization? What's the picture of where you want to go? What's this journey like? Lastly, we mentioned this earlier when we were talking about the power and authority view of the system. It is been proven time and time and time again, in all kinds of research that employees want their change related information from their boss, their immediate boss, so that could be a shift supervisor or it could be their team leader. Could be their local area manager whoever it is, but that next level up on your organization stack is the most critical leader in the eyes of your employees when it comes to change.

So therefore, your organization has an obligation to ensure that the supervisors have the information they need to answer the change related questions when they are getting those questions from the employees.