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Leading Change04-Dec-2010

Q - I am in the middle of project to reduce our workforce.  Needless to say, it's controversial and has people on edge... what's the best way to communicate our progress as we move through the project steps?

A - There is a wise piece of advice on communicating change - "tell people what you know, when you know it."  I'd make that your goal when planning the project's communications.  Also, you need to do a great job of providing context - I call this "explaining the why."  Make sure people understand why the company is initiating this project; they may not like it, but try to get them to at least understand it.  Then, keep people informed along the way - tell them what the steps are going to be, and milestone dates (if you can).  Once a step has been completed, be honest about what it entailed, how decisions were made, etc.  At the end of the project, be sure to share the who, what, and how of the change - including the "now what" - just because the project is over, doesn't mean people won't still have questions.  You can't over-communicate in a situation like this, so make the communications plan as big a part of the project as the goal itself.

Leading Change22-Mar-2010

Q - My department is getting ready to initiate a re-organization. I’m not sure I’m ready to lead this kind of change… any advice?

A – You’re already on the right path – change definitely needs to be led, not “managed.” Start with a solid planning session with your colleagues; the best change plans are those that are well planned in advance. Follow the simple model of who/what/where/when/why/how – if you can answer all of these questions, you’ll be ready to execute the plan. Remember to over-communicate; it’s impossible to communicate too much when you’re impacting people’s jobs. Be visible during the change, more than you normally would, and more than you might even think you should be. Plan, communicate, be visible – that’s the simple formula for executing change.