Communicating Change, Strengthening Organizations
Within organizations, questions about who is likely to support a potential change arise quickly during the initiation of a transition. What makes some people prone to embrace change, and what leads to a prediction that certain others will resist it? How can leadership successfully navigate these dynamics and manage expectations?
One solution is for leaders to encourage adaptation through multichannel communications, including by leveraging appropriate numbers of town halls and social media announcements. Depending on the topic and/or goal, these direct and indirect conversations can be broad or strategic. Another proven strategy is to appoint informal leaders who are onboard with the initiatives to act as crucial change agents. Also, piloting planned changes with small groups—before a more global rollout—can demonstrate the positive impact of the change to the wider organization.
Success, Bold Moves, Difficult Conversations
Wesleyan College attributes the successful implementation of its strategic planning innovations to a transparent, inclusive communication approach. By “communicating early and often,” Wesleyan engaged its stakeholders through town halls, ensuring a unified message and making the college community feel part of the process.
At Cornerstone Christian Academy, some leaders were assigned to enact bold moves that took staff members by surprise, such as being tasked to encourage personnel to assume new roles or being required to have difficult conversations about the absence of a place for someone in the future organizational structure.
Meanwhile, at Eagle Ranch, the new leader led a major reorganization, the positive outcome of which was guided by the discovery of hidden talents among colleagues.
Finally, at Lighthouse Family Retreat, a longtime employee took a sabbatical, allowing new staff to step up and invigorate that area of the college.
These experiences illustrate that while change can be daunting, it often leads to a stronger, more dynamic organization.
I think we can communicate [change] by keeping the doors open at all times, answering those questions that people may feel uncomfortable asking, but we need to make sure that we have…set that playing field to where everybody feels accepted and [is made to feel] empowered in what they are doing or what we are trying to do.
Carla Hall
Mary Hall Freedom Village
I think communication is actually the most important thing in change, other than maybe planning, because how it’s communicated is critical to really getting buy-in from all groups that would really be necessary or part of making that change successful.
Katherine White
Greater Atlanta Christian School
