People
Issue No. 32 - December/January
Communicating the change
by Dr Elizabeth Short
The project team has been working on major financial system upgrades and revisions for six months.
Changes that will have a significant impact on the work practices of 500 employees are about to be implemented. A further 1,500 employees will be affected through the need to use the new time sheet process.
The CEO now wants to involve the staff and communicate the changes.
The phrase, “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted” comes to mind.
Changes need to be communicated when the review begins, not as the upgrades are to be implemented. By now rumours of the changes have circulated throughout the organisation; the grapevine has worked overtime. There is every chance that a time sheets change has resulted in rumours of productivity issues, clock-watching and possible retrenchments when in reality, time sheets are a minor part of the new processes and have been altered to enable more effective team management.
Change can be defined as any alteration of the current situation that requires a response from an organisation or a person. Change means doing things differently. Change has simple solutions, but is not easy. Communication is an integral part of the eventual success of a change process.
So what should be done differently?
•Develop a change management plan as soon as the project begins.
•Choose a dedicated change management resource to lead the team.
•Create a communication strategy and implement on day one (not month seven).
Communication — even change management itself — is often considered the ‘soft’ side of the project. Changes to the processes and the systems are often considered more critical. But without the commitment and revised knowledge and skill levels of the employees, changes are rarely successful. Without a plan it is very difficult to steer the organisation in the direction it should be going. Instead of being proactive, management too often re...
