FireFly’s Top 3 Tips for Effective Change Management Communications

When I am facilitating a change leadership workshop, I often ask participants to think of their top lessons learned from (successful or unsuccessful) change initiatives they have led or been a part of. Invariably, many of the lessons focus on one topic: Communications.

And in a time of change, I like to say, however much you are currently communicating, multiply it by 100...and it's still not enough.

Given that, I thought it might be helpful for me to capture my top 3 tips related to effective communications that I have learned and seen successfully executed over the last 20+ years - to help you in your critical role as change champions.

Here we go (along with clickable links to the three prior posts on this topic)…

Tip #1: Be clear on the “why” of the change. Your view of change is a matter of perspective - 30,000 feet or on the ground? Your job, as an effective leader and communicator in a time of change, is to make meaning for your employees of all these changes. Read on for insights on how to create an inspiring message that helps your organization make sense of all the changes they see around them.

Tip #2: Clarify the behavioral changes you expect to see. How do you know if your change message is getting through? You can’t see a change of mindset; you can only see changed behavior. Does leadership know what old behaviors they expect their employees to leave behind…and what new behaviors they expect them to adopt? Read on for recommendations to help bridge this gap.

Tip #3: Communicate your change message in a Whole Brain ® Way. First understand how people prefer to be communicated with using Whole Brain® Thinking...then use the "Optimal Flow" to create a powerful message everyone can hear. Read on for clues to understand your employees' preferred way of receiving the message - and then how to structure it so that it appeals to everyone.