(Photo above: Sarah Stebbins)
In my work with businesses/companies, I constantly hear their desire to be more ‘proactive’ than ‘reactive’ when responding to rapid change. I believe this desire can be realized if four requirements are met.
First, change must be viewed as a mindset rather than as an event. Constant and rapid organizational change is now a way of life in business. The sooner leadership and employees grasp this idea; the easier it will be to respond to change.
Second, a structured change management methodology, i.e., the “What,” must be adopted and consistently applied to all change initiatives. These methodologies typically include assessments, processes, templates and analytics.
Third, the adopted methodology must have a strong people focus. I have reviewed many of the change management models that are available and find most of them to be more process than people oriented. In my work, I use the research basedProsci model, which is founded on the principle that successful organizational change can only be achieved one person at a time.
I have discovered that Prosci’s ADKAR model combines the necessary change management infrastructure with the needed ‘people focus’. ADKAR stands for Awareness: an individual’s awareness and understanding of the need for change, Desire: relates to one’s willingness to participate and support the change, Knowledge: an individual learns the necessary skills required to make the change, Ability: refers to one being able to apply the required skills/ behaviors and Reinforcement: those actions/activities leading to sustaining the change.
Fourth, change management must be supported by strategic communication skills, i.e., the “How.” These skills must be learned, practiced and supported by all stakeholders/leaders. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these skills. Fierce Inc. in a 2012 study, found that nearly 50 percent of the 800 study participants identified lack of company-wide transparency and too little involvement in company decisions as key areas of concern.
I see the results of this study appearing in almost every one of my client organizations. I do not believe that lack of transparency is a designed organizational strategy. Rather, it is the result of leaders/employees not having the skills to have the conversations needed to successfully implement change.
I have learned and successfully used the specific strategic communication skills/tools for making a change management model like ADKAR “come alive.” These skills are based on the work of Susan Scott’s Fierce Conversations and the associated Fierce Conversations curriculum. Fierce Conversations is leadership and development training that drives results for business and education by developing conversation as a skill.
When I have integrated this strategy into my change management work, I have witnessed one of Fierce Conversations biggest benefits: the enhancement of employees’ capacity to serve as effective agents for managing change.
Just as Prosci focuses on achieving change one person at a time, Fierce believes success happens one conversation at a time. Thus, I have found that the four Fierce conversational models are, indeed, the workhorses of successful change: The Team Conversation, The Delegation Conversation, The Coaching Conversation and The Confrontation Conversation.
I use Fierce as a means for businesses/companies to transform their culture and as a critical change management partner, regardless of the change methodology being used.
Increased competitiveness, improved employee engagement/retention and the subsequent positive bottom line impact are all benefits of ‘marrying’ change management, the “What” with strategic communication skills, the “How,” This marriage is the key for businesses and companies to become more change resilient.
If you are interested in learning how your organization would benefit from this work, contact me for a free session that will explore your current challenges and demonstrate how change management and strategic communication skills can move your company forward.
Dr. Sarah Stebbins, C.P.C.
sarah@thebetterchange.com
503-957-6528
www.thebetterchange.com
