What role does communication play in effective change management?

In today’s fast-paced business world, effective change management is crucial for organizational success. Yet, a staggering 70% of change initiatives fail, with poor communication often cited as a key factor. This raises the question: What role does communication play in effective change management?

To address this critical issue, we’ve gathered insights from two renowned change management experts. With decades of combined experience guiding global brands through transformative change, our contributors offer diverse perspectives on the pivotal role of communication in driving successful change initiatives.

As we explore their insights, common themes emerge, highlighting the multifaceted nature of communication in change management. Whether you’re an event planner seeking dynamic speakers on this topic or a business leader navigating organizational shifts, these expert views provide valuable guidance for your next steps.

Join us as we delve into the essential role of communication in change management, offering practical strategies and real-world examples to inform your approach.

Alan O’Neill

Alan O’Neill, a renowned change management expert with 30 years of experience guiding global brands through transformative change, explains the role of communication in effective change management. Communication is critical throughout all four phases of change management: discover, design, deliver, and develop.

In the discover phase, communication involves consulting with those impacted by and expected to support the change. During the design phase, it’s crucial to involve representatives from different departments in a steering group to shape the change initiative. O’Neill emphasizes, “Communication comes up in the third phase, which is deliver and constantly communicating and bringing people on the journey, letting them know what’s going on, sharing milestones of success with them.

The develop phase focuses on long-term sustainability, where communication plays a vital role in recognizing and celebrating those who support the change. O’Neill states, “Communication is critical here, where we’re calling out people who are and celebrating people who are winning and supporting the change.”Effective change management communication should:

1. Involve the right stakeholders from the beginning
2. Create a collaborative design process
3. Maintain constant updates during implementation
4. Celebrate successes and supporters

As organizations navigate change, clear and consistent communication remains a cornerstone of success. Event planners and decision-makers should prioritize speakers who can articulate the importance of communication in driving successful change initiatives.

Allister Frost

Allister Frost, a former Head of Digital Marketing Strategy at Microsoft and an award-winning keynote speaker, brings a unique marketing and communications perspective to the role of communication in effective change management.

According to Allister Frost, communication plays an absolutely critical role in change management, describing it as “insanely important” and “arguably more important than the change itself.”

Allister emphasizes the importance of communication through several key points:

1. Reflection on past failures: He encourages leaders to analyze previous change management shortcomings, such as:
   • Delays in implementation
   • Incomplete staff training
   • Budget overruns

2. Two-way communication: Allister stresses the importance of not just conveying information to employees, but also establishing effective feedback channels from those implementing the change.
3. Quality over quantity: He introduces the concept of “useful communication,” arguing that while it’s possible to have inadequate or poorly designed communication, he has “never seen a change management program with too much useful communication”.
4. Anticipatory role: Allister highlights that great two-way communication can help leaders anticipate and address potential human reactions to change before they become problematic.

Allister’s marketing background brings a fresh perspective to change management communication, emphasizing its role as the “backbone” of successful change programs. His insights complement previous speakers by focusing on the preventative and anticipatory aspects of communication in change management, rather than just its role in implementation.

As we continue to explore diverse expert views on this crucial topic, it’s clear that effective communication is a multifaceted and indispensable element of successful change management.