Managing Change

Instituting organizational change is one of the biggest challenges that communicators face. Alastair Ham, director of organizational development at Norwich Union Insurance, offers suggestions for successful change management. He feels the most important element is gaining buy-in commitment from stakeholders that do not hold an executive position.

1. Be committed
a. You must believe in the change yourself before you are capable of influencing others to adopt the change. Examine the change you want to make and be sure that you are prepared to rally the resources and devote the time to stay committed to the change long term
2. Don’t start at the top
a. Once the concept is presented to the executive team and rejected, the idea is dead. Don’t present a business case to the executive team until you have garnered champions within the organization.
3. Create converts
a. Gain the support of internal stakeholders. Department heads and managers can help your case if they are strong supporters of the proposed change. Having the support of leaders in the organization will help your case when presenting to the executives.
4. Take it slowly
a. It will take a significant amount of time to adopt change in an organization. Take it slow to be sure that the plan is well thought out and recognize that people are resistant to change and will need time to adjust.
5. Create a buzz and don’t force it
a. Be patient when instituting change. Even if executive approval is secured, change cannot be forced. People need time to adopt and will do so on their own schedule.

Also, develop a comprehensive communications strategy so employees understand what is happening, why changes are being made and how it affects their jobs.

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