Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Workshop

17 February 2011

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17 February 2011

Employee engagement during change

About us

Paul SweetmanDirector,

Fishburn Hedges

Laura PallutHead of Internal Communication,

Save the Children

The hour ahead…

Some context to change

There are many types of change:

• Mergers and acquisitions

• New strategy/vision

• Re-structuring

• Brand engagement

• Closures/redundancies

• Constant evolution…

What do we mean by change?

• Falling budgets

• Service cessation

• Office closures

• Redundancy programmes

• Employee/volunteer morale

• Public awareness/concern

The trials of tough times

The challenge of change

13

“There is still a strong tendency for directors

to adopt the ‘ready, fire, aim’ approach to

change and then to pray that the impetus will

carry them through. This approach creates

confusion, demoralisation and resistance to

change. It is highly cost-ineffective and

organisationally destructive”

(Professor Bob Garratt, Imperial College, London)

“I’m gutted!”

“I feel numb”

“I’m gutted!”

“I feel numb”

“ I don’t believe it”

“This can’t be happening”

“ How can I have got myself into this position?”

“ What happens next?”

“I’m prepared to give it a go”

“To make things work around here we could do this”

“ OK, I’ll give it the benefit of the

doubt”

Denial/rejection

Anger/resistance Acceptance/curiosity

Enthusiasm/hope

Commitment/ excitement

Opposed Engaged

A typical change curve

Building commitment

Degre

e o

f change

Degree of involvement

Awareness

Understanding

Support

Involvement

Commitment

• Anticipation

• Clarity

• Predictability

• Regularity (“little but often”)

• Leadership and management

• Dialogue

Our top ten principles

• Empathy

• Co-ordination

• Responsiveness

• Integration

And one more, underpinning them all:

• Flexibility

Our top ten principles (cont/d)

Key practical steps

A simple roadmap…

Gain feedback

Build a firm platform

Analyse audiences

Articulate messages

Equip gatekeepers

Engage audiences

Embed change

Change is never linear

…with one caveat

1. Build a firm foundation

• Help leaders understand the role and impact of comms (even when

there isn’t any change…)

• Create a cross-functional Comms team (e.g. HR)

• Agree on key objectives and milestones

• Ask the difficult questions, eg:

o What can/can’t we say at each stage?

o Are there any events/issues that could affect us?

o Does everyone agree to follow the principles/practices laid down?

• Make sure plans, reporting processes, protocols are clear

2. Analyse audience(s)

• Draw together existing evidence…

o audience maps

o employee research

o channel mapping

• …but segment for this specific exercise

• Identify key groups, eg

o ‘gatekeepers’

o special groups (eg maternity, long-term sick, absent people)

• Articulate the ‘desired response’ from each group

Segmentation options

Service?Location/dept?

Impact?Grade/ level?

Role?

Influence?

The rational: what do we want people

to know?

The emotional: what do we

want people tofeel?

The action: what do we want people

to do?

Desired audience responses

Sample audience/responses grid

Know Feel Do

Senior team

Operational

managers/

supervisors

Employees

3. Articulate messages

• Create a clear, core narrative

o rationale

o facts/evidence

o vision

o empathy

o process

• Involve key stakeholders in development/testing

• Equip all protagonists to use this narrative, eg:

o leaders

o managers

o gatekeepers

• Review regularly and update

Typical core narrative format

Overarching messages• Theme 1• Theme 2• Theme 3

Theme 1

• Sub-theme• Sub-theme• Sub-theme

Theme 2

• Sub-theme• Sub-theme• Sub-theme

Theme 3

• Sub-theme• Sub-theme• Sub-theme

• Leaders set vision, ‘gatekeepers’ shape and deliver

• Collate knowledge/insights about communication preferences

• Issue bespoke briefings on role and importance, eg:

o Note from CEO/webcast/audio

o Briefing document and core narrative

o Q&As to respond to teams

• Keep them informed

• Keep seeking views and feedback

o What concerns do they have?

o What questions are others raising with them?

• Recognise they may be affected too…

4. Equip ‘gatekeepers’

• Create one programme, tailored as necessary

o Core mechanisms, for momentum

o Additional channels by audience

• Keep information flowing, even as brief updates

o Maintain leadership visibility

o Harness full communication infrastructure

• Ensure consistent support for ‘gatekeepers’

• Seek, welcome and respond to employee feedback/ideas

• Show how people affected are being treated

• Maintain alignment with external communication

• Monitor and respond (not least to social media…)

5. Engage audiences

• Change requires communication, not just information

• Dialogue opportunities:

o Leadership: audio, visits, ’11@11’, ‘speed date’ process

o Management: Team meetings, ‘breakout moments’

o Functional: ‘surgeries’ , breakfast sessions

o Electronic: blogs, discussion boards, video pods

o Quirky: postcards, ‘question of week’

• Proactively seek feedback and questions

• Feed back the feedback

• Be rapid, open and honest throughout

6. Build dialogue – and gain feedback

OutputsOut-takes

Outcomes

• Feedback forms• Audience numbers• User figures

• ‘Pulse’ surveys• Pop-up surveys• Key figure interviews• Focus groups• Q&A processes

• Full survey• Business metrics

Evaluation opportunities

• Keep showing care and empathy (for those who leave andthose who remain)

• Identify new symbols and stories

o New ways of working?

o Front-line anecdotes?

• Celebrate supportive behaviour

o Case studies

o Proof points

• Maintain leadership visibility

• Continue supporting ‘gatekeepers’

• Keep seeking, sharing and responding to feedback

• Align processes/performance management

7. Embed the change

Over to you…..

• Your organisation is facing pressure on resources and cuts on funding

• It will need to reduce the scope of its services and make redundancies as a result

• It will need to introduce these changes whilst seeking to maintain, as far as possible, ‘business as usual’

• You need to prepare an internal communication plan to support the change

Your challenge

• Group 1 – consider audiences/desired response

• Group 2 – core script

• Group 3 - communication channels, opportunities and issues

10 mins and then present back

Groups

In conclusion...

• Plan, plan, and plan again

• Don’t hide

• Create a crystal clear narrative: and stick to it

• Ask the difficult questions up-front

• Stick to what you can say, when (and don’t speculate)

• Be prepared to unsettle people

• Be candid but show compassion

• Be vigilant and responsive at all times

Top tips

• Not being clear on rationale

• Not speaking to audience interests/concerns

• Leaving rumours to fill the void

• Using ‘management speak’

• Not building dialogue

• Not evaluating/seeking feedback

Common pitfalls

1. Typical format for internal communications plan

2. Typical internal document set

3. Brief for communication champions

Handouts