Do you know how to measure the success of effective communication?
The point of developing a communication strategy is, of course, to win hearts and minds. You want people to commit to what you are doing. Establishing a clear path from your 'why' all the way to an open dialogue gives the team a way to engage in conversation about the change. This is critical to the success of all change initiatives.
Therefore, you work on the message, choose the right vehicle or tactic and try to optimally time things to land in front of your team at just the right time. Each step is essential, and testing each one will give you the information you need to launch the message with the best chance of success
What does success look like for your communication?
How do you know that the people who most need to be engaged by your communication are receiving the desired effect of the message? That is, do they know what you want them to understand and do they know how to engage in the two-way channel of communication that you've established for them?
The information has been received, in other words, and people are ready to provide the feedback you need to understand and address any resistance to the change. Without successfully established two-way dialogue, the purpose of your well-designed communication plan is lost.
So, is there a way to know how well your communication plan meets the need to engage your team?
Can you ultimately be sure that the message has been received and that you'll be hearing from those being asked to change? Will you then know what they think and what they want you to hear about their perspective on the change?
Of course, getting an immediate response in the form of feedback is the first and best way to know if your communication has landed well. Suppose you are getting comments, questions and concerns from the team as they reflect on the changes communicated. In that case, that's an excellent indication that they've heard and absorbed the message!
This is why you set up a feedback channel as part of your communication strategy - it's not just about you pushing the message but pulling the response from the team, too.
In addition, there are a couple of other ways to test the viability of the communication process that you can put into practice.
One is to have a key leader for the change (perhaps the sponsor) spend time in informal dialogue with the team. The value of doing this is having the leader ask, "What can you tell me about the change?" This simple question will provide information on how the message is being understood by the team.
As you note this, it does not question the knowledge of the person being asked. This question is designed to elicit their understanding of the change, ideally based on how well they have heard the message and how well you have communicated it. Phrasing should be to learn what they understand, not to test what they know. If you ask several people this question, and they can all repeat the core message pretty well, you know that it's being heard and understood. Answers all over the map mean that you should rethink your message for more clarity.
Another way to find out how well your message is being received is to embed a response required in the communication. This is more successful when it's something fun, like creating a contest for choosing a name for the change campaign. Adding an element of reward and, most importantly, recognition into the mix will be a motivator for paying attention to the communication and providing an early way to engage creatively in being part of the change.
Almost all large change initiatives will establish a new working method, either with a new process or technology. If there's a crowd-sourced aspect to putting a designation on the work, this will provide a recognizable tag for everyone to connect with. "Boaty McBoat Face" like ideas included (inevitably for any naming contest these days), it's a pretty good way to get the team listening to the message.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Remember that communication is a means to an end.
Keep testing how well your communication is working, especially as new information is added throughout the change process.
Establish ongoing ways to check in and see if the team is receiving the message you want them to hear.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Recently I read "Leverage Change: 8 Ways to achieve faster, easier, better results" by Jake Jacobs.
Jake recommends identifying past successful efforts, determining what should stay the same, what you need to change, finding who can help and finally, determining how to share this information. This theory on change has already been helpful and can easily be adapted. Find more here!
Good news: It's been a busy summer, but it's about to be an even busier fall!
I'm excited not only to be speaking at SCDM Live in September but also at the Berlin Change Days international conference in November.
What's more? We also have episodes of The Change Manifesto coming out every other week. This week we sat down with Amanda Bedell. Her story is particularly inspiring because it's one many of us have experienced. What do you do when it's just not working? Click below to hear Amanda's journey navigating business and complex change and how she found her true passion.
Looking for even more change? We created the Week to Change Workshop for those looking to kickstart their change management journey and learn about core methods and principles. This is a great first step for those looking to gain insight on addressing change resistance and implementing change management ideas in your daily life.
