Transcript
[00:00:06.550] - Imogen
Hello and welcome to Dear Comms, the coffee break podcast where we tackle your biggest corporate comms challenges. I'm Imogen.
[00:00:13.940] - Amanda
And I'm Amanda. We're here to give you practical, no-nonsense advice so you can focus on the things that will really drive influence, engagement, and impact.
[00:00:23.810] - Imogen
Welcome to our fourth episode of the series we're doing on leading change. So, So far, we've had a look at what planning needs to be done before the change, the reaction people can have to change and how to deal with it.
[00:00:40.160] - Amanda
And this week, we're getting into the bit where change either starts to sit or quietly falls apart. There's a huge difference between people understanding a change and actually doing something differently because of it. I think generally, and I'm sure you'll agree, Imogen, most organizations are reasonably good at explaining change. Much fewer are good at helping people turn that into understanding, into doing.
[00:01:11.290] - Imogen
Yeah, I think, you know, much like employees go through sort of an emotional journey, if you like, and I think I sound like I'm on The X Factor talking about my journey. You do. So, much as they go through an emotional journey with change, They also obviously go through a logical and process-driven journey as well. Our first job as communicators is naturally to help people understand the change, you know, why it's happening, what it means for them, that kind of thing. But our job doesn't stop there. Our role as the change progresses is to guide them through and help them become those ambassadors for change.
[00:01:52.020] - Amanda
Yeah, when we are working with clients on change programs, we tend to break this journey into 4 parts. The first one is know, and this first stage really matters more than people think, because before anybody can engage with change properly, they need to feel confident that they actually understand it and what it means. You know, not just the headline, but the practical reality of it. What's changing? Why now? What it means for them in the day-to-day. And I think importantly, can they actually explain it to others?
[00:02:29.590] - Imogen
Yeah, and that's the key, isn't it? You can't, there's that quote that consultants always use about, you know, if you don't know something, you can't explain something, you don't know it well enough or whatever, anyway. But yes, from that know phase, so understanding and being able to explain the change, we want to then push them through into an imagine phase. And this phase is the one where employees start to dream and be inspired by change. So, it's not about dreaming about a new job or more money or an end to change.
[00:03:07.480] - Amanda
Nice.
[00:03:07.640] - Imogen
But, no, would be nice. But it's actually about, you know, dreaming about and understanding the opportunities that have become available to them because of the change.
[00:03:18.650] - Amanda
Yeah, I think at this stage, it's where they realize that in order for the change to work, they need to be part of it. Most of the time, they generally want to be. People stop thinking purely about what they might lose and start wondering what actually could improve. You know, could this remove frustrations? Could this create opportunities? Could this actually make work better in some areas? Our third stage is belief, and that's about connecting that change with the day-to-day tasks of the team. I guess, Imogen, it's where they start thinking about, can I actually see this working here?
[00:03:57.710] - Imogen
Yeah, and I think this is also where we start to see behavior change. Once they've hit this belief stage and they've really started to translate the big words, the fancy PowerPoints, the town halls into what that actually means for them. So, this is where they start to change behavior, and this is where we start to have to celebrate those early wins. I think your leaders are key here, because these are the ones who are making those connections for your employees. They're helping employees make sense of what's going on. They're the ones who show what change looks like in the everyday. And at this stage, this belief stage, not only are our employees understanding and believing in the change, but they're understanding and believing their own role and where they fit into the bigger picture.
[00:04:57.850] - Amanda
And that allows us to move to the final part or component, and that's ACT. And this is where we're activating our employees and building a set of advocates. I think by the time you get to this stage, you're really trying to create momentum. You want people contributing to the change, but not just complying with it. I think this is where we start moving beyond the playbooks and the slides and training into a very different energy, I think.
[00:05:29.200] - Imogen
Yeah, it's the holy grail really, isn't it? It's a group of employees excited about change, building on possibilities, empowering their team. It's more than just knowing what the change is and what it means. It's at this stage, this act stage, that employees start to take ownership for change and start leading change. So, if those are the stages and we're building up to this act stage, this ambassador advocate stage, how do we get people there?
[00:06:04.630] - Amanda
Yeah, I think the first thing is to give people permission. I know that sounds obvious. You know, of course, your employees have permission to enact change, but this is about permission to learn and make make mistakes, if you like. We often expect everyone to move at the same pace, but the confidence to do things differently takes time. People are still working it out.
[00:06:26.460] - Imogen
I think we need to show our teams it's okay, you know, to get things wrong. That's expected. But getting things wrong and learning from them is part of that process.
[00:06:36.470] - Amanda
Yeah.
[00:06:36.960] - Imogen
It doesn't mean that they're bad at their job. It doesn't mean that they're being judged. I think if you rush people into being perfect, they're either going to give up altogether, which is what I try, I tend to do, or they're just gonna stick with what they know 'cause they know they can do that well.
[00:06:56.600] - Amanda
Exactly, I mean, the old way is safe. They know how to succeed in it. They know the shortcuts. They know what good looks like. The new way is usually uncomfortable and harder at the start, and that's completely normal unless you make it otherwise.
[00:07:11.080] - Imogen
And I think if I've said it once, I've said it a million times, repetition, we need to repeat things. I was thinking about this and I was thinking about me learning French, and it goes back to a little bit about being able to make mistakes. And I was so frustrated that after one lesson I wasn't perfect and fluent in French. But that's just not the way it works, is it? We need to repeat things. We need to practice. We need to keep talking about the ways in which we need people to change. We can't expect people to change fundamentally after one email or one town hall.
[00:07:50.280] - Amanda
Yeah, I know, but we sort of tick the box and then think they will. I completely agree with you, repetition is a good thing and it's key. At the leadership level, you may be sick to death of the messaging long before employees are, because you've already heard it a million times in the previous months.
[00:08:08.720] - Imogen
Yeah.
[00:08:09.120] - Amanda
Meanwhile, I think, you know, You've got to remember, somebody on the frontline might have heard it once whilst half distracted between meetings or tasks. So we have to remember that habits happen unconsciously, and they die hard. It takes time.
[00:08:24.550] - Imogen
Yeah, I mean, think about it. They might have been working in one way for years, for their whole career, maybe. It's a bit like muscle memory.
[00:08:33.070] - Amanda
Yeah.
[00:08:33.470] - Imogen
Like, you know, maybe when you visit friends that you've known forever, and you just know the way to their house, because It's just, it's ingrained in you, it's muscle memory. And that muscle memory—
[00:08:44.370] - Amanda
I can't, honestly, the amount of times that I've driven home from somewhere and not remembered roundabouts all the way at all, because it's just there.
[00:08:53.600] - Imogen
And sometimes you think, well, how did I, I don't remember coming home, but you obviously did, because, you know, and that is that muscle memory. And it's very difficult to break that. It's not something that's overridden. So, your employees need to understand change, see it in action, try it, fail, learn, try it again. Succeed eventually and then keep on doing it.
[00:09:14.700] - Amanda
And I think that's why shouting about the early wins is so important. If you can find something that works and celebrate it, that keeps the messaging alive, but also be authentic. It's not just messaging. Because, you know, these wins prove that progress is possible. Not that things are perfect, but we can move forward in the right direction. And I think the other thing that you can do is tell the story. I think even small examples help. So, I don't know, a team saving time, a process being similar, customer experience improving. The biggest thing that you can do is link it to the what's in it for me.
[00:10:00.390] - Imogen
And, you know, if you've listened to our storytelling episodes, which you should have, and if you haven't, then go back and listen to them. Now, you know that you need to have evidence to make any story stick. So, these stories about, you know, this new approach has saved these people 3 hours, et cetera, that is proof. That is proof that the change works, and that's gonna help you build that change story.
[00:10:28.190] - Amanda
I mean, general reassurance only gets you so far. And I think people see it as platitudes at the end of the day. You know, it doesn't move people. They can see it for what it is. But if, you know, you're talking about this team tried it and this is how they won, that does make a difference. And that's what starts building belief.
[00:10:47.020] - Imogen
And I think it links to the power that informal leaders within your organization have to move forward, because it goes back to that evidence. The thing is that people change when they see people like them changing.
[00:11:02.720] - Amanda
Yeah. And you don't need that many change agents to make a difference. Yes.
[00:11:07.170] - Imogen
No, because they're more likely to change when they see people that they trust changing as well. It goes down to that trust. Like, it's all very well the CEO saying it, but if there's someone there that you trust and whose opinion you trust and you see them doing something differently, then you're going to pay attention.
[00:11:26.700] - Amanda
And I think it's important to remember that informal leaders aren't necessarily leaders in the traditional sense. They may not be senior, they may not have a team under them, but they're liked and trusted. And you know what? Every organization has them. And they're usually the people others go naturally to for advice and reassurance.
[00:11:46.440] - Imogen
Yeah, and they know what's going on. They have an opinion. And these are people who need to be engaged. You know, with them on your side, you will spread your messages further than that sort of simple top-down approach.
[00:11:59.560] - Amanda
Yeah, find out who they are. I mean, generally, actually, you already know, or somebody knows, and give them space to experiment and figure out what works. Let them be your proof. The other thing is that they're also one of the best reality checks you've got, because they'll usually hear concerns long before you do or leadership does. They'll know where people are confused, where the frustration is building. They're the kind of people that will know what people are quietly saying when the formal meeting finishes. And that's a really powerful insight, it's really valuable if we're prepared to listen to it properly. So, they are a great feedback loop in your communications.
[00:12:41.940] - Imogen
Yeah, I mean, that idea of listening is something that so many people forget about. You know, communications isn't just about speaking and telling people stuff. It's about asking questions, about sharing ideas, about listening. To what other people think. And although a business isn't quite a democracy, it's, you know, it's not a dictatorship either.
[00:13:06.960] - Amanda
I think if communication only ever flows one way, you're going to miss half the picture. You might know how many people opened your email, but that's going to tell you very little about what change is actually landing. And, you know, let's not forget, change has an impact on people's lives. They need to feel they can participate in it and be heard. So by listening, and then listening to your employees, you'll also be able to assess and evaluate just how successful your communications has been. And if it isn't, change it.
[00:13:39.640] - Imogen
You need to add in that listening as part of your evaluation metrics. You mentioned sort of emails. I think vanity metrics are all very well, but understanding the, the media bit of it is more important. So, not about numbers of reading emails, but how much do people care, how much do they understand, how confident do they feel? Because it's those employees who are going to decide whether your communications are compelling enough, whether it makes sense, and whether they want to act on it.
[00:14:11.390] - Amanda
In the end, for me, it's all about momentum, and that's the hill change lives or dies on, really. People rarely change because they're told to. They change because they can see progress, because they can see others succeeding, because the new way starts feeling more possible than the old one. And I think it goes back to what we said in the storytelling episodes. You know, people don't buy products, they buy what those products can do for them, and that's the same with change, isn't it?
[00:14:41.920] - Imogen
And once you start to see that momentum, it's up to you as a communicator to amplify that. So you're celebrating progress, not perfection. And using those little wins as building blocks will help you then tackle bigger challenges that you'll face and eventually achieve the vision set out by the change. And on that note, I think we will stop. But if you would like any further support in navigating change, communicating change, trying to understand change, then do get in touch with us. But until next time, see you for now.
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