When an organization needs to facilitate change, change communication is an important part of making it all happen. What exactly is this type of communication all about? Follow along to learn more about the organizational approach to the communication of change.
Core Definition, Purpose
Purely defined, change communication is the use of varied communication methods in order to facilitate a desired organizational change or set of changes. Additionally, change communications may be built to address one or both of the primary goals of changing a system or structure and/or that of changing culture, values, and mindsets. Depending on the size of the audience, the complexity of the change, and other factors, these communications may form a greater and extended campaign or they may simply occur once or in a short span of time.
The form that these communications take can also be quite varied. Some may utilize electronic means. These may include emails, video conferencing, and even interactive forms. They may also include non-electronic means such as meetings, signage, physical documents, newsletters, and more.
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Uses
So, who uses change communications, and when are they put to use? Truly, these types of communications take place all the time and in any number of venues and forums. However, there are a number of more commonly employed purposes and places for these kinds of communications. The following are some common instances of their utilization one may encounter today.
- A restaurant changes its menu and distributes reading materials to employees to help execute the change.
- A change in a car-maker’s manufacturing process requires a new safety lesson on the use of new machinery. Videos, reading materials, and online-based, interactive test forms are directed to each employee.
- An old company culture has been deemed contradictory to that company’s new mission statement and goals. As such, new cultural guidebooks are printed and given to each employee to read and keep nearby while on the job.
Real-Life Examples
One can learn even more about these kinds of communications efforts by looking at some real-life examples of their utilization. Two very telling and publicly-accessible examples come by way of the US Agency of International Development and the US General Services Administration. Each of these entities have constructed, used, and even gone on to publicly publish a change communication campaign.
The documentation by the Agency of International Development is an interesting guide to the best practices in executing change and change communications. In the documentation provided by the GSA, a specific change, PrintWise, is prompted and covered. In both of these change communication guides, a similar, multi-step process is cited in properly executing the entirety of the desired change. Most change processes, in fact, share this manner of organization in common.
To conclude, change is an important and regular element of the world that all must accept and work with. Change communications are the specific communique elements used by organizations in these kinds of transformation efforts. While this area of communication has grown into a specialty area of expertise all unto its own, these are some of the basics of organizational change communication today.