Communicating projects

Communicating change

Managing communication on change projects

Ann Pilkington

Believing in the

power of good

communication to

help projects

succeed

PR and PM: lots to

learn from

eachother……

But first, what is communication….?

…the response you get back

Passengers must

carry dogs on

escalators

Customer information

Is it really this simple?

Shannon and Weaver ‘s linear model of communication from the 1940s

MASS MEDIA MASS MEDIA

Isolated individuals constituting a mass

Opinion leaders

Individuals in social contact with an opinion leader

Hypodermic model Two-step flow model

Smith (2008: 38)

“The greatest

problem with

communication is

the assumption

that it has been

accomplished”

George Bernard

Shaw

Soft skill?

What can we learn from the world of

employee engagement?

CO

MM

UN

ICA

TIO

N

Engagement

ENGAGING

MANAGERS

Facilitate and

empower.

VOICE views are

sought out;

people see that

opinions count.

INTEGRITY

Behaviour is

consistent with

stated values.

MacLeod and Clarke

(2009)

Engaging for Success

LEADERSHIP

Provides a

strong strategic

narrative.

Professional

Timely, clear, accurate,

pertinent, consistent,

sincere, concise,

business-like.

Reinforces believable

values and narrative.

Propaganda

Content is biased

and does not

reflect reality.

Reinforced by

managers who

show commitment

to the project

Informed employee voice

Informed stakeholder voice

Advanced

Based on people

feeling well informed in

the first place, face to

face, actions taken as a

result or reasons why

action not taken

provided.

Basic

Surveys,

suggestion

schemes, email

boxes.

Be open to

critical

feedback.

Informed employee voice

Informed stakeholder voice

It’s got to be a loop

Its not all sell, sell, sell

Right stakeholder, right message, right time

Right stakeholder, right time

Key question number 1: What does that

stakeholder want from the project?

Key question number 2: What does the

project want from the stakeholder?

Stakeholders by role

Sponsors

Shapers

Schedulers

Users

Messages: keep it stakeholder centred

There may be a number of parts to your project or lots

of projects within your programme, but what matters to

your stakeholder? Build your approach around them

and their role. Ask what it means for a line manager,

HR colleagues and operatives on the shop floor, then

design your communication accordingly.

Top tip: there is no such audience as ‘all employees’

or the ‘general public’.

You need a channel strategy

Channel objectives

Awareness Newsletter

Intranet

Understanding Roadshows

Video conferencing

Support Training

Involvement Team meetings

Feedback forums

Commitment Further team meetings

Problem solving

sessions

Ongoing feedback

Degree of involvement

Degre

e o

f change

(Quirke )

Dealing with ambiguity

Adapted from Harkins, P. 1999 Powerful Conversations: How high impact leaders communicate. McGraw Hill

The say-do matrix

Tell a joined up story

Tell a joined up story

It is likely that your project is just one of a number of change

initiatives happening across your organisation. How are

employees meant to make sense of it all?

Set your project in the context of what else is happening – tell

one joined-up story rather than leave stakeholders to work

out how it all fits together.

For your project team it may be the most important thing in

their world, but employees might have much bigger

concerns.

Communication and change:

final thoughts

•Sign post

•‘What does it mean to me’ – NOT what is in it for me

•Tell a joined up story – think story, not messages and bring in the

external environment

•Support managers

•Always do what you say you will do – and if you can’t, explain

why

•Communicate in the right order; plan, plan, plan, by the hour if

necessary

Lets put more resource into

professional communication.

It’s a false economy not to!

ann.pilkington@pracademy.co.uk

Twitter: @AcademyAnn

@PRAcademy