Change Management
Fifteen years ago twenty-five percent of major business change initiatives impacted less than fifty people and cost less than $100,000. Today, that same twenty-five percent impacts more than 5,000 people and costs more than $10M. This is a one hundred times increase in fifteen years! This growth has been driven by globalization and an increase in technology projects. That means projects have become one hundred times riskier.
Typically communicating change within an organization is a one size fits all and a one-way experience. In other words, leaders communicate information about a change that will be occurring the same way they do other general information. Announcements are made by email or the information is shared in a meeting. Rarely are feedback mechanisms in place, messages crafted by audience or sent by the most influential people. I call it “vanilla” messaging - very generic and not really impactful or comforting during times of change.