Background to Change Management cont. 9
Communication
It involves effectively building and maintaining of open, collaborative and reciprocal relationships with others.
| Expertise |
Description of Expertise |
| Building Relationships | Creates and maintain value-adding relationships |
| Understands collaboration and how to develop it in relationships | |
| Applies principled negotiation to achieve win/win outcomes in dealing with others | |
| Actively supports teamwork through collaboration and effective relationships | |
| Builds rapport and keeps others in the loop | |
| Facilitates the discussion of conflicting issues between individuals and groups | |
| Collaborates with others, seeks and utilises feedback | |
| Empathy | Is attentive to cues, like body language, tone of voice, etc and responds appropriately |
| Demonstrates empathy by relating to people and listening effectively to their viewpoint | |
| Uses empathy to consider stakeholder views, plan stakeholder engagement, plan and prioritise activities and tailor communication material | |
| Oral communications | Uses open questions and active listening to ensure individuals/situations are clearly understood |
| Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations; adjusts language to the characteristics and needs of the audience | |
| Written communication | Expresses ideas clearly in documents which have organisation, structure, grammar, language and terminology adjusted to the characteristics and needs of the audience |
| Effective communications | Regularly measures the effectiveness of communications and adjusts approach accordingly |
| Plans communication that is clear about purpose, desired outcome, key messages and audience needs | |
| Uses the expertise of subject matter specialists when designing communications and presentations | |
| Needs Identification | Identifies communications needs of each stakeholder group impacted by change |
| Plan | Plans, documents and gains agreement to the approach to communications by different stakeholders |
| Wherever possible worked with existing communications people and processes to provide a seamless communication plan for impacted stakeholders | |
| Finalises stakeholders' needs, communication plans and timetable | |
| Solution Design and Development - communications strategies | Develops an understanding of using appropriate communication styles and media for the situation and audience |
| Works with key stakeholders to create the most appropriate communications, eg communication channels | |
| Solution Delivery | Manage the process of requirements, design and delivery of solution |
| Monitors the development and delivery of communications solutions and reports on progress | |
| Monitors timetable and ensures all planned communications are sent | |
| Identifies opportunities to address resistance through communications and liaises with management | |
| Evaluation | Takes steps to evaluate the effectiveness |
| Monitors reaction to communications | |
| Analyses the results of the evaluation and takes required action, ie makes recommendations based on feedback | |
| Online Q & A | Understands the value of the site to answer impacted stakeholders' questions - especially in the event of a major change |
| Prepares a Q & A side and communicate its purpose to stakeholders and project team members | |
| Develop a list of subject matter experts and liaises with the appropriate person when answering questions online |
(source: CMI, 2022b)