Abstract
Employees often perceive periods of change—no matter how warranted or beneficial—as crises, exhibiting both cognitive and emotional reactions including feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, even fear, chaos, stress, betrayal, grief, and anger. Management must have a clear strategy for communicating with employees through change, as employee expectations for open and honest communication are increased in times of shift and uncertainty. Open, honest, and regular communication is essential to keeping employees motivated and productive. Benefits of effective communication in times of change include higher employee satisfaction and engagement, lower turnover, and stronger long-term commitment. Solid internal relationships also strengthen ethics-related outcomes such as fraud reduction and reputation management.
Keywords
Change is inevitable and even necessary for the survival of organizations. Employees often perceive periods of change—no matter how warranted or beneficial—as crises, exhibiting both cognitive and emotional reactions, including feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, even fear, chaos, stress, betrayal, grief, and anger (Frandsen & Johansen, 2011). According to Polish communication consultant,Roman Rostek (2013)when speaking about change communication: The Chinese sign 危機 meaning “crisis” consists of two elements: first meaning “danger” and second meaning “opportunity.” This can be quite relevant for internal communication during times of change. On the one hand, it is easy to make a mistake that can have dangerous results. On the other hand, there is no better time for implementing new solutions for a communication system and for raising the importance of internal communication in the eyes of leaders. (p. 1)
Whether organizational change is prompted by shifting competition, financial challenges, a new strategic direction, or strides for greater efficiencies, effective communication is essential to combat inevitable dips in morale. Managers at all organizational levels are faced with the challenging task of inspiring others to remain positive and productive while also simultaneously implementing new procedures and expectations.
Periods of change are frequently associated with low morale, as employees struggle to understand and adapt to shifting situations and expectations. A survey of 150 senior executives from the largest U.S. firms revealed that 48% of respondents cited better communication as the best remedy for low morale. Not surprisingly, one third said the lack of open and honest communication with staff members is the primary cause of lowered morale (Demitropoulos, 2010). Achieving effective communication is always challenging, but particularly in situations in which people are stressed, worried, and upset. Employees are seeking to be informed, reassured, and encouraged. They want their concerns to be heard and responded to in a straightforward manner. Timely and sensitive messages delivered in a sincere personal manner can go far in assuaging fears and building a sense of optimism.
Management must have a clear strategy for communicating with employees through change, as employee expectations for open and honest communication are increased in times of shift and uncertainty. Even when managers do not have all the answers, their silence is often seen by employees as evasiveness. Telling staff what is known about impending change and related challenges reassures them that they have received available information.
Communicating in Times of Change
In times of change, management often receives complaints and inquiries from frustrated, worried, and concerned employees. Those individuals with vested interest in the organization need frequent assurances that situations are under control. A survey of 239 U.S. CEOs conducted in the midst of the recent U.S. recession reinforced that messages from organizational leaders were critical in maintaining organizational equilibrium . Survey participants were clear in the opinion that communication in such times should occur often. Most CEOs in the reported study said that they communicated with employees at least once a month, whereas nearly a third communicated once a week during the challenge. Email updates and quarterly or even more frequent extended communiqués help employees feel they are informed about current conditions, even if still serious. Reassuring people that situations are being monitored and appropriate steps taken can help assuage fear. Respondents also emphasized that face-to-face time becomes more important in crisis situations, and conversational encounters often are more valued than formal presentations (Gurchiek, 2010).
Most large firms have a crisis or contingency plan that typically includes a dimension related specifically to communication with internal stakeholders (Johansen, Aggerholm, & Frandsen, 2012). Because of strong negative employee perceptions about change, principles that apply to crisis communication also generally are applicable to periods of organizational change.Goodman and Truss (2004)recommended that the internal portion of the crisis communication plan include the following elements:
What information to convey to employees :Managers must determine what employees must know (immediate and necessary information), what they should know (details that will assist in understanding and acceptance), and what they could know (gossip and rumors that may need to be corrected or clarified). Another consideration is determining what information should be sought from employees.
When to share various types and levels of information :Change messages often filter down through the organization, with top-level management providing the general information that is then operationalized through the various hierarchical levels. Timing and style of delivery of such messages are crucial to employee response.
How to share information :Media options include face-to-face, written, and technology-assisted means such as email, video casts, blogs, and texts. Obviously size and decentralization of an organization will largely dictate which communication channels are feasible, at least for messages from top-level management.
Whatever strategy is adopted, management should be the first source for information, rather than employees relying on the grapevine or the media for updates (Dodd, 2013).Jo and Shim (2005)found a strong relationship between management’s interpersonal communication and employees’ forming trusting attitudes. In short, employees want to see and talk to their leaders in times of uncertainty. The reality that the CEO sets the tone for internal communication is widely acknowledged (Schein, 2000;Tourish & Robson, 2003). An organization’s top managers are in a role to exert strong personal influence in their relationships with other employees and to affect attitudes, job satisfaction, and consequently how employees speak about the organization to external stakeholders.
Message content, regularity, and transparency are, of course, crucial. Communication strategies that generally work in more favorable circumstances may not go as planned in a time of change. A classic premise is that bad news should be delivered clearly, unequivocally, and with empathy. Organizational communicators must avoid glossing over bad news by using euphemisms. For example, layoffs have been phrased as “workforce adjustments” or “headcount reductions.” Written messages often have used such indirect language that the audience has not understood fully the bad news embedded in the verbiage. In times of uncertainty and heightened concern, employee response to such ambiguous messages is often anger and confusion.
French and Holden (2012)found that an organization’s culture and responsible organizational behavior greatly impact the way bad news messages are both crafted and received. In their study of Korean university students,Moon and Rhee (2012)found that the appropriate type of appeal varies with the circumstances. For instance, individuals are likely to feel anger when they perceive a crisis as internal and controllable. In such cases, an emotional-centered appeal may help reduce anger and elicit more positive attitudes. When a crisis is perceived as external and uncontrollable, individuals may experience fear and need more information to calm their anxiety. Therefore, an information-centered appeal may be more appropriate.
Traditional advice in message strategy about delaying the introduction of unwelcomed news and embedding it among justifying and conciliatory statements is not born out in case studies involving organizational change. People can handle unwelcomed news much better than conventional wisdom would suggest (Jordan-Meier, 2011). The voices of experience from managers within organizations that have successfully weathered significant challenges include the following (Gillette, 2008):
Commit to communicate. When management is not upfront, the audience is more likely to feel that the organization is at fault, uncaring, or blind to the situation. People would typically prefer to receive bad news than to be left to speculate about what is happening.
Be direct. Reasons for decisions and actions should be prioritized according to audience relevance. For example, the first concern of the work staff is not that business costs have increased, but that they might be laid off. Avoid the tendency to try to soften the blow or explain from your own viewpoint.
Validate fears instead of masking the facts. Open, honest disclosure allows those affected by changes to at least feel “in the loop” rather than fearing the unknown.
Share factual information about losses, downturns, and bad press. Do not sugarcoat the facts, even when they are disappointing, annoying, or depressing.Korn and Einwiller (2013)found that when internal communication is fast and transparent, employees feel a much-reduced need to search extensively for information from external media.
Communicate throughout the change process. Communicate preliminary information and early signs of problems. Do not wait to disseminate negative news all at once when the process or event is final.
Make communications personal and personable. Employees may demonize and blame those with whom they have little connection. Verbal explanations are usually preferred to written ones. When face-to-face meetings are not possible, a video presentation from corporate-level management might be the next best thing. When written messages are sent, they should come from a senior manager and be written in a personal style that signals caring and compassion. A handwritten message from an immediate supervisor expressing gratitude to an employee for staying the course can make a significant positive impact.
Ask for ideas. Employees will often suggest useful strategies for coping with problems that emerge from change. The fact that they are asked for input leads to greater commitment and ownership of solutions and a feeling that “we are all in this together.”
Suggest strategies. Explain what the organization has done to mitigate challenging situations, and what employees can do to lessen the severity of adjustment. People will often respond to suggestions once they see that management has already taken steps to address the problem at hand.
Talk about something other than the problems. Take the opportunity to build relationships through personalized, open exchange. Recognize dedicated contributions, and build in inexpensive expressions of appreciation for good work and loyalty.
Maintain a positive attitude. Express confidence and remind employees of the need for everyone to work together to find solutions.
Moving Employees Through Change
Organizational change is frequently stressful to those impacted, even when the change is positive.Bridges (2009)argued that one of the biggest mistakes organizations make is to focus all their energy and resources on getting people to move to the new way, when the first challenge is actually getting them to let go of the old way. He suggests a number of management strategies for moving forward and making the change work.
Clearly Communicate What Employees Will Stand to Lose or Have to Leave Behind
Help employees understand why the change is happening and to take ownership of it. Let them see the problem firsthand, if possible, so they will be more inclined to let go of the past status quo. Changes in operations should involve the least interruption as possible to workflow and productivity.
Spell Out Specifically What You Want Employees to Do or Stop Doing
People need to know what the behavioral expectations are under the new situation. For instance, admonitions to “work together as a team” are not particularly explanatory. Paint a vivid picture of what the change will look and feel like and what lies ahead. Give each employee a part to play in the plan so all can contribute and participate. When, for example, TD Bank Group launched an internal social-media network, select individual employees were designated as “Connection Geniuses” to spur its adoption. This group helped colleagues learn how to use the platform and touted its ability to improve work quality and satisfaction (Chui, Dewhurst, & Pollak, 2013).
Talk Frequently About the Transition Process and Show Understanding of Employees’ Feelings and Frustrations
Employees who do not feel they have a forum with their supervisors for their concerns may turn to the media or social exchange platforms to air their grievances. The Royal Bank of Scotland actually used the power of employee social media exchange to help them turn around their negative reputation following the economic downturn (Dodd, 2013). Management identified employees who could champion the company message and created a support network for these engaged employees to collaborate. The Royal Bank of Scotland provided the internal communication team of champions with insight into the issues facing the entire workforce so they could interact with other employees about their concerns. The company also supplied the champions with an unmoderated comments board to share their feedback to employee complaints and suggestions, thus helping to rebuild the bank’s internal reputation (Dodd, 2013).
Although individuals cannot always control negative situations, they do have control over their reactions. “Brightsiding” is a term coined byShimoff (2008)to describe a deliberate positive response to less-than-ideal circumstances. The theory underlying the brightsiding concept is that people must be energized to have the strength and courage to pull themselves out of hard times. According to Shimoff, each individual has a happiness set point that provides a fixed range of happiness. Although she asserts that the set point is 50% genetically determined through personality, it is the 50% that is learned that can be influenced. Shimoff described various mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical strategies for finding greater happiness in spite of circumstances.
Although some criticize the concept of brightsiding as simplistic and naïve, the benefit of the technique is apparent when employees are enabled to compartmentalize and think about things other than the negative. People can be fortified through laughter, positive thoughts, and the strength of relationships. According to corporate coach and author Michelle DeAngelis, “Smiling causes the brain to release chemicals that alter your mood. So faking it until you make it has some basis in science” (Worley, 2009). Deliberate positivity in light of challenge may be seen as insincere and superfluous if not used carefully. Helping employees find the silver lining does not mean that challenges are disregarded or downplayed. Internal change can include elements of fun and involvement. Contests that require teams of employees to reach certain milestones in the transition or that solicit submissions for slogans, logo items designs, or other such creative outlets can help to promote employee engagement.
Communicating effectively through change must be a two-way process. Although important in every communication situation, listening is critical during a change process (Filek, 2009). People enveloped in uncomfortable and uncertain situations have worries they need to express, and they need assurance that their concerns are being heard.Judith Filek (2009), president of Impact Communications, suggested strategies for responsive listening in challenging times that include listening intently without multitasking or interrupting the speaker, observing nonverbal language to uncover possible hidden messages, withholding judgment, summarizing regularly for empathy and understanding, and responding only after the speaker has concluded. Listening obviously extends beyond the physical act that takes place in face-to-face encounters. It includes being receptive to the various ways that employees communicate their thoughts, concerns, and ideas, whether through traditional or technology-assisted means. The proliferation of new communication channels—email, texting, video chat, social media, and so on—has democratized internal communication in a potentially positive way. Internal communication is increasingly cocreated between employees and leadership. Organizations that use only traditional corporate channels to convey messages to employees limit their capabilities to dated push approaches, missing valuable opportunities to engage employees in dialogue with management and one another and to involve them in facing challenges and being part of the solution.
Assessing Communication Effectiveness
Various studies have attempted to link external communication strategies to an organization’s business performance; however, showing such an association is more difficult when examining internal communication. Rather than focusing on the traditional financial approach of calculating return on investment, nonfinancial indicators must be considered, including employee satisfaction, engagement, turnover rate, and long-term commitment (Meng & Berger, 2012;Tourish & Hargie, 2009). Solid internal relationships bolstered by effective communication also form an important aspect of organizational investment in ethics-related outcomes such as fraud reduction and reputation management (Tilley, Fredricks, & Hornett, 2012).
Nelissen and van Selm (2008)found that employee satisfaction with management communication is strongly related to their attitudes about organizational change. In managing change, however, organizations also must avoid “resting on their laurels” and should not assume that communication strategies that have appeared successful in the past will continue to be effective.Veil (2011), for example, cautioned organizations to guard against overreliance on methods and processes that have worked in previous situations, which limits the range of response. Overconfidence in past communication processes can lead to a failure to make needed changes.
Conclusions
Organizations reveal their true values in the way management communicates with employees during times of change and uncertainty. In challenging times, employees can feel threatened, overworked, neglected, and afraid of what the future may hold. Managers at all levels of the organization face the daunting task of inspiring others to remain positive and productive in spite of changing circumstances, while not glossing over the reality of the situation. Strategic planning and careful audience analysis are essential to assuring that message content, timing, and delivery method are appropriate. The benefits of effective internal communication, although not easily measured, can be informally assessed through consideration of employee satisfaction, commitment, and effort throughout the change process.
Ethical disclosure and transparency are the most important requirements for communication effectiveness during change. A unified management team must focus on supporting employees through the challenges, rather than trying to spin communication. Employees should receive vital information regularly from management, instead of relying on the news media or employee (or ex-employee) blogs and posts. Encouraging optimism among those who are in the midst of change can enable them to draw energy from within themselves and each other. Employee engagement in the change process improves worker satisfaction and moves the organization toward its goals. Organizations involved in change should embrace a wide array of methods for building a sense of community within the organization through active dialogue.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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