Managers: Five tips for communicating about a constantly changing strategy
15 February 2013
Read by 2156 persons
Restructuring, reorganizations, mergers, acquisitions, repositioning or relocation… Today, companies that do not go through profound and frequent changes are rare. When the strategy follows the fluctuations of the stock market, navigates according to market evolution or shareholder desires, the position is very uncomfortable for the manager. Advice.
1. Start by questioning yourself
Before communicating, the first thing to do is to ask yourself: do I myself adhere to this change? How is it beneficial for the company? If I see many more disadvantages than advantages, what are the positive points I can identify anyway? "This step is essential because you cannot enter the arena if you "sweat negation," warns coach François Enius. It is essential to find at least a few points of contact that will allow you to be sincere and therefore credible when you speak to your team." Because a manager who doubts will have difficulty getting the best out of his collaborators. Clichéd language is obviously to be avoided, especially when it's the third or fourth reorganization in two years.
2. Adopt a sincere and humble attitude
"We must be honest and acknowledge that we are going to go through a complicated period," advises François Enius. "Employees need to feel that the manager recognizes the reality of their difficulties." Sincerity: this is also the key attitude advocated by Thierry Chavel, a management coach associated with the Alter&coach firm. "Pretending to have visibility when you don't only increases employee anxiety and harms your credibility," he believes. He goes further and claims total authenticity. "It's better to speak from the heart," he recommends. "Dare to say: 'I don't have visibility. I imagine what you're feeling. I'm perplexed myself.'"
3. Prepare to manage change
A frustrating position, no doubt. But the added value of the manager is elsewhere. This is indeed the time to think about how to lead his team to the very notion of change. "We are in a world where everything is constantly changing and no one can escape it," analyzes the coach. "Today, change is the norm and stability is the exception," believes Thierry Chavel. "This is the message that the manager must convey to his teams." François Enius confirms: "It is necessary to explain that companies have no choice but to embrace the culture of permanent change to keep pace with the market and competitors from emerging countries. This logic of permanent adaptation, even if it is costly for the individual, is unavoidable."
4. Accept employees' fears
Change is frightening, and that's normal. The manager must welcome these fears, let his collaborators express them to the end, because it will relieve them. "You shouldn't fear the reactions of your team," assures François Enius. "Opposition and criticism are epidermal reactions caused by a sense of belonging. However, it will be easier for you to deal with the reactions of your collaborators face-to-face rather than in a meeting. That's why I suggest informing the 'opinion leaders' of the team a few days before the official announcement, which will give them time to digest the information. Similarly, during the meeting, you can offer to meet individually with those who have the most questions."
5. Reassure to the maximum
When the bag of doubts, anger, and suffering has been emptied, the manager will be able to lead his collaborators to become aware of their resources to face the upheavals that lie ahead. "This is the time to discuss previous reorganizations with them and remind them that they survived them, or even that they were able to find some advantages," suggests Thierry Chavel. This is the time to reflect on the qualities they implemented during these past changes. When everything is changing around you, you need to bring people back to their own inner security.
Marie-Pierre Nogues-Ledru
Pourseformer.fr
Posted online February 15, 2013.
1. Start by questioning yourself
Before communicating, the first thing to do is to ask yourself: do I myself adhere to this change? How is it beneficial for the company? If I see many more disadvantages than advantages, what are the positive points I can identify anyway? "This step is essential because you cannot enter the arena if you "sweat negation," warns coach François Enius. It is essential to find at least a few points of contact that will allow you to be sincere and therefore credible when you speak to your team." Because a manager who doubts will have difficulty getting the best out of his collaborators. Clichéd language is obviously to be avoided, especially when it's the third or fourth reorganization in two years.
2. Adopt a sincere and humble attitude
"We must be honest and acknowledge that we are going to go through a complicated period," advises François Enius. "Employees need to feel that the manager recognizes the reality of their difficulties." Sincerity: this is also the key attitude advocated by Thierry Chavel, a management coach associated with the Alter&coach firm. "Pretending to have visibility when you don't only increases employee anxiety and harms your credibility," he believes. He goes further and claims total authenticity. "It's better to speak from the heart," he recommends. "Dare to say: 'I don't have visibility. I imagine what you're feeling. I'm perplexed myself.'"
3. Prepare to manage change
A frustrating position, no doubt. But the added value of the manager is elsewhere. This is indeed the time to think about how to lead his team to the very notion of change. "We are in a world where everything is constantly changing and no one can escape it," analyzes the coach. "Today, change is the norm and stability is the exception," believes Thierry Chavel. "This is the message that the manager must convey to his teams." François Enius confirms: "It is necessary to explain that companies have no choice but to embrace the culture of permanent change to keep pace with the market and competitors from emerging countries. This logic of permanent adaptation, even if it is costly for the individual, is unavoidable."
4. Accept employees' fears
Change is frightening, and that's normal. The manager must welcome these fears, let his collaborators express them to the end, because it will relieve them. "You shouldn't fear the reactions of your team," assures François Enius. "Opposition and criticism are epidermal reactions caused by a sense of belonging. However, it will be easier for you to deal with the reactions of your collaborators face-to-face rather than in a meeting. That's why I suggest informing the 'opinion leaders' of the team a few days before the official announcement, which will give them time to digest the information. Similarly, during the meeting, you can offer to meet individually with those who have the most questions."
5. Reassure to the maximum
When the bag of doubts, anger, and suffering has been emptied, the manager will be able to lead his collaborators to become aware of their resources to face the upheavals that lie ahead. "This is the time to discuss previous reorganizations with them and remind them that they survived them, or even that they were able to find some advantages," suggests Thierry Chavel. This is the time to reflect on the qualities they implemented during these past changes. When everything is changing around you, you need to bring people back to their own inner security.
Marie-Pierre Nogues-Ledru
Pourseformer.fr
Posted online February 15, 2013.
