Key Points
Change communication focused solely on providing information does not develop the shared perspectives required for change success.
A more strategic take on internal change communication recognizes that people will draw on more than information provided by the change team to inform their perspectives of the change.
Effective communication with employees during change requires us to link sense-giving and sense-making processes to create a mutual understanding of the change. Tips on how to do so are discussed.
Organizational change often requires stakeholders to let go of accepted “facts” about the organization — what’s important, who has power, how things are done — to create a new sense of truth. A variety of research suggests that to develop a shared sense of the new reality we aim to create with change, we need to think of internal change communication as multi-dimensional.
Sense-giving: Communicating to influence and inform
Instinctively, many of us leading organizational change focus on providing information. We develop and offer a version of the new truth to influence how others think and feel about the change.
Providing a corporate perspective of the change is one side of the change communication — sense-giving. This may sound something like:
“This new initiative will result in more decision-making power on the front lines. We want to empower you, who are closest to our customers and their needs.“
To be sure, providing a perspective on the rationale and vision for the change is an essential responsibility of the change leader(s). We need to do it.
Sense-making: Creating meaning from information and experiences
However, whether we recognize it or not, those on the receiving end of the change, and our communication about it, will interpret what we offer through their own lens. Their perspectives will necessarily be colored by their past experiences, expectations, aspirations, and beliefs.
This is the other side of change communication — sense-making. It can be fairly unique to the individual or group. For that reason, when people “make sense” of a change, what they come up with may/may not match what is offered by leadership or other colleagues.
It may sound something like:
“Whenever they start talking about “empowerment,” it just means more work for us.
“Finally! We have been asking for this, but we’ll see if they actually let us make decisions.”
“I’m a little nervous about this, but if I can do it well, it might position me for that management position I am hoping for.”
How to create a more strategic approach to change communication
Everyone involved in a change effort will undertake both sense-giving and sense-making at varying times. Those involved in initiating a change use sense-making to assess the need and vision for the change. They reflect, discuss and gather information to create a perspective about what is going on in the organization, the broader environment, and the best way forward. The change team undertakes sense-giving to share their ideas with the stakeholders, who in turn, aim to “make sense of” what is being shared from their own perspectives. Further, when stakeholders offer questions, feedback, or even pushback, they aim to influence the perspectives offered by leadership, thus undertaking sense-giving from their point of view.
To enable different players involved in an organizational change to develop a shared perspective about the change, rather than speaking past one another, we need to think about change communication strategically.
Our change communications approach should link sense-giving and sense-making processes across organizational levels and between stakeholders. In doing so, we can create an environment where various perspectives inform one another to create a story of the change that resonates broadly.
Research offers a few ways to support shared meaning-making during times of change, which include:
Clarify the change vision and sharpen it over time to support shared understanding. Without clear information about the change, confusion can ensue as people aim to fill in the gaps on their own. Providing a vision for the future and rationale for the change is the first step. However, recognize that the words, symbols, and stories that strike a chord with leaders or the change team, may not work for everyone. Be willing to adjust based on questions and feedback to create something meaningful and motivating to many.
Communicate for the duration of the change. Throughout the lifespan of the change, it’s important to provide frequent and timely (when people need it) information. How people view and feel about a change often shifts based on their experience of the change at any given time. Ongoing and responsive communication can support positive views of and outcomes from the change. (Not sure what to communicate about? Check out my five-point change communication checklist.)
Make commitments with care. When we launch an organizational change, we often make promises about the benefits the change will create and what people can expect from the change process. However, in planning, we often underestimate the degree of effort, potential for complications, and time that successful change involves. In communication about the change, be mindful when saying things such as: “This will be easy” or “We will provide ample training and support,” unless you have verified that is, in fact, true. People’s perspectives of the change will be influenced, in part, by whether the organization keeps its commitments.
Provide opportunities for stakeholder participation. We create meaning through experiences. Offering opportunities to participate in designing, planning, testing, previewing, or sharing perspectives about the change can provide a helpful link between sense-giving and sense-making processes.
Create feedback loops. It’s hard to know what people are saying or thinking about a change if we don’t seek feedback. Beyond creating formal channels for feedback — .e.g., Q&A sessions, focus groups, pulse surveys — change communicators must also look for more subtle signs of support and challenge to the change. Middle managers can be instrumental in gathering feedback and gleaning insights from it — if we ask them to do so.
Understand people’s sense of gains and losses. One way we make sense of change is to interpret how it will impact us personally. Understanding how different stakeholders view the change in terms of wins and losses provides essential insight for sense-giving efforts. While we may not be able to remove all losses, we can mitigate the impact of the loss. Acknowledging losses, sharing information on how decisions were made, and making time to engage with employees to discuss the change, can positively influence how people view the change, particularly if they anticipate losses. (For more, see my article on how perceptions of fairness influence change outcomes.)
Sources
Armenakis, A. A., & Harris, S. G. (2002). Crafting a change message to create transformational readiness. Journal of Organizational Change Management.
Bartunek, J. M., Rousseau, D. M., Rudolph, J. W., & DePalma, J. A. (2006). On the receiving end: Sensemaking, emotion, and assessments of an organizational change initiated by others. The Journal of applied behavioral science, 42(2), 182-206.
Gioia, D. A., & Chittipeddi, K. (1991). Sensemaking and sensegiving in strategic change initiation. Strategic Management Journal, 12(6), 433-448.
Gioia, D. A., Thomas, J. B., Clark, S. M., & Chittipeddi, K. (1994). Symbolism and strategic change in academia: The dynamics of sensemaking and influence. Organization Science, 5(3), 363-383.
Weick, K. E., Sutcliffe, K. M., & Obstfeld, D. (2005). Organizing and the process of sensemaking. Organization Science, 16(4), 409-421.