How the change change project is communicated to the organization

An essential part of any change project is how the change is communicated to the organization, the change agents, the line workers, the customers, and the public. Along with media relations issues, communicating change (especially in a publicly traded company) can involve multiple legal and regulatory aspects as well as personnel and management concerns. Perhaps the most challenging part of handling Kotter’s “establish a sense of urgency” is that too many inexperienced or immature change agents read this to mean “panic the troops.” Never do this!

Here's what to do:

Write an analysis of the communication your company used to communicate the organizational change.
Research and analyze any media, news, or other communications that provide details on the change that occurred in the organization.
Explain how the change was communicated to its stakeholders and the information shared in the communication you researched.
Discuss whether the communication effectively addressed the change to its intended audience (refer to the Chapter 7 reading).
Create an original communication sample your organization could have distributed related to the change. Do not re-create a communication previously used by an organization.
Write the communication in a Word document (either the text or the script if the communication would have been oral). You may select to complete an interoffice memo, press release, employee or customer newsletter, or a corporate email update.

Full Answer Section

           

How the Change was Communicated

  The information shared with stakeholders varied significantly.
  • To the Public (Media/Customers): The communication focused on the positive aspects of the merger. Press releases highlighted the new company's competitive advantage, expanded product offerings, and increased global reach. The tone was confident and forward-looking, with a strong emphasis on shareholder value.
  • To Employees: Communication was primarily through interoffice memos and town hall meetings. These messages were often technical, detailing new roles, reporting lines, and the timeline for system integration. The initial communications lacked a sense of urgency and did not adequately explain the rationale behind the change or how it would affect individual employees. There was a noticeable lack of communication about job security, which was a major concern for many.
  • To Leadership: The communication to leadership was more detailed and strategic, focusing on the financial and operational integration plans. However, this information did not cascade down effectively to middle management or line workers.

Sample Answer

     

Analysis of the Communication Strategy

  The company's communication strategy for the organizational change was a multi-faceted approach, but it lacked a cohesive, unified message. Research into press releases, news articles, and employee memos revealed a disjointed effort. The public-facing communication (press releases, media interviews) focused on the strategic benefits of the change—specifically, a merger aimed at "synergy" and "market expansion." However, internal communications to employees, particularly line workers, were often vague and delayed. They primarily addressed logistics like new reporting structures and system changes, without a clear explanation of the "why." This created a disconnect between the public narrative of growth and the internal reality of uncertainty and fear. The communication to stakeholders seemed to be reactive rather than proactive.