Skill for Communicating Change

Chap
11

Monica Erica 2013.502.012

Ivanny Valencia 2013.502.014
Maria Elizabeth 2013.502.015
Helena Winata 2013.002.047
Maria Dwi Ardiana 2013.002.073

Relationship of Change Images to Communication

Skills

Communication Skills For Engaging

Others in The Change Process
1

LISTENING

UPWARD SELLING

STORY TELLING

TOXIC HANDLING

~ LISTENING ~
as a Communication Skill
Type of Listening

Wolfin & Coakley

Usage

Discriminative Listening

Determining significance of
auditory / visual message

Comprehensive Listening

Striving to understand message

for later recall / use

Therapeutic Listening

Helping others

Critical Listening

Evaluating message

Communication begins Appreciative Listening

when someone listens

Involving discriminating and

comprehensive listening

The importance of listening lies in the ability to acknowledge

different points of view

Jacobs & Coghlan

The implication

That change agents learn about these differences

through the process of listening

Acknowledging differences rather than ignoring or not

listening to them, creating understanding & opens up
possibility of integrating divergent view

How a perceived lack of listening might endanger

learning oppurtunities??
a) When people feel that the communication process is
one-way and they are effectively ignored
b) Where a lack listening means that potential learning
opportunities are lost
c) Where people feel that their active participation &
involvement in a change is limited
d) Where lack of interaction means a lack of mutual
belonging to and identification with, the
organizational community

~ TELLING STORIES ~
People tell stories in conversations to keep the
organization from repeating historically bad choices and
to invite the repetition of past successes.

~ SELLING CHANGE
UPWARD ~
New ideas for change can be pushed upward through the
organization from staff and various modes of argument
(intangible media) can be used to gain managerial
attention in support of changes ideas.

ISSUE SELLING

~ TOXIC HANDLERS ~
To describe people whose skills extend to
helping others deal with the
organizational pain that can be
associated with change

5 ways :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Listening empathically
Cooling people down
Suggesting solutions
Helping to solve problems
Providing advice

Working behind the scenes

Carrying the confidences of others

Listening to and keeping secret

Reframing difficult messages

CHANGE CONVERSATION SKILLS

Talking in stages

Talking coherently
Aligning your language with the desired
change
Creating a common change language

~ Talking in Stages ~
Initiative conversations bring attention to the need for change, whether reactive or
proactive. This may take the form of:
An assertion
A request

A declaration

CONVERSATION:
For understanding
For perfomance
For closure

Breakdowns in change and the conversation process can occur.

There are a number of issues to consider for practicing change

managers.

~ Talking Coherently ~

ideals

appeals

rules

deals

~ Aligning Your Language with the Desired

Change ~
Marshaks 4 Different Images of change :
No.

Images

Based on

Change Agents
Role

Proper Language

1.

Machine imagery of change

Fix & Maintain

Repairperson

Repair, adjust,
correct

2.

Developmental imagery of
change

Build & Develop

Trainer or Coach

Nurturing, growing,
getting better

3.

Transitional imagery of
change

Move & Relocate

Guide or Planner

Moving forward,
leaving the past
behind, moving from
__ to __

4.

Transformational imagery of
change

Liberate & Re-create

Visionary

Reinventing, recreating, adopting

Aligning Your Language with the Desired

Change (cont)
Send out mixed signals

Align language

New metaphor: new insights &

action E.g: NASCAR

Change managers need to direct their attention to altering

policies, systemsm and processes in their organization that are in
conflict with the language of desired change.

~ Creating a Common Change Language ~

Hussey : Misused words can cause amusement, frustation &
confusion.
Moosbruker & Lofton: business process reengineering has often
failed due to diffeent use of words when bus. Process practitioners
& org. devlp. Practitioners attempt to work together. Example:
System, Process, Function.

Creating a Common Change Language (cont)

No Common
Meanings

Common
meanings

Heraclous & Barret : Change leaders required to have skills in

understanding deeper discursive structures that underpin the
discourses of different stakeholders which can help in avoiding dead
ends & self defeating compromises in change implementation.

Communicating Change With the Outside World

Communicating to external stakeholders is as important as communicating internally.
External stakeholder :
1. Supplier
2. Society
3. Government
4. Creditors
5. Shareholders
6. Customers
Four key defensive practices used to protect organizations from negative reactions have been
identified:
excuses,
justifications,
disclaimers and
concealment.

Communication with the outside

Companies Strategic Change
Sensegiving strategies: these are:
acquiescence sensegiving - strategic changes are presented as being aligned with
current understandings and norms, and
balancing sensegiving - frames a change as deviating from current norms.
Crisis management & Corporate reputation: maintaining reputation during crisis is
crucial.
Corporate reputation is an important asset that is positively correlated with
organizational performance.
Constructed external image : staff motivation