We’re going to be targeting a new set of objectives.Change is the only constant in just about any workplace. Employees can perceive change in one of two ways, depending on how you present it. It can excite, energize, and offer numerous opportunities, or it can mean that employees lose control, that they must veer from a familiar and comfortable path, and that they have to exert energy on new and seemingly difficult tasks. The difference in their choice between these responses can depend on how you communicate that change and what employees see as opportunities for success.
We’re going to be targeting a new set of objectives.
Our CEO introduced changes that will help the company reach critical financial goals, including …
We’re going to participate in a new initiative at the company. It should be challenging, but it can yield great rewards.
We’re going to be reorienting some projects and adding new ones as part of greater initiative to …
Undergo
Subject to
Fall under (the mandate …)
Under (these changes)
Launch
Target
Participate
Move forward
Let’s look at your core concerns and address the details later.
We’re going to draft a plan next week to implement these changes. Then, by Thursday at the latest, we’ll hold a meeting to further discuss how we’ll make this work.
We’ll have regular meetings to solve problems as we go.
As you can see, we’ve established clear goals, and we will continue finding better ways to reach them.
This is the direction the company is taking. As you’ll see in upcoming weeks, you’ll get plenty of information and support from the corporate office and from me.
Indicate how, specifically and quantitatively, the employees will help support the change:
What will the changes look like?
How will life differ from the way it was?
What can employees expect?
What will they experience?
Here are sample phrases you can use:
You will be assigned to separate teams of five people each, and the teams will be reassigned to specific regional territories in the Southwest.
Over the next few weeks, about half of you will be reassigned to another district. If you choose not to go, then you have the option of …
Currently, you are responsible for … Moving forward, you will be responsible for …
In our old business model, we expected that you would bring these results: … Now though, you need to bring these results: … This may seem like a huge difference, but actually it isn’t.
The leadership will be divided into three new groups, each with its own units. You will be in this unit: …
We will operate in smaller but more technologically advanced research centers. For example, instead of … we will have … This will give us many advantages, such as …
Let employees know about some of the frustrations and slowdowns you expect, and tell them you predict that these will be short-lived:
This is how the process will look: …
At first, our systems will take a few minutes longer, but that should only last …
You will have a learning curve, no question, but you’ll receive world-class training to help you incorporate the new information as quickly as possible.
Some of you will need to relocate: …
By 2010, here’s what you can expect: …
This will help them overcome a sense of futility or hunger for the past. Be sure to use the present as a starting point and include the benefits of the move, when possible. This is how your structure should look:
For example:
(now) We’ll stop wasting 20 percent of our budget on travel, (later) which will free up your time (benefits) by hours or more every day.
Here are a few more perfect phrases using this formula:
We currently have a strong presence in only two of five territories. By making these changes, we’ll have a presence in at least four and potentially increase our profit margin by …
The office cannot accommodate our growing employee base, so we need to move to a larger facility that will accommodate everyone.
We are not keeping up with our competitors in terms of how we use technology, so everyone will go through the training module. In the long run, this will …
If the benefit happens to be impressive—or surprising in a positive sense—then mention it first in your sentence:
We can potentially increase our market share by 50 percent if we move from a system of … to one in which …
We can tap into a highly professional employee base and successfully double our size by moving from our current location to this university town.
You will have access to more of the tools you want because money will be freed up by cutting back on … and …
These could include things like insufficient support, outdated tools, or inadequate training:
Don’t use negative or "blocking" language: What are some problems that you think will get in your way?
Use positive language: What do you think will help you move forward?
Don’t use negative or blocking language: What is going to be most difficult problem you confront?
Use positive language: How can the company best support you?
Here are some more examples:
What kinds of training will help you adjust the fastest? We have Web and in-class training.
What do you think will be most helpful for your team?
What is the smoothest way to get through this transition?
This transition does offer numerous opportunities.
One reason employees resist change is that they feel out of control. So, as a manager, the best thing you can do is to lead them through the change rather than force them to accept it. Otherwise, you may get a great deal of nodding heads when you announce the change and a great deal of resistance, negativity, and anger later. So how do you lead them? Here are a few strategies.
These include words such as will and avoid words like must when discussing changes:
Not: You must adjust to these changes.
But: You will adjust to these changes.
Not: You have to accept these changes.
But: You will accept these changes.
Not: You better get use to it.
But: You will get use to it.
This helps to indicate that each employee is part of a team and working toward a common mission:
Once we move, we will …
Some of the new goals we will need to meet …
Our new mission will be to … We can achieve this by …
We will soon find that …
Point to other times when organizations experienced similar changes and indicate how they succeeded:
As you probably recall, during the technology bust in the late nineties, we went through similar changes. Yet today, our software division …
We did need to downsize several years ago, but all of you retained your jobs and thrived, as you can see today.
This cycle is predictable and necessary for the health of the company. For example, …
We went through an identical situation in 1985. Within two years, we bounced back; in fact, our health was better than ever.
Do you remember when … went through similar changes? Think about where they are today.
According to business guru Tom Franklin, every growing organization goes through changes like these. In fact, it’s what makes them strong. For example, …
Quick tip: Use fewer, more powerful, messages. Otherwise, employees will get communications burnout and start skimming or otherwise ignoring your messages.
Most of the layoffs won’t be affecting our area, although we will experience some.
We’ll go through the training process before the rest of the company because we’re …
The new name change will not affect us until February.
At that point, you’ll get new e-mail addresses …
We plan to begin training in the spring, most likely. We’re forth in line after … departments.
We’ll begin the move in about five years. Since we’ll be the last to go, we’ll probably be relocated nearby in the interim.
HR has opened an office with a full-time employee available to answer your questions about …
The company will sponsor ongoing training to help you.
We will bring in job placement specialists to help you identify other positions, write your résumé, and do well in interviews.
I have a list of people you can call to answer your questions and provide you with other support as we move forward.
You will find updates on our intranet site … You can also contact Valerie in HR at …
The home office is compiling a list of places you can go for … I expect to receive the list by …
So far, we’ve implemented changes like these successfully. So I expect the same to happen as we continue with the project plan.
Why don’t you find ways to address those issues and bring your solutions to the meeting next week? In the meantime, keep moving forward.
Our goal was … So far, we have made progress, but we will need to address those issues at some point. Do you have any recommendations?
Let’s discuss these concerns in my office later today. The rest of you are invited too.
Quick tip: Most people hear only about one of five words and they retain even fewer. So while you need to speak with employees and address their questions, make sure you combine other communications vehicles as well. Support your spoken message with a written reminder. Post lists on the intranet and provide them in hard copy. And provide charts, graphs, and other type of illustrations for more visually oriented employees.