Chapter 3 Flashcards
What is communication?
If you can make it really clear what your reasons are, that is step one.
Managers can either be managed by higher levels or can be the changes themselves.
Who are the communicating parties in a change situation?
Change managers - what are they talking about
Those being managed - what are they expressing?
Impact of language on change management
It is the word that we use in describing the changes and the expectations for adoption.
In return, the language we hear from those impacted shows their feelings about the proposed change.
What does language help you assess?
Management understanding of their employees and customers + attitudes towards them
What are the components of language and communication?
Verbal
Non-verbal
Listening
Outline
interpreting the language of change
Role of language in a change effort
Listen to understand
What people say and why (attitude)
Speaking and being understood
What are the four steps of the active listening method?
Listen
Paraphrase
Clarify
Respond
What is the impact of active listening on implementing change?
Supports open communication
Builds trust and helps to roll out the change, as people feel they are part of the change
Attitude- where does it come from?
Book distinguishes three types of attitude:
Positive
Negative
Neutral
There are three components of attitude:
Affective
Behavioural
Cognitive
What conditions influence attitude strength?
Personal experience
Proficiency and expertise on the subject matter
When a favourable outcome is expected
Repetitive and consistent expression of attitudes
The stakes at risk
What is the role of a change agent towards the strength of the attitude?
Change agents job here is to ensure the attitudes are managed and reshaped throughout the transformation process.
People will always want to know what to expect, where, when and why.
When crafting change messages, keep in mind that they must be:
Specific
Clear and detailed
Concise and exact
Name the 9 Potential Pitfalls in Change Messaging
Semantics Ambiguous statements Built in assumptions Directive Implicit cases Negation Scope of action Time reference ambiguity Messaging mediums
Semantics
Avoid using ‘‘should’’, ‘‘could’’, ‘‘trying’’, etc. Using right phrasing to avoid occurrence of double meaning.
Ambiguous statements
open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning. Obscure, vague statements lacking clear message.
Built in assumptions
Message avoids assumptions, does not assume that everyone has the same knowledge of background information
Directive
Message clearly states the expected actions to be taken by those impacted by change.
Implicit cases
suggested though not directly expressed. In change messaging this is to be avoided.
Negation
the contradiction or denial of something. In change messaging it needs to be clear which item is negated, so it is clear what is (or is not) being done
Scope of action
Message needs to fully define the changes being made and the scope of action.
Time reference ambiguity
Messages need to be clear about the timelines and known schedules (e.g. national holidays), so people can prepare properly.
Messaging mediums
Change agents need to be considerate about the right channel used (e.g. email, face to face, etc.)
Affective
How the other person, event, or object affects the feelings and emotional state of the central person
Cognitive
What the central person knows, understands, and believes about the other person, event, or object
Behavioral
How the attitude influence or affects the way that people behave.
