Running Your Business: Why Communicating Change is Important + Free Downloadable Checklist

Updating, changing or innovating processes in your organization is a very exciting time. Though change is good, it can create some waves in your established routines, affect other processes in your organization and maybe leave people just a little confused.

Enter: change management. You might have heard the term before. It’s the strategy in place to make sure that organizations can continue running smoothly in all aspects when a major change is introduced. In fact, the Amilia team uses a change management model for our new processes. It’s called the ADKAR Model and we are firm believers that it improves process changeovers and both employee and customer satisfaction.

So why should you do it? There are three main groups that benefit from a well-communicated change in process: Your clients, your staff and the wider public. In this article, we’ll focus on the communication aspect of your change management plan. So, keep reading to find out the benefits of well thought out change communication process and get access to the free downloadable change management communication checklist.

Keep your staff motivated & set up to succeed!

Your team is the backbone of your organization and a huge priority when it comes to communicating change. Making sure you have buy-in to your new plans from your staff is crucial to its success. According to Mckinsey, when your people are invested in the change you are introducing, your project is 30% more likely to see success (Mckinsey.com, 2015). Knowing that, it’s clear why communicating change to employees is extremely important.

There are additional reasons why a well-thought-out plan to communicate change makes a difference for your employees.

• It reduces anxiety and resistance by keeping your team in the loop before, during and after the change.
• It increases productivity by making expectations and roles in the change clear.
• It creates more frequent communication between you and your staff in general.
• Communicating change helps retain engaged and informed employees.

When it comes to the actual communication of these changes to employees, make sure you include these basic elements: sensitivity to any emotional impact it might cause, highlight the benefits that it will bring them, set expectations for regular check-ins on project progress, outline clearly what is expected of them and finally, give them the opportunity to share feedback.

Though your new process or project might require most of your attention, a key element of any good implementation is to not overlook the important step of communicating the change with employees. Your employees and your clients will be thankful that they are optimistic, empowered, and prepared to take this important step with you.

Get clients excited for what’s in it for them

Keeping members in the loop of when to expect your changes to come into effect is a must for any change management plan. In addition, making sure your clients are prepared and ready to use your new system is fundamental to the continued success of your business. Including your clients in your change management communication plan also has the following benefits:

• Awareness of your efforts to improve, innovate and be a leader in your niche
• Preparedness to switch over to new processes so that their engagement and participation remains consistent throughout the change
• Increase customer loyalty by keeping them informed and making them feel included in what goes on behind the scenes of your organization
• (If this is the case) Demonstrating that you listen and take action on their feedback

In addition, each client might be affected by the change differently (mycustomer.com, 2021). When communicating what to expect, make sure you cover all the bases, so clients are aware of how this new process impacts them, if at all. When doing so, we have following tips for you to keep in mind:

• Give them plenty of notice
• Remind them several times
• Invite them to share their opinions
• Use many different types of communication channels

Don’t forget, communicating change shouldn’t stop once the new process is launched! Keep the channels open as clients experience and get used to it. The results of this new project might even have the added benefits of creating an even more loyal client base than you thought!

Let your community know

Updating any brand assets (such as your website, social media and signage) can be a valuable step in communicating the changes your business is undergoing. It's another way to maximize the positive impact your new project can bring! Letting the wider community know could bring in additional opportunities for your organization:

• Attracting new members
• Regaining old members
• Getting feedback

You can apply all the same elements and tips as mentioned above to this one, but you can also put on your marketing hat! Get inspired and spread the news, as the launch of this process is a huge milestone for your organization and shouldn’t go unnoticed. You’ve worked hard for this, and current clients and staff don’t have to be the only ones who benefit.

Get started on your change communications plan with a free checklist!

Change is good! It’s an unavoidable reality and is key to success for all organizations. If you make a change management communication plan part of your business routine, it will guarantee you can maximize the positive impact of the new ideas and tools you introduce.

If you're going through a change or considering a change to one of your processes, then you need to download our change management plan communications check list to kick off your project.