Communication is one of those things that we are doing all the time, whether aware of it or not, verbal and nonverbal, planned and unplanned communications are the life blood of relationships and the people ‘bit’ when it comes to process improvements and projects.

Sometimes, the ideas and changes that we grapple with in projects significantly impact people in the wider organisation and need careful thought and a planned approach to communicating with compassion and ‘what’s in it for me?’ (not you, the other person).

People don’t like change… being forced upon them

‘People don’t like change’ how many times have we heard this? but without the qualifier of ‘being forced upon them’ added to the sentence. I fundamentally believe that people are infinitely adaptable and able to not only embrace change but also to advocate for it when they see a need or a logic to it.

When working with organisations on change projects this is something we always keep top of mind. If people are resisting, it means they still don’t see ‘why’ they would or should. They are not seeing ‘what’s in it for them’. Sometimes there is nothing in it for them, but there is something there for the greater good. Getting that message across can be the make or break of a successful change project.

Learning from experts

I have been fortunate to work with some incredible people in my career and the vibrant Julie Hoskison taught me a lot about communication planning and how to focus energy to ensure that the key messages are heard. Her templates and toolkits I have worked with over the years, they have been very slightly modified here and reworked.

Following a template or a process helps to organise thoughts and acts as a reminder or checklist to ensure that some consideration has been given to most areas.

These templates are pretty self-explanatory. Give them a try and if you get stuck feel free to reach out; we’re always happy to help!

6R Product Communication Toolkit in Colour

6R Product Communication Toolkit in Colour

 

6R Communication Worksheet Grid