First let’s dig into the student letter penned on October 8^th. An excerpt reads, “We hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence. Today’s events did not occur in a vacuum. In the coming days, Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel’s violence.” The student groups, exercising freedom of speech and advancing the culture wars that prevail on many of today’s US university campuses, should have prompted a swift university reaction.

In the students’ joint letter, they hold Israel responsible for being attacked by terrorists. Free speech is a beautiful part of our nation, but it should be exercised with deep knowledge of the issue on which you’re speaking out. Know the position you’re taking and why. The students took a position that is largely uninformed on the region’s complex and lengthy history. It’s also an anti-Semitic posture and fully lacking in basic human empathy. So by applying values and purpose as a screen for response, the university should have immediately crafted their position and enacted a complete stakeholder engagement and reputation management plan. But I don’t think that’s what they did based on how the timeline has unfolded to date.

A Quick Look at the Timeline of Events* Effective October 20th:

• October 7^th: Palestinian terrorist group Hamas (funded and backed by Iran) invaded Israel where they slaughtered and tortured innocent civilians, including children and elderly, and took others hostage. Following, Israel declared war and launched “Operation Swords of Iron,” striking targets in Gaza that are Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets.
• October 8^th: A collective of student groups referring to themselves as “Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups” penned a statement in which they blamed Israel for the attack on its nation. They called on the Harvard community to take action and stop the annihilation of Palestinians. The letter was written by Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and signed by 30 other student groups. The student letter was shared on social media and spread rapidly, receiving criticism from thought leaders, alumni, elected officials, and business leaders. That’s when the backlash began, and when Harvard needed to move into issues management mode. With strong issues management, the expectation is three-fold: 1) Strong, overarching message; 2) Relevant response timing, within 6-12 hours; 3) Accountability statement of what Harvard will do moving forward to dialogue / discuss / champion resolution of differing views toward resolution. Harvard mismanaged all three and sat silent.
• October 9^th: Former Harvard University President, Larry Summers, posted on X, “I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am ” Summers also criticized the silence from Harvard’s leadership, which “has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral toward acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel.” He is clearly a stakeholder and influencer, so Harvard missed an opportunity to engage and understand his point-of-view.
• October 10^th: Billionaire hedge fund manager, Bill Ackman, a Harvard Business School Alumni, called on Harvard to release the student names of those who signed the letter so his companies could blacklist Other CEOs followed suit and asked for the names. Ackman and other CEOs requests for names sparked a debate on social media about cancel culture and free speech. On this same day, Harvard issued a statement from its President, Claudine Gay, in which she personally condemned “the terrorist atrocities perpetuated by Hamas.” She also attempted to distinguish between the students and university, saying “while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group – not even 30 student groups – speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.” (Note: This was the first public statement by Harvard, two full days after the student statement was released.)
• October 11^th: A digital billboard appeared on Harvard’s campus calling the student groups anti-semitic. Some student groups who originally co-signed the letter withdrew their signatures.
• October 12th – ongoing: Business leaders cut ties with Harvard, withdrawing financial commitments. This includes the Wexner Foundation, which has given over $250 million to Wexner Foundation, and wrote a letter to the school to formally end their relationship.
• October 14^th: Students demonstrated against Israel’s counter-offense and accused Harvard of not doing enough to support Palestinian students.
• Other noteworthy events / actions: More than 350 Harvard faculty members signed an open letter to school leadership criticizing Harvard’s “tepid response to Hamas war crimes.” Congresswoman, Elise Stefanik (R-NY), calls on Claudine Gay to step down as university president. Harvard graduates send a letter criticizing the school’s response to the student group’s statement, saying “This statement is abhorrent, and we demand that you immediately condemn it publicly and clarify that Harvard University strongly opposes this dangerous antisemitism.”

The issue would have been far easier to manage with some emotional intelligence, savvy, and grounding in values and purpose. They also needed to activate a full-scale issues management approach, including stakeholder engagement, internal and external communications, to tell their story. The university’s responses to date, and their overall mismanagement of the issue, reveals a clear lack of issues management wherewithal.

Here are some key learnings to apply to any brand, business, and academic institution facing a rising issue, using Harvard as an example of what it should have done in early days, and could certainly still do in crisis mode. Although once you let an issue escalate to crisis, it is far more difficult and costly to manage.

1. Review your current issues plan now, and if you don’t have one, build one. Like a fire drill, you want to have a base plan, ready-to-go, for an emergency situation. In today’s rapid communication cycles, it is not a matter of IF you will face some sort of issue or crisis, it is a matter of WHEN you will. These events are swift, always catch unprepared leaders off guard, and cycle quickly. The Harvard case study should be a reason to dust off your current plan, and / or build a new one.
2. Watch for signals of an issue on the rise. Harvard had a big signal. The War was underway and they had 30 student groups take a strong position that was predictably going to draw divisive attention and escalate. There may have been earlier signals of unrest among students prior to the Hamas attack, as well, I don’t have visibility to that. A good issues management approach involves keeping a pulse on all your stakeholders and ensuring you know everyone’s position and sentiment at all times.
3. Practice Your plan. As mentioned, like fire drills, it’s good to practice your plan and make sure your team is aligned and ready-to-go at a moment’s notice. This is a key learning for all brands. Spend time understanding vulnerabilities and draft a plan that includes all key advisors, decision-makers, and third-parties. Make sure you have shared commitment for activation. In Harvard’s situation, a student letter that has potential to gain wide public attention and debate, this might include a head of student services, the university president, donor and alumni relations, and potentially student leadership. Everyone noted on the plan needs to understand that they will need to be accessible at all hours to convene and begin to work the plan.
4. Re-validate or draft your messaging so everyone is on the same page. Message development is a very aligning exercise, and often reveals gaps in both values and strategy. In Harvard’s case, they should review their university values and purpose and remind all on the issues management team that these should be a guide and compass for decision-making. They also should have aligned (or understood why they don’t align) with how most world leaders were talking about the events in the Middle East. Most world leaders have said that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. Further, Israel has the right to defend its people against such atrocities. So that’s a good starting point to challenge internal thinking and discuss whether you agree with these public positions. If you don’t agree, understand why you’ve taken a particular posture and have the research and explanation to back it. And I can’t emphasize enough the need to screen everything through your organization values and purpose AND your personal values and purpose as leaders. If something feels off, challenge it. If Harvard stands for world peace, they should be able to take a clear stand against a terrorist attack on innocent civilians. It’s that simple.
5. Proactively reach out to influencers and stakeholders. Harvard should have proactively (on October 8^th) reached out to their stakeholders – donors, alumni, former university leadership, and groups like the Wexner Foundation. They could have shared their draft positioning and gained alignment on it prior to issuance. And, while no longer proactive outreach, they need to engage (publicly or privately) with those who have spoken out against their positioning to listen, learn, take a hit, and give themselves the ability to course correct.
6. Stay fluid and responsive, constantly measuring and adjusting to sentiment while applying strong emotional intelligence. Issues are fluid, so an organization’s response needs to be fluid as well. To accomplish this, set up a standing meeting for leaders to meet and update each other on a frequent cadence. In your working plan, every member of the crisis team should have accountability for reporting data points from stakeholders, monitoring opinion and sentiment, noting impact on business and operations, and more. Set the meeting cadence based on issue stage and management. In the early days of COVID-19, we held and led a 7AM daily call with the crisis team, then we lightened the cadence as we properly managed the issue. Outside-looking-in, Harvard isn’t engaging on social media with critics and detractors, and this sends a very dangerous message to stakeholders. They’re playing a defensive posture, responding “as needed,” which isn’t keeping pace with the volume or sentiment of perspectives on this subject. It’s also clear that despite requests from alumni, elected officials, and donors, Harvard still dug in and refused to issue additional, clarifying statements and taking responsibility for their prior lackluster response.
7. Mediate and repair relationships with honesty and accountability. All organizations need to accept responsibility for mismanagement, poor decisions, and Take the hit and relationship repair can begin.

At this point, as the War rages on. There is still time for Harvard to have a better approach to managing this reputation issue, which will continue to persist for the immediate to mid-term. We will stay-tuned.

Sources: Harvard.edu, Business Insider, CNN, FOX News, The Harvard Crimson, Aljazerra.com

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Use active voice. This means subject + verb + object construct, so it’s simple for the brain to read and hear. Ask yourself, is the subject in the sentence performing the action? Then you likely have a solid active voice sentence. Example: Today I changed a flat tire. vs. passive voice: The flat tire was changed by me.

Speak in the positive vs. negative tense. For example, “We collaborate for better results” is better than “We don’t work in silos to achieve better results.” Tell the audience what you want to achieve, do, or experience.

Use concrete words and examples. In other words, avoid vagueness. For example, this is a vague sentence: “Innovation is key to success in our future.” A better sentence is: “We need to develop 2-3 new biologics in 2020 to build our innovation pipeline and meet our 2021 goal.”

Be brief. Our brain has a limit to what it can hear, interpret and retain. Create 2-3 short, easy-to-understand sentences versus writing one, long one! Also be cognizant of word count and cut unnecessary words. Lose adjectives that are adding color or context that we don’t need.

Pick your structure and stick to it. Beginning, middle, end? Problem-solution?  Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, tell ‘em what you told ‘em. Structure aids retention.

Use alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Our brains like the consistent ring! Note: Just because the consonant is the same, doesn’t mean it sounds the same, so make sure the sounds align. Happy and holistic are alliterated. Happy and honest are not.

Tell stories to make your points. Our brains love stories and we remember more through storytelling. Also use storytelling techniques, like allusion, metaphors and similes because they all add color and context.

For speechwriting, write like you talk. For example, use contractions (I’m) instead of I am. Prompt deliberate pauses. Don’t use big words you wouldn’t normally use but, if you do, make sure you know the definition and all cultural translations. Ask questions to regain audience attention and use repetition. A well-written speech sometimes reads a little clunky. So it’s important to read your speech aloud so you can hear voice in it. If writing for someone else, your voice shouldn’t come through. Learn to write in their voice by listening closely to their style, word choice, pauses, and any stories or people they often quote.

Always, always, always re-read your drafts. Check for grammar, sentence structure, story clarity, and voice. Also be sure to ask yourself if what you have written will achieve whatever outcome you identified.

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• Define desired outcomes. What is the session purpose, and what do I want people to leave knowing, feeling or doing? Similarly, if preparing to participate in the session, know what you want the leader(s) to know or do on your behalf. This is where it all begins. The answers to these questions will allow you to structure a good session.
• Structure the session in categories. Category examples might include innovation, people, and technology. These are broad categories that will house the questions you want to tee up or cover.
• Write some question prompts. These can be used to stimulate conversation around a particular topic and help you fill dead air. Again, all questions should help you advance whatever outcome you desire to achieve.
• Develop your list of invitees. This should include a mix of people who will bring diversity of thought, feel comfortable speaking in a group, and won’t bring emotion to the table. Keep your sessions small in size for ample participation. Everyone should leave feeling that their voice has been heard. This is important validation of the time spent.
• Design the timeframe based on the number of topics you’d like to discuss. General rule of thumb is to assume you can get through 4-5 questions in a 1-hour session, including your opening and closing.
• Choose a moderator who knows how to lead a listening session. This is an art. Think about presidential debates. The moderator uses very little air time to ask a question, and knows how to leave emotion at home. There should be a neutral tone to the questions posed so that participants feel comfortable speaking up. This person also needs to know how to “parking lot” content that is off track, but deserves further conversation or investigation, and draw everyone into the conversation. This person sets the tone for the dialogue and must think on his/her feet with ease.
• Level set with everyone prior to the session. We recommend doing this by sharing an event one-page backgrounder that provides everyone:
  • Audience/participants/moderator (NOTE: If people don’t know each other, also include brief bio information)
  • Event flow, logistics, and timing
  • Desired outcomes and purpose
  • Question categories and some prompts
• Measure success! It’s important to learn from your session. What worked? What didn’t go as planned? What would you do differently next time? Did you achieve your desired outcomes? Why or why not? Most important, what did you hear and how does their feedback apply to your planning and decisions moving forward.
• Communicate gratitude and any next steps. A thank you note is a must. Thank your participants. Let them know their time was well spent, and share any next steps as a result. If you have any immediate actions that you plan to adopt coming out of the session, let people know. You’ll be more likely to get attendees in the future if they know you appreciated and listened to them.

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1. Prioritize values that have real meaning within your organization. Think about your industry, your company’s culture, consumer interests, and what’s important to your employees. Think about what really makes you different as an organization. What can you get behind and own? We gave a lot of thought to our values at Winning Presence – Ideas, Inspiration, and Integrity – and we made an “I” part of our logo design as a reminder of how to live the values every time we look at the branding. We work with supplier partners and other consultants who share our values. They’re deeply ingrained in how we operate because they are fundamentally important to what we do.
2. Identify and remove the barriers before you announce your values. This is a biggie, and I think it’s best explained through examples. One client aspired to be more collaborative as an organization, yet they continued to reward leader behaviors that worked in silos while achieving results. So while employees were inspired and motivated by the idea of being more collaborative with their colleagues, they didn’t see their leaders collaborating. In fact, they saw the opposite. Another client prioritized agility as a value, but their company is in a highly-regulated industry and the business is designed with multiple approvals required to move forward. They are also very layered and somewhat bureaucratic with a decision-making process that was cumbersome and slow. As a result, they needed to adjust some processes, including removing some unnecessary layers for approvals. This helped them achieve greater agility. It’s important to remove the barriers before you announce your values so that they are authentic at roll-out.
3. Integrate your values into business planning and reporting. Too many times, mission, vision, and values are hung on a wall or posted on your website without truly integrating them into the business. One of our clients restructured their updates to the board of directors around MVV. Another incorporated values into all employee performance reviews. Nothing is more demotivating to your people than talking about values as important, then performance discussions are unaligned or make no mention of them.
4. Have regular checkpoints to assess progress. Be ready to pause, listen, and adjust if needed. One of our clients realized during a culture change project that employees didn’t truly understand accountability, so we adjusted our timeline of communications tactics to accommodate some training on the topic. We collaborated with HR and Training to expose employees to learning and development. It was an important part of the plan and ensured everyone could really live the value of accountability.
5. Spotlight and reward progress toward the specific values so your people can see best practices in action and strive to be part of it. Recognition will help reinforce the values and demonstrate your commitment. Recognition can be a regular part of leadership communications plans where you can spotlight good actions. If possible, connect the values to achievements and performance. We’ve also done peer recognition programs where employees and leaders can recognize each other when they see someone living the values.

Values are an important part of a company’s journey, and they play an important role in the portfolio of mission, vision and business plans.

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• One leader said, “I want the kind of employees who like chaos and can thrive in ambiguity … I shouldn’t need to give them a roadmap.” Further, “The kind of
  employees who rise to the top in that kind of environment are who we want for the future.”
• Another leader told us recently, “I don’t buy into the idea that engaged employees deliver better results.”
• Finally, a Fast Company article penned in 2012 cited a “rising number of job descriptions that include ‘tolerance for ambiguity’ as a necessary skill.” While it’s
  several years old, I’ve heard this article cited in more recent conversations on the topic.

So what do we know works when communicating within an organization?

We know there are informal and formal flows of information. The study of organizational communications has identified, in the most simplified terms, that communications can flow upward, downward, or horizontally. It also says there are typical types of information that fit into those flows. For instance, it’s most common for a business plan to be shared downward since it is generally designed by the organization leadership. Feedback from a subordinate to a superior would be an example of upward communication. Horizontal information is shared among peers, and might happen informally in a break room, in a group chat, or on social intranet. Over the years, many of us have adopted ways to influence and have some control over the informal communications channels. Ambassador programs and targeting information to mid-levels are two examples.

We also know that there are barriers to organizational communications. One example is leaders who use negative communication tactics, like intimidation. Other examples include lack of employee trust, too much information – or “clutter,” an overwhelming cadence, and managers offering different interpretations of the leaders’ message set. I suggest that chaos is also a barrier because, in a chaotic environment, people lack clear direction and understanding of how they play a role in the plan. Too much is left to chance. I liken it to a sports team. Great teams have athletic talent, but they are also sharply aligned around strategy. They know the plays to execute, and they have practiced and refined them. If a group of athletes takes the field without direction or a plan, they may be able to still play the game (depending on their level and years of experience), but they’ll have a harder time competing against those who share a common goal and know the roadmap to get there.

I do believe that driven individuals will seek out information not provided to them in order to achieve a goal. But to what loss of productivity? And does the company culture support searching for information that isn’t readily available? How employees are rewarded for their actions? Are they rewarded for failure when innovating, or are they punished for it? Do they possess the right skills and tools to participate in the plan? Think about it, we have all been students at some point. Can you imagine a parent or professor demanding you achieve an “A,” but not exploring any possible needs for tutoring or learning support? Drive is only one piece of success.

So I believe the conclusion is simple. Chaos is not the answer. As a leader, if you want to drive results in an organization, the predictable, proven route includes:

1. Define the goal.
2. Provide visibility to the plan, and offer insight on how employees play a role.
3. Define gaps in skills, knowledge and abilities, then work with your HR teams to fill them.
4. Understand your culture, and be realistic about what kind of behaviors it supports and doesn’t. (And evolve it if necessary)
5. Incentivize the behaviors you want to see.
6. Measure results, hold people accountable.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/1842000/company-chaos-you-dont-know-youre-creating

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/principles-of-management/communication-and-interpersonal-skills/organizational-communication

www.winningpresence.com

What Works for G.E. May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process
Improvement, Brenda Fake and Lawrence Solow, c2010

www.HSD.com

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For those who follow comedy and improvisation, you know that improvisational actors are trained to learn and execute those words. Yes, and … refers to the performers’ need to accept, validate, and build on whatever point was created by his or her comedic partner. Doing so allows the flow of the skit or conversation to continue. Ignoring the concept makes the skit come to a halt in awkward fashion. Think about it, if the actor listens carefully and responds by validating what his partner said, and building on it, the act works. If he doesn’t acknowledge his partner, but goes in a different direction entirely, the scene doesn’t work at all. In day-to-day communications, the same thing happens. A listener who doesn’t validate what someone says before making a different point completely halts the conversation. The result? People are left feeling misunderstood and confused as to whether the other person even listened to their point.

At home, we talk about the need to listen to each other for understanding instead of listening to jump in when it’s your turn to talk. This concept is aligned with the improvisation idea in that it requires the listener to really listen deeply to truly understand the points. Whether you agree with the person or not is irrelevant because you’re keeping yourself in the moment, focused on the other person’s point-of-view.

I am surprised how many people listen for a break in a conversation, simply to jump in with an entirely different point of view. We’ve all been there. It’s the person who dislikes whatever politician you brought up in conversation. “What do you think about the new City College Program?” and the response you receive is, “Whatever the mayor does is stupid.” That person was listening only for a break in order to let you know his opinion (which he believes is the only one that counts by the way) on the mayor. It blunts the conversation. So imagine the impact in business when conversations are blunted. Can innovation happen? Can new ideas emerge? No. Just like on the stage, the conversation is entirely halted. The scene stops.

What do the concepts of listening for understanding or applying “yes, and …” mean to business or personal communications? On the personal level, it means better communications, conversations, and relationships overall. And in business, I’d add productivity, creativity, greater innovation, and better results to the list. These are signifiant impacts that can be achieved by applying a simple communications technique.

When we apply this very simple concept, we are listening to each other in an effort to understand another person’s point-of-view. We are able to flexibly build on to the original idea, or gently move in a better direction through collaboration. Each of us brings something unique to the conversation because we have different backgrounds, expertise and beliefs. We benefit from listening to each other and collaborating on ideas.

And truly, it’s just more fun.

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Let’s focus on one trust-builder in particular: When an organization has a very well-defined brand story and knows how to deliver the experience to match. This is the pinnacle of good customer and community relations. And the flip of it is when organizations say one thing about their brand, then deliver an experience that’s out-of-synch. This is an old example, but one that makes the point. Several years ago, Lululemon recalled about 17% of women’s pants sold in their stores after customers complained that the pants were overly sheer. The company made the matter worse when its founder blamed women’s bodies for the pant problem in an interview on Bloomberg TV’s “Street Smart.” The debacle impacted both the company’s stock and consumer trust. The founder’s remarks were obviously inappropriate and a bad move. But the larger issue, in my opinion, was that the company’s selling of sub-quality $100 pants created a brand experience that was out-of-synch with their brand story. I’m summarizing, but their brand story speaks of quality, expertise, and healthy living rooted in serving elite athletes. I think their story implies that customers might pay more for access to this brand because of the lifestyle they know and deliver. So sheer pants are really out-of-synch with the story, and a brand experience that doesn’t match the brand story is a big withdrawal in any company.

Just like any bank account, withdrawals are inevitable. So the point is, plan for the withdrawals. Maintain a high balance. Invest in community relations, and practice good customer relations. Give customers access to your brand so you can hear feedback and act on it. Don’t let the little things pile up and become big things because issues left unaddressed have multiplying effect. In the Lululemon situation, they issued a recall for the pants. They should have also immediately apologized for letting down their community of brand-loyal customers, and explained the steps taken to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again. They needed to take ownership in a mistake and work to earn back some trust by asking for it. It’s really that simple. And it’s that simple for any business and organization. Here are three basic steps to keep in mind:

1. 1. Treat your customers like you do your friends. Acknowledge and be grateful for the relationship and their investment in you.
   2. Put the protocols in place so that you can consistently deliver an experience that matches your brand story.
   3. If something goes wrong, begin with the simple truth. Apologize, fix the problem, and explain what steps you’ve taken to help ensure the mistake doesn’t happen again. Apologize again.

And finally, make yourself or someone else available for dialogue — live, by phone, social media, it doesn’t matter the venue. Be accessible. In an environment where people are accustomed to participating on social media 24/7, you need to provide access to your brand. That’s also an important part of the brand experience.

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We have worked with many leaders in different industries to help them define and communicate their mission, vision, values and business plans to employees. Today’s employee audiences span multiple generations, so smart social psychologists would tell us that these individuals are motivated by different things. Some are loyalists, while others seek to move around for opportunity. Some enjoy teamwork, while others prefer to go it alone. Despite the differences, we’ve seen some commonalities around what motivates people to follow a leader.

What compels people to embrace a vision and learn how they can play a role in the business plan? What makes people want to show up, roll up their sleeves and trouble-shoot, innovate, push limits to drive the business? We believe there are five key traits of leaders who earn a genuine following:

1. The leader has dialogue with his or her teams. We’ve all seen this in action … coffees, brown bag lunches, town halls with an agenda that prioritizes Q&A, listening sessions, interactive webcasts, Facebook Live, and more. Thankfully we have a variety of live and tech-enabled options to give people access to leaders today! When people feel a connection to the leader, they are more likely to believe in the direction the leader sets, and look for ways they can play a role. It’s that simple.
2. The leader sets clear direction, and provides updates on progress so people feel engaged in what’s happening. Whether sharing good or difficult news, it’s critical for the leader to lay out the plan and show people the finish line. Where are we headed and why? What can we expect along the way? What is our end game? Great leaders are honest and clear about the path ahead. In many cases, this involves sharing a business plan, and making sure people understand the path, measurements for success, and the roles they play. When the road ahead is going to be bumpy, good leaders set a realistic stage, which goes a long way in gaining support.
3. This is related to the points above, but it’s important to call out as a stand alone tip: The leader is a good communicator. This means he or she is able to be clear and articulate on the roadmap. They provide regular updates to keep people informed. They provide opportunities to hear unfiltered feedback from all levels of the organization and from stakeholders. They have and work a leadership communications plan. At Winning Presence, we help our leadership clients design and execute good leadership communications plans, and we’ve been told time and time again how truly game changing these plans can be in generating a following and driving results.
4. The leader is approachable. People want to be heard and feel they are making contributions to an organization’s success. There is a great deal of recent research that also shows that Millennials in particular will choose a meaningful job over one with better pay. So a leader who makes herself accessible to this group to share ideas and feedback will gain a following.
5. The leader takes his or her shadow seriously, and works to cast one that creates a positive culture. We’ve heard Peter Drucker’s quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” At Winning Presence, while we like the combination of strategy AND culture, his point is profound. A positive, engaging, well-defined culture drives results, and enables action. And the culture is strongly influenced and impacted by the leader, who casts a long shadow. People follow the behaviors and actions of those they follow, and good leaders have an understanding of this fact. Good leaders also know that if their shadow is creating a positive, action-oriented culture, people will follow and contribute.

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Anyone who’s been through a change management experience is likely nodding in agreement right now. Nothing new here, right? Change is difficult for anyone, and many change management projects hit bumps in the road. What is new is that beyond the most senior leaders in this organization, the rest of the leadership team doesn’t understand the true stress of the change that’s underway, nor have they bought into the change.Now perhaps some of the nodding has stopped. How can a company invest the resources required for something like this when the full leadership team either isn’t on board or engaged? The answer involves a misstep in leadership communications, and that’s where we came in. Senior leadership had decided it was best to not offer consistent updates, insights, or dialogue opportunities about the change that was underway. They didn’t share the bumps in the road as teams around the world were hitting them. They also didn’t provide context around progress, and remind their peers about the end zone. That’s where things went wrong.

At Winning Presence, we have been involved with or led many communications projects involving change management in the past few years alone. The missteps in this organization, mostly driven by the leadership team, are more common than you might think. It’s easier to keep moving forward, believing that stress is normal in times of change, and hoping it will take care of itself. We know, however, that this approach can have lasting effects on employee morale and productivity. It can erode trust between leaders and employees. This recent experience is a great reminder of the need for strategic leadership communications in times of change, and specifically the following:

1. A solid plan that includes a series of checkpoints with a variety of audiences, including leadership.
2. Messages that remind people, in an honest, authentic way, of why we’re on this journey and what it will ultimately mean to the business; including acknowledgement of the true difficulty of the road so people aren’t surprised. Many people actually expect times to be tough during massive change, so acknowledging this fact will build trust and credibility. Simple, honest messages like “It’s going to get harder before it gets easier” or “This is going to take time in order for us to feel the benefits” will go a long way.
3. Strong leadership presence who consistently articulates the messaging and demonstrates any behavior change.
4. Engagement. People need the opportunity to dialogue, share, learn from each other, feel they’re not alone in what they’re experiencing, and hear how others are succeeding or addressing common challenges. Technology gives us the opportunity to enable collaboration, and should be leveraged before, during and following the change.
5. An understanding that “must-do”, transactional communications aren’t the same as leadership communications. This is a common mistake that we see in change management initiatives. Those leading the change focus on a calendar of “pushed” communications that tell people what’s going to happen. What’s often lost is the messaging around why we’re doing this, what it’s going to feel like as we go through it together, and a simple “thank you” for patience and commitment.
6. Dissecting the audiences and targeting messages for each. This is particularly important in a matrix’d organization where there needs to be many voices, one message.

Change is difficult for any organization. We have helped many leaders and companies successfully navigate and communicate complex change. Leadership and employee communications are crucial to not only executing the changes, but helping people feel part of the organization in the future.

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