Communication as the key to change management: the role of the CMO
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Change processes can pose a number of challenges for the organisations affected by them. This applies to changes that are triggered by external factors as well as those that are actively initiated within the organisation itself. For example, change processes in companies are often associated with additional burdens due to tasks that have to be completed alongside day-to-day business. In addition, the reactions of the people involved in these processes can vary greatly.
The spectrum of possible reactions ranges from enthusiastic support and committed participation to indifferent acknowledgement and "working to rule", explicit rejection or even more or less open attempts to circumvent or actively thwart change processes. It is obvious that change processes can be implemented more successfully and efficiently the greater the commitment of all stakeholders who are more or less involved. Taking as many relevant stakeholder groups as possible into consideration and not focussing solely on the company's own employees and managers is of existential importance for successful change management. Communication plays a key role here.
The CMO as the "communication centre of change"
The Change Management Office (CMO), which should be established as part of any professionally managed change process, is particularly important in this context. Ideally, it should develop into a permanent functional area within the company that not only accompanies and supports ongoing change processes, but also endeavours to anticipate future developments and prepare for the resulting challenges by initiating change processes itself in good time. One of the most important functions of the CMO, in addition to their organisational and operational tasks, is to act as a kind of "communication centre for change" within the company. On the one hand, all relevant information on current or upcoming change projects must flow together here, and on the other hand, information must be continuously communicated from here within the organisation and, if necessary, to certain external stakeholders in order to ensure the highest possible level of transparency with regard to the change processes.
Low transparency - high risk expectation
Transparency and open communication play a decisive role in the successful implementation of changes and their acceptance by those affected. This is because, as in other areas of economic life, a lack of transparency is associated with real or at least suspected risks - of whatever kind - and can trigger corresponding (counter)reactions. For example, employees in a certain area of the company may try to block or hinder change processes if they are unclear about their specific procedures and effects and fear, for example, that their jobs will be lost or their working conditions will deteriorate. Customers, probably the most important external stakeholders of a company, may withdraw and switch to competitors if they notice that structures in the company are changing and contact persons are changing without being able to properly assess these changes or receive information about them. In this case, they may suspect a deterioration in product or service quality, even if there are no concrete indications of this. Conversely, employees can actively participate in change processes with a high level of commitment if, for example, they expect to be relieved of less demanding and predominantly repetitive tasks in the future and enjoy more attractive working conditions.
Recognising communication needs and acting with foresight
Both in internal communication and with external stakeholders, it is important that the need for information is met comprehensively and in good time. This is particularly important for effective communication because a lack of information not only leads to a lack of transparency - and thus to the possible effects already outlined - but also provokes the emergence of rumours and the spread of misinformation. This can develop a negative momentum of its own, as rumours must first be refuted and any resulting concerns dispelled with a much greater communication effort before the content that actually needs to be communicated has a chance of being adequately perceived. If, on the other hand, upcoming change processes and the intended positive effects are disclosed in a timely and convincing manner, people who are neither managers nor primarily entrusted with communicative tasks may take on an additional multiplier role by sharing their own positive view with other people inside or outside the organisation, thus flanking and supporting the "official" communication. These interrelationships illustrate the importance of sound communication support for successful change management.
Emphasising the dialogue character of change communication and exploiting potential
Just as important as bringing together and disseminating information in the communicative activities of the change management office is emphasising the dialogue-based nature of change communication and making effective use of the associated potential. The feedback from people involved in the change processes can contain valuable information about how the relevant processes and their effects are perceived, where there are points of criticism, what is seen as positive and where certain suggestions should possibly be incorporated into the further design of the processes. This can be done in a more or less informal way, but also through targeted monitoring in the form of surveys or feedback rounds. Just as a good face-to-face dialogue depends on both sides having their say, stakeholders should also be given the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any ambiguities as part of the CMO's communication. It is recommended that the relevant questions are at least partially answered in live formats. In this way, not only the respective questioners, but also all others present in the room or in the online meeting receive the same information at first hand. This in turn ensures transparency and strengthens trust.
Better to communicate too much than too little
Examples from national and international politics repeatedly and impressively show that the perception of communication content by the target groups to be addressed depends to a large extent on how often the content in question reaches them via the various possible channels. Even questionable or even refuted claims can have an impact if they are repeated often enough. It is therefore all the more important that correct and significant content is not just mentioned once, but is repeated and linked to each other on different occasions. For communication in the context of change processes, this means that it is better to communicate too much than too little and to repeat key facts and arguments several times. Which change communication measures are best suited to which situation depends on a variety of factors and is typically also the subject of external change management consulting. In any case, it is important to deal with opposing positions and resistance in good time. It is also important to regularly evaluate your own communication activities and adapt them if necessary. If these points are consistently taken into account, communication can make a significant contribution to the success of change projects.
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