The document summarizes an internal communications workshop about engaging employees during periods of change. Laura Pallut from Save the Children and Paul Sweetman from Fishburn Hedges discussed the context and challenges of organizational change. They outlined principles for effective communication, including anticipation, clarity, leadership, empathy, and flexibility. Key practical steps include analyzing audiences, articulating clear messages, engaging gatekeepers, building dialogue and feedback mechanisms, and embedding changes. The workshop provided tools and examples for crafting a strategic internal communication plan to support change initiatives in organizations.

1. Internal Communications and
Employee Engagement Workshop
17 February 2011
CharityComms is the professional membership body for charity communicators. We believe charity communications
are integral to each charity’s work for a better world.
W: www.charitycomms.org.uk
T: 0207 426 8877
E: emma@charitycomms.org.uk

2. Employee engagement during change
17 February 2011

3. About us
Laura Pallut Paul Sweetman
Head of Internal Communication, Director,
Save the Children Fishburn Hedges

4. The hour ahead…

5. Some context to change

6. What do we mean by change?
There are many types of change:
• Mergers and acquisitions
• New strategy/vision
• Re-structuring
• Brand engagement
• Closures/redundancies
• Constant evolution…

7. The trials of tough times
• Falling budgets
• Service cessation
• Office closures
• Redundancy programmes
• Employee/volunteer morale
• Public awareness/concern

8. The challenge of change
“There is still a strong tendency for directors
to adopt the ‘ready, fire, aim’ approach to
change and then to pray that the impetus will
carry them through. This approach creates
confusion, demoralisation and resistance to
change. It is highly cost-ineffective and
organisationally destructive”
(Professor Bob Garratt, Imperial College, London)
13

9. A typical change curve
“I’m gutted!” “To make things
“I’m gutted!” work around here
“I feel numb” we could do this”
“I feel numb”
“ I don’t believe it”
“This can’t be “I’m prepared to
happening” give it a go”
“ OK, I’ll give it the
benefit of the
doubt”
Commitment/ excitement
Denial/rejection Enthusiasm/hope
“ How can I have got
myself into this position?”
“ What happens next?”
Anger/resistance Acceptance/curiosity
Opposed Engaged

10. Building commitment
Commitment
Degree of change
Involvement
Support
Understanding
Awareness
Degree of involvement

11. Our top ten principles
• Anticipation
• Clarity
• Predictability
• Regularity (“little but often”)
• Leadership and management
• Dialogue

12. Our top ten principles (cont/d)
• Empathy
• Co-ordination
• Responsiveness
• Integration
And one more, underpinning them all:
• Flexibility

13. Key practical steps

14. A simple roadmap…
Build a firm platform
Analyse
audiences
Articulate
messages
Equip
gatekeepers
Engage
audiences
Embed
change
Gain feedback

15. …with one caveat
Change is never linear

16. 1. Build a firm foundation
• Help leaders understand the role and impact of comms (even when
there isn’t any change…)
• Create a cross-functional Comms team (e.g. HR)
• Agree on key objectives and milestones
• Ask the difficult questions, eg:
o What can/can’t we say at each stage?
o Are there any events/issues that could affect us?
o Does everyone agree to follow the principles/practices laid down?
• Make sure plans, reporting processes, protocols are clear

17. 2. Analyse audience(s)
• Draw together existing evidence…
o audience maps
o employee research
o channel mapping
• …but segment for this specific exercise
• Identify key groups, eg
o ‘gatekeepers’
o special groups (eg maternity, long-term sick, absent people)
• Articulate the ‘desired response’ from each group

18. Segmentation options
Location/
Role? Service?
dept?
Grade/
Influence? Impact?
level?

19. Desired audience responses
The rational: The emotional: The action:
what do we what do we what do we
want people want people to want people
to know? feel? to do?

20. Sample audience/responses grid
Know Feel Do
Senior team
Operational
managers/
supervisors
Employees

21. 3. Articulate messages
• Create a clear, core narrative
o rationale
o facts/evidence
o vision
o empathy
o process
• Involve key stakeholders in development/testing
• Equip all protagonists to use this narrative, eg:
o leaders
o managers
o gatekeepers
• Review regularly and update

22. Typical core narrative format
Overarching messages
• Theme 1
• Theme 2
• Theme 3
Theme 1 Theme 2 Theme 3
• Sub-theme • Sub-theme • Sub-theme
• Sub-theme • Sub-theme • Sub-theme
• Sub-theme • Sub-theme • Sub-theme

23. 4. Equip ‘gatekeepers’
• Leaders set vision, ‘gatekeepers’ shape and deliver
• Collate knowledge/insights about communication preferences
• Issue bespoke briefings on role and importance, eg:
o Note from CEO/webcast/audio
o Briefing document and core narrative
o Q&As to respond to teams
• Keep them informed
• Keep seeking views and feedback
o What concerns do they have?
o What questions are others raising with them?
• Recognise they may be affected too…

24. 5. Engage audiences
• Create one programme, tailored as necessary
o Core mechanisms, for momentum
o Additional channels by audience
• Keep information flowing, even as brief updates
o Maintain leadership visibility
o Harness full communication infrastructure
• Ensure consistent support for ‘gatekeepers’
• Seek, welcome and respond to employee feedback/ideas
• Show how people affected are being treated
• Maintain alignment with external communication
• Monitor and respond (not least to social media…)

25. 6. Build dialogue – and gain feedback
• Change requires communication, not just information
• Dialogue opportunities:
o Leadership: audio, visits, ’11@11’, ‘speed date’ process
o Management: Team meetings, ‘breakout moments’
o Functional: ‘surgeries’ , breakfast sessions
o Electronic: blogs, discussion boards, video pods
o Quirky: postcards, ‘question of week’
• Proactively seek feedback and questions
• Feed back the feedback
• Be rapid, open and honest throughout

26. Evaluation opportunities
Out-
Outputs Outcomes
takes
• Feedback forms • ‘Pulse’ surveys • Full survey
• Audience numbers • Pop-up surveys • Business metrics
• User figures • Key figure interviews
• Focus groups
• Q&A processes

27. 7. Embed the change
• Keep showing care and empathy (for those who leave and
those who remain)
• Identify new symbols and stories
o New ways of working?
o Front-line anecdotes?
• Celebrate supportive behaviour
o Case studies
o Proof points
• Maintain leadership visibility
• Continue supporting ‘gatekeepers’
• Keep seeking, sharing and responding to feedback
• Align processes/performance management

28. Over to you…..

29. Your challenge
• Your organisation is facing pressure on resources
and cuts on funding
• It will need to reduce the scope of its services and
make redundancies as a result
• It will need to introduce these changes whilst
seeking to maintain, as far as possible, ‘business as
usual’
• You need to prepare an internal communication
plan to support the change

30. Groups
• Group 1 – consider audiences/desired response
• Group 2 – core script
• Group 3 - communication channels, opportunities and issues
10 mins and then present back

31. In conclusion...

32. Top tips
• Plan, plan, and plan again
• Don’t hide
• Create a crystal clear narrative: and stick to it
• Ask the difficult questions up-front
• Stick to what you can say, when (and don’t speculate)
• Be prepared to unsettle people
• Be candid but show compassion
• Be vigilant and responsive at all times

33. Common pitfalls
• Not being clear on rationale
• Not speaking to audience interests/concerns
• Leaving rumours to fill the void
• Using ‘management speak’
• Not building dialogue
• Not evaluating/seeking feedback

34. Handouts
1. Typical format for internal communications plan
2. Typical internal document set
3. Brief for communication champions