Handbook of Corporate Communication and Public ... - Blogs Unpad

They inspire and motivate people. They prepare
and equip them to achieve the changes
they are expected to bring about. They avoid
wasted effort and concentrate upon the areas
of greatest opportunity.
While open to ideas, winners select people,
business partners and opportunities with care.
They are persistent but pragmatic, and determined
but adaptable in pursuit of their aims.
They take calculated risks, experiment with
new ways of operating, and create new knowledge,
options and choices.
Risks to relationships, standing and trust are
especially important. A growing business may
need to build upon an existing reputation and
safeguard core values. Steps may need to be
taken to protect what is important and prevent
the compromise of cherished beliefs.
Communicators should know the anchor
points of a business, the cement that holds its
people together.
Some companies incur a high and continuing
penalty for modest and transient
reductions in a cost base. Winners value
relationships. They try to protect rather than
disrupt them. They empathize and invite feedback.
They probe and debate, and listen and
learn. They collaborate on the basis of openness
and transparency with complementary
spirits who share their vision and values.
The boards of companies that successfully
manage change tend to avoid the distractions
of trappings. They endeavour to inspire,
enable and support growth, development and
transformation. They aim to cut through
blather and hype in order to get down to the
fundamentals of what needs to be done.
Winners prefer simple solutions and direct
action. They regard review, renewal and transformation
as normal activities. They think
before they act, and ensure that existing and
potential customers are not disadvantaged by
change. They push back the boundaries of
what is possible and become sought after and
trusted business partners.
Managers in the more successful companies
work with colleagues to foster winning
attitudes and behaviours. They strive to attain
a balance between strategy and capability.
They also ensure all the pieces of the jigsaw
puzzle required for successful transformation
and sustained competitiveness are in place
(Coulson-Thomas, 2002b).
Alert communicators look out for the telltale
signs of losing attitudes and approaches.
Typical symptoms are self-contained and
incomplete change and transformation programmes
initiated with little confidence of
success and without the necessary capabilities
for effective implementation.
Losers sometimes give themselves away by
ducking questions and avoiding confrontation.
They manage ‘communication’ rather
than achieve results. Communicators should
avoid being drawn into activities to sidetrack
critics, conceal disappointments or rationalize
failure.
Successful change managers check that
colleagues are clear about what they are
trying to achieve and are visibly committed to
agreed objectives. They make sure people
both understand what they need to do and
are enabled to act. Barriers to change should
be identified and tackled.
Directors and senior managers cannot
become directly involved in the many and
varied activities that more bespoke and imaginative
responses to changing circumstances
will demand. Different business units and
venture teams should be empowered and
enabled to bring about whatever changes
are required to enable them to achieve their
objectives and deliver value to their customers.
At any stage of the change process new
areas of risk can arise as structures, processes
© 2004 Sandra Oliver for editorial matter and selection;
individual chapters, the contributors