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Communicate the Business Rationale The Communication Strategy should include the business rationale for what, why, who, how, and when changes are taking place. It should provide the information detail necessary to enable change sponsors and the target audience to understand the key messages, channe...

Communicate the Business Rationale The Communication Strategy should include the business rationale for what, why, who, how, and when changes are taking place. It should provide the information detail necessary to enable change sponsors and the target audience to understand the key messages, channels, and frequency that the messages will be delivered during the change execution. Successful communication of the Case for Change occurs when business rationale communications are sufficient enough that each type and level of stakeholder can clearly articulatewhat is changing, how the change benefits or affects the organization, and how the change affects him or her individually (often referred to as “What’s In It for Me”). If people see progress they can relate to, then they are more likely to continue the change effort and help to reach the future state and sustain thechange. Guiding Principles for Communication Messages The Communication Strategy should provide guiding principles for communication messages. A message is a simple and clear idea and should summarize the essence of the change. Effective messaging means communicating the right message through the right channels. Messages should be relevant and appropriate to the audience, and there should be continuity across the messages. Using storytelling techniques that include interesting narratives, human interest stories, and arresting imagery will assist in communicating the message to the target audience. Identify Communication Channels and Information Flow The stakeholder group and sponsors should depict where and how information is shared within their respective organizations by mapping how communications will work throughout the organization.Channels for both formal and informal communication should be noted, and opportunities should be identified to include, leverage, and reinforce messaging content. Considerations in developing an effective Communication Strategy include: Tailoring the communication activities to the needs Using message feedback Using push/pull/interactive communications Determining the best communication strategies (vertical/horizontal, verbal/non-verbal, informal/formal, oral/written, official/unofficial, internal/external) Communication Governance and Review Process The communication processes within organizations can have complex structures, with review and validation required by a number of groups (e.g., internal and external enterprise communication and legal, risk, and compliance teams), particularly where communications affect customers or third parties. The Communication Strategy should include the roles, responsibilities, accountabilities, resources, and timelines for communication content review and sign-off prior to publication. Inputs Outputs Change Definition Change Impact Assessment Current Communication Channels,Tools, and Methods Organizational Change Readiness Assessment Project Charter and Project Documentation Stakeholder Analysis Vision Statement Communication Strategy