In a year of shifting political landscapes, change is omnipresent – and with change comes disruption, which is often viewed negatively. Yet, for many, disruption can be a powerful catalyst for organisational change, transformation and, ultimately, growth.
With so much transformation on the horizon, how can companies, individuals and organisations harness and drive meaningful change? And how can communication play a pivotal role in turning change into lasting impact?
Change is inevitable – so how do you deal with it?
Take the energy crisis. The cost of energy in the UK has skyrocketed over the past 14 years – in no small part because of the country’s reliance on imported energy. Just three days into its administration, the Labour government lifted a decade-long onshore windfarm ban to energise (pardon the pun) the UK’s renewable energy sector overnight. Sometimes, radical action is needed to resolve radical problems.
With such action, though, will come the need for companies that act in a certain way – out of necessity or opportunity – to implement organisational change. And it won’t stop at simply a department’s strategic direction. Regulatory changes, policies that alter investor confidence, or broader, legislative impacts could cause upheaval to certain sectors or subsectors in a short space of time.
Companies can let change happen to them, or embrace it. The huge positive about transformation is that it can stimulate innovation and open up new opportunities for growth. If that’s the case, then what do companies need to do to deliver meaningful organisational change, and how can they make sure it is long-lasting?
The power of communication
Communicating properly with your stakeholders and key audiences is crucial in delivering meaningful organisational change. Without it – as we, at Copper, found in our recent change management report – many promising and well thought-out change programmes can fail for lack of buy-in.
For those who don’t work in it day in, day out, developing high-quality communications can feel like a tricky task. So we have identified five central requirements for delivering meaningful, permanent transformation.
1. Leadership: Behavioural change, central to all ‘change programmes’, involves convincing people on an ongoing basis, to ensure they fully grasp and believe in the programme. To get people to embrace major change – particularly when it requires them to alter how they operate, or even their daily lives – they need a vision to buy into and a leader to believe in. This is your WHY. Why are you making this change, and what will you achieve by doing so?
2. Understanding: Once you have articulated your vision, it’s time to announce and reinforce it at all levels. Understanding exactly WHAT you want to do differently, and translating this into what it means to people, is essential.
3. Advocacy: No major change initiative will last unless there are champions embedded within the wider organisation, spreading your message – otherwise known as ‘advocacy building’. Having advocates from the outset of a change programme increases the likelihood of buy-in from others – in turn creating a snowball effect that helps deliver lasting change. It also helps stakeholders feel a sense of ownership for the change initiative, and can put the impact of disruption into perspective.
4. Adapt: Organisations must evolve their approach as views, opinions and insights are gathered – or they risk losing trust among stakeholders. Taking feedback on board and adapting demonstrates flexibility, and shows that you are truly committed to collaborating with those affected.
5. Sustain: Change is a marathon, not a sprint. Effective change programmes take months – sometimes years. Once you have outlined your plans, it is important to follow up with regular communications, broken down into achievable, practical steps, to maintain momentum.
Bringing stakeholders along for the journey
Making organisational change is one thing; making it last is another. We have worked with a range of clients in the infrastructure space to embed new processes and projects, and effective communication has always been central to success.
For example, Copper recently helped deliver a major change programme for a public sector organisation with a huge portfolio of more than 60 new infrastructure projects over the next three years. The organisation recognised that it had to change the way staff and consultant teams work, which meant adopting new practices to improve efficiency. In essence, it had to initiate disruptive change, and Copper was brought in to support that.
“Having advocates from the outset of a change programme increases the likelihood of buy-in from others – in turn creating a snowball effect that helps deliver lasting change”
After gathering insights from employees, our key takeaway was a sense of cynicism across the business, with some staff members feeling change was happening “to them” rather than “with them”. This required the team to develop a bespoke internal communications campaign that engaged employees meaningfully from the outset.
First, we understood what different departments and the individuals within them were keen to see from the change. We then delivered tailored content for each department to articulate the specific benefits of the new working practices and why they were being introduced, to enhance understanding.
Alongside this, we brought in leaders to work alongside employees, to develop ways of working collaboratively. This included running employee forums, providing clear and transparent updates on the project directly to staff to minimise misinformation, and implementing responsive feedback mechanisms.
Our initial evaluation showed perceptions had improved – proving that embedding stakeholders within the project early, and gaining buy-in through reliable communication, does make a positive difference.
Applying this to you
• Organisations: Leverage disruption to drive positive change by adopting robust communication and engagement strategies.
• Leaders: Prioritise transparency, inclusivity, and trust-building in all change initiatives.
• Stakeholders: Engage proactively and constructively in transformation processes, to ensure your voice contributes to the future of the organisation of which you are a part.
While disrupting processes may seem counterproductive in the short term, having the foresight to know when to change tack is key to growth. With the right communication strategy, it can lead to powerful development. As we navigate this era of change, embracing disruption with effective communication and strategic planning will not only alleviate resistance, but also foster a more resilient and forward-thinking workforce.
Ronan Cloud is director of economic development at Copper Consultancy
This article is adapted from a feature first published in the autumn 2024 issue of Edge
