Mastering Change: 5 Essential Skills for Effective Communication (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Cheryl Ross, Senior Project Director at Davison Company, and I'd like to share five skills that you need to communicate change. Change is hard, but you can make it easier by involving an internal communications professional right from the start. Why? An internal communicator wears many hats, each of which can help you address key aspects of change management. Fact Conqueror. Communicators ask a lot of tough questions. They uncover essential facts that need to be communicated. Answers to these questions will help you articulate the change. I Commandeth a Story. Communicators love shaping a story, using key messages to clearly explain the situation. And that story will help you deliver consistent messages and focus on the right topics. Have your internal communicator draw up a blueprint, a communication plan. This will help identify key audiences, prioritize strategies, and establish a timeline. Employees often go to their leaders and managers with questions about change. Communicators will help you prepare leaders and managers by ensuring they understand their role and what the change means for employees. You may not realize it, but data makes internal communicators feel warm and fuzzy. To understand how communication is performing, communicators regularly collect data through spot surveys, employee questions, and even behavioral data. The data is used to adjust the comms plan, tweak key messages, or refresh communication channels that are no longer effective. So what's the takeaway? Get an internal communications professional on your side the next time you're tackling change. I hope you found this video helpful. If so, give us a like and hit that subscribe button. For more tips that are out of this world, click the link in the description box below or visit us at davisandco.com.