1. Communicating for Change Laurie Ford

2. CQI Institute – Project list
Perry Co: Improve immunization rates in the underserved population
AOHC: Improve AOHC’s (Ass’n of OH Health Commiss’s) role in assisting HD’s w/preparedness activities
Licking Co: Increase the # of healthcare providers reporting influenza cases diagnosed weekly to LHD
Defiance: Improve surveillance of school-based influenza-like absenteeism and reporting to school officials by decreasing the time it takes to report numbers.
ODH: Improve the ICS (Incident Command Struct.) human capital mgmt deployment & activation process
Sandusky: Improve the information dissemination process to H1N1 high risk population
Zanesville-Muskingum: Improve Z-M’s vaccine management system

3. Leadership Competencies Your Survey results
Effective communication
Knowledge of CQI process
Open-minded, Open to change
Making meaningful changes
Respect for team/team work/team player
Organized
Commitment to the CQI process

4. Objectives for this Conversation
Introduce ideas from our article in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences on conversations and change
Review the four “conversations of change”
Talk about change and resistance
Show the relationship of the four conversations to the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership by Kouzes & Posner

5. Conversational Profiles Article JABS, 2008
Conversational Profiles: A Tool for Altering the Conversational Patterns of Change Managers
Premise: Successful implementation of change
Relies on effective communication
Requires managers to be aware of whether their communication is effective or not
And, if their communication is not effective, managers must alter their communication in order to be more effective.

6. Conversational Profiles Article JABS, 2008
Our assertion: Change agents must be able to move among 4 different types of conversations
Initiative - Introduce the desired future and outcomes
Understanding - Engage participants in defining and developing the plans and creating the change
Performance - Get everyone into action & producing results
Closure - Create accomplishment and learn from the change process 

7. Four Conversations for Success An Example
Initiative - Get something started
Ex: Announce a new customer service policy and the reasons for its value
Understanding – Engage other people
Ex: Have a Q&A session to discuss the new policy and how it fits with people’s current jobs
Performance – Make agreements
Ex: Clarify who will do each part of the policy, and when
Closure – Follow up for accomplishment
Ex: Report results, thank people, put in corrections

8. CQI Institute – Listen from your Change Initiative
Perry Co: Improve immunization rates in the underserved population
AOHC: Improve AOHC’s (Ass’n of OH Health Commiss’s) role in assisting HD’s w/preparedness activities
Licking Co: Increase the # of healthcare providers reporting influenza cases diagnosed weekly to LHD
Defiance: Improve surveillance of school-based influenza-like absenteeism and reporting to school officials by decreasing the time it takes to report numbers.
ODH: Improve the ICS (Incident Command Struct.) human capital mgmt deployment & activation process
Sandusky: Improve the information dissemination process to H1N1 high risk population
Zanesville-Muskingum: Improve Z-M’s vaccine management system

9. 8 Common Mistakes Most of us have a few bad conversational habits.
Not saying why something matters
Not being specific about what we want
Forgetting to say “by when” we want it
Waiting for others (“leaders”) to communicate
Assuming everyone understands things the same way (quality, performance, relationship, etc.)
Tolerating complaints instead of using them
Assuming people are good at managing their time
Not helping others be “complete” when it’s over

10. Six Limitations to a Successful Workplace
Lateness
Poor work quality
Difficult people
Lack of teamwork
Poor planning and workload overwhelm
Insufficient resources and support

11. How We Compromise Our Communication
Unproductive conversations
Complaints, Blaming, Gossiping
Missing one of the 4 conversations
E.g., forgetting to ask, not closing things out
Incomplete Conversations
Not using all the necessary conversational ingredients, e.g., not saying When, or Why

12. 1. Unproductive Conversations
Complaints – usually lack commitment
Blaming – undermines accountability and credibility
Gossip – reduces trust
What do you do about these types of conversations in your workplace?

13. 2. Missing Conversations
When we are missing…
Initiative conversations,
people lack enthusiasm, interest, and purpose
Understanding conversations,
people are confused, not engaged, not stepping up
Performance conversations,
we get no results, wrong results, or delayed results
Closure conversations,
we add to resentment, cynicism, mistrust

14. 3a. Incomplete Conversations - Missing Accomplishment
To help someone accomplish something, even a small task, add
“Accomplishment ingredients”
What are we trying to accomplish?
When do we want to accomplish it?
Why is this accomplishment important?
What happens if you leave one out?

15. 3b. Incomplete Conversations - Missing Resources
To support people’s accomplishment, add
“Resource ingredients”
Who else is involved?
Where will the resources come from?
And Where will the results go?
How will it get done?
What happens if you leave one out?

16. Conversational Profiles Article JABS, 2008
The purpose of the article: 
Demonstrate that managers have an identifiable pattern of talk – a conversational profile –when implementing change. 
Show that conversational profiles are directly related to the progress of change. 
Illustrate ways managers can intentionally alter their conversational profiles to positively affect the progress of change.

17. CQI Institute – What’s Your Profile?
Perry Co: Improve immunization rates in the underserved population
AOHC: Improve AOHC’s (Ass’n of OH Health Commiss’s) role in assisting HD’s w/preparedness activities
Licking Co: Increase the # of healthcare providers reporting influenza cases diagnosed weekly to LHD
Defiance: Improve surveillance of school-based influenza-like absenteeism and reporting to school officials by decreasing the time it takes to report numbers.
ODH: Improve the ICS (Incident Command Struct.) human capital mgmt deployment & activation process
Sandusky: Improve the information dissemination process to H1N1 high risk population
Zanesville-Muskingum: Improve Z-M’s vaccine management system

18. Communicating for Change: Draft Your Plan (in conversation, of course)
Specify What, When, Why, How:
What is the change? Be specific: you can’t just say “improve” or “increase” – use measures. What changes? From what, To what? How will you know when you’re done?
When should it happen? Establish your best estimate for the timeline and the end date when the change will be complete.
Why should it happen? Draft the purpose & goals. What will it accomplish? How will it advance the mission?
How should it happen? Four components:
Change Process: Identify steps or stages + timeline for each.
Anticipated challenges: Anticipate problems and solutions.
HR: Identify needs for training, hiring, reviews, etc.
Financial: Budgets, resources, personnel, etc.

19. Communicating for Change: Draft Your Change “Performance Network”
Specify Who, Where
Who are your:
Change Authorities – people who can help you finalize your Change Plan (decision makers relevant to your change)
Change Performers – people who will produce the results that will make the change happen, e.g., Managers, Engineers, Trainers
Change Users-Customers – people who will benefit most from the change
Change Resources – people who have ideas & resources for the change to work in your organization, industry, or environment
Where are these people and groups located? Sketch out the "geography" of the change.

20. What’s Missing in Your Change?
Perry Co: Improve immunization rates AOHC: Improve role assisting preparedness Licking Co: Increase # of providers reporting Defiance: Improve surveillance ODH: Improve the ICS process Sandusky: Improve information dissemination Zanesville-Muskingum: Improve vaccine management system
What is the change?
When should it happen?
Why should it happen?
How should it happen?
Change Process: steps + timeline
Anticipated challenges
HR needs
Financial planning
Who & Where are your:
Change Authorities
Change Performers
Change Users-Customers
Change Resources

21. Communicating for Change
Use your Change Plan and Change Performance Network to have conversations for causing and completing the change you want.
Initiative and Understanding conversations
Revise & improve the Change Plan and Change Performance Network
Understanding and Performance conversations
Clarify responsibilities, and displays for tracking results
Make requests, promises, agreements.
All four conversations
Hold regular Status Update Meetings to track progress, refresh value, address concerns, update agreements, and recognize results.
Turn resistance into ideas for improving the Change Plan and Network
Closure conversations - create accomplishment & recognition

22. Stages of Change INITIATIVE: Proposal of vision and value
Plan Draft, Development ,and Revision
UNDERSTANDING: Planning & engagement
Clear responsibilities for tasks, results
PERFORMANCE: Call for actions & results
Requests, Promises, Agreements
CLOSURE: Recognition & return to purpose
Acknowledge facts, Appreciate people, Apologize, Amend broken agreements

23. Plan-Do-Check-Act and Communicating for Change
Hold regular Status Update Meetings to track progress, refresh value, address concerns, and recognize results.
ALL 4 CONVERSATIONS
PLAN
Create your Change Plan (What-When-Why-How) and Change Performance Network (Who-Where)
ALL 4 CONVERSATIONS
ACT
PLAN
CHECK
Clarify responsibilities for tasks, results, and communications. Make requests, promises, agreements, and tracking displays.
ALL 4 CONVERSATIONS DO
Validate and update the Change Plan and Change Performance Network in conversations with all players.
ALL 4 CONVERSATIONS
CHECK DO

24. Obstacles: “Resistance”
Resistance conversations come in three flavors:
Complacency – “Why bother?”
Resignation – “It won’t work.”
Cynicism – “Nothing ever works.”

25. “Resistance” “Resistance” is a product of:
Missing, Inappropriate, and Incomplete conversations over time
… which results in complacency, resignation, and/or cynicism
... and creates distrust, and a loss of credibility.

26. “Resistance” Is Not an Obstacle
“Resistance” is a form of conversation.
Resistance conversations are just ways in which some people participate in organization change.
Listen carefully to what is being said.
Use the information as a valuable source of feedback.
See “Decoding Resistance to Change” in Harvard Business Review, March 2009, on

27. Put “Resistance” to Work
Collect ideas for improving the Change Plan
Identify where Closure-Action is needed:
What facts need to be acknowledged?
What people need to be appreciated?
What mistakes or misunderstandings deserve an apology?
What broken agreements should be amended?
Clarify objectives and strategies, timelines and task assignments.

28. Leadership Conversations
Leadership Conversations Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, Kouzes & Posner
Model the way, Credibility
Initiative and Closure Conversations
Inspire a shared vision
Initiative and Understanding Conversations
Challenge the process, Open to ideas
Understanding Conversations
Enable others to act, Cooperation & Trust
Performance and Closure Conversations
Encourage the heart, Appreciate
Closure Conversations

29. Conversations in Work and Life
It’s not only about organization change.
Your conversations are a vital ingredient in the quality of your life.
Reach your goals and help others reach theirs
Establish and maintain good relationships
Make things happen, Get things done

30. Summary 1. Some conversations are not productive
2. Four conversations are productive:
Initiative, Understanding, Performance, Closure
3. Conversations can have six ingredients:
What-When-Why and Who-Where-How
4. Most problems, in work and in the rest of life, can be resolved with conversation
5. “Resistance” is everywhere. It’s your job to put it to work for your goals.