by Bonni Carson DiMatteo, CMC © 2004

On Thursday, June 17, 2004, the day the September 11 Committee reported to the world the lapse in communication and the chaotic response to the attack on America, people in the Prudential Tower were fleeing the building in response to five propeller planes circling Boston and Logan Airport. Fear and uncertainly gripped the public as well as public safety officials, including the Boston Police and Mass Port. No leaders who made the decision to approve this extraordinary exercise thought it was necessary to communicate this to safety officers or the public. Assumptions were made this would not alarm people. The impact was visceral.

How many times have decisions about change been made in your company without communicating to all corners of the company the why, what, how, who and when of the change? As leaders who often must make decisions quickly, we sometimes skip the steps of communicating, preparing, and enrolling our staff on the impact of the change. The efficiency that may be sought by the change is often mitigated by the reverberations, resistance, and reactions of the people most impacted. A lapse in communication can undo the greatest plans.

As leaders we have to take the thirty-thousand-foot view and ask ourselves three questions: 1) Have we communicated our vision in a way that everyone understands? 2) What have we done to motivate their buy-in? 3) What have we done to prepare them to implement and manage the change? It comes as no surprise that two out of three change initiatives fail. The failure is often a lapse in communication and follow through.

We suggest the following 10 steps in creating and managing change:

1. Create a compelling vision and platform for change
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate
3. Enroll and empower to convert resistance to enthusiasm
4. Create shared vision--corporate, department, personal
5. Align goals--corporate, department, personal
6. Create quick wins/break down long marches
7. Implement plan
8. Assess the impact
9. Address the impact
10. Celebrate success/recognize & reward

As leaders it is our challenge to inspire, communicate, and follow through. Lapses in communication can create resentment and chaos, and undermine our most important job--leading our companies and staff in the right direction for the right reason.

"Executives are focusing on how to build a flexible and responsive organization to more quickly detect and respond to market opportunities," according to Forbes editor John Dobosz and GartnerG2 Research Director Neil McDonald (April 2004). What are you doing to build your leadership competencies?

• Are you looking for a cost effective solution to developing management and leadership competencies?
• Do you want something that has an impact and extends the learning into the culture of the company and the expectations of management?
• Do you want something that is deeper than a weekend quick fix, that sustains and implements the learning?
• Do you want a guarantee that is based upon an agreed measure of success that you establish?
• Do you know that to replace a key employee is estimated to be 1% to 2.5% of company revenue or between $10K and $100K per employee depending on level? (source: ASTD)
• Do you know that the TRS (Total Return to Shareholders) on training that increases development, communication, and morale is up to 200%? (source: SHRIM)
• Do you know that research indicates that there is an average of 5.7 ROI for coaching key employees? (source: Manchaster Group)
• Do you want to retain top talent and groom them for the next level?

Then you want the Next Level Leadership Program. This cutting edge program combines:

• Leadership/management training (3 workshops)
• Assessment of core competencies
• 360 assessment telling people how others see them
• Assessment of personality style and its impact on communication (DISC)
• Goal setting
• Individual coaching to develop and enhance competencies, meet goals
• Group coaching to extend learning and build the team
• 6-month, 8-month, and 12-month programs bring your leadership to the next level

And all for less than it would cost you to send a manager to an offsite three-day leadership program.

Eliane has twenty years of experience in the high technology industry and five years in banking. She joins our staff as a consultant skilled in Coaching, Mediation, and Process Improvement with particular expertise in the technology and engineering sector helping professionals and executives refine their communication, leadership, and management skills.