Creating Lasting Change Through Spam

Many leaders talk more about change than they actually drive.
To put it crudely, they’re all talk and no action.
They give speeches about how they want to improve the diversity of the organisation, because diversity is essential.
A month later, they’re talking about innovation.
Then they’re talking about competitiveness and retention.
After a while, employees begin to feel the same way as when politicians talk. It sounds nice – it sounds great, even – but everyone knows they’re just saying whatever it takes.
If you’ve ever worked in a large organisation – especially a government department – you know what I mean. They talk about cutting the red tape, while living and breathing the red tape.
Once, I heard the head of an organisation talk about reducing the layers between frontline employees and the strategic leadership.
A week later, the same person announced a whole new layer of management.
I’m not saying they were wrong to add this layer. But it’s empty talk like this that erodes trust, and thus your ability to create change.
Here’s the reality you live in as a strategic leader:
If you say something once, people will smile and nod.
If you say it a few times, they’ll mentally file that topic away. For example, talk about innovation and suddenly employees will justify their new computers – which they were always going to buy – by saying it’ll make them more innovative.
But if you bring up a topic every day…
Make it the core of your communications…
And keep saying it for months…
… your people will sit up and take notice.
You can’t communicate change. You have to overcommunicate it.
Overcommunication shows you’re serious.
It keeps the message at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
It reshapes the conversations everyone has.
I remember one strategic leader I worked under. His fixation was on the organisation’s… six values? I forget exactly what it was, but it was the sort of things written on the lobby wall and on all their stationery.
For most organisations, these values are catchy slogans. After all, Enron’s corporate motto mentioned integrity. Clearly empty words.
For this leader, though, the values were essential.
Whenever he presented an award, he’d mention the behaviour exemplified a specific value.
Whenever he announced a new initiative, he framed it in terms of the values.
Every email referenced – nay, revered – them somehow.
They were his north star.
And his people? They knew he was serious.
A casual reference to something doesn’t cut it. If you want your people to embrace change, you need to remind them every day.
It might feel like you’re boring or patronising them.
You’re not. You’re showing this change matters.
You can only bore them if you say the same thing over and over.
Talk about the same thing in new ways, though?
That’s the powerful recipe for change.

The best way to enhance your organisation is with the ultimate advantage: trust.
But how do you measure something like that, let alone improve it?
Especially if your workforce is stretched thin, cynical and burned out on change?
There are simple, effective and proven strategies you can begin implementing today. I know you can unlock the creativity, productivity and joy of your employees.
Learn how today with my free white paper and all the resources you need to launch your own trust-based change initiative:
https://battenandking.com/advantage

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