Strategy Implementation, Change Management, Corporate Nudging – a dear child has many names. We call it rhetoric.
Do you know that sinking feeling when the new strategy is announced and employees carry on as before? Do you wonder how you can get the strategy, organisational change or new culture rooted in the organisation? Read on for a research‑based solution.
Sometimes top management and consultancy agencies spend six months or more developing new strategies. This is often followed by relaxing in soft chairs and thinking: “Well done.” The idea is that once the plan is completed and the great thoughts are written down, it just needs to be implemented. That can happen during a public meeting, perhaps with a couple of emails and, of course, through necessary information on the intranet. Then it’s up and running, right?
That’s not how it works
Why not? Because, whether in a personal or organisational setting, rational knowledge alone is not enough for us to change behaviour. If it were, there would be no smokers, no speeding drivers, and we would all be vegetarians. To change our behaviour, we must feel the need in our gut.
Work has to be done on two levels: the tactical and the operational.
At the tactical level, you need a plan that includes what is to be communicated, by whom, when, why and to whom.
At the operational level, managers and key employees are trained and advised on how to say it, write it and act in general. That includes body language when speaking about the strategy. Long reports and elegant cascade models alone do not get people to embrace a strategy.
Execution and implementation must be done using practical, hands‑on tools. You should therefore always assume that creating fundamental behavioural change takes 6–8 months.
Tactical considerations
You already know that change takes time. But much of that time should be spent before the change is even announced, because the organisation must be ready to receive it. This is the so‑called “defreezing phase”, where employees are gently prepared for what is coming. This phase should not be constant, as an overly adaptable employee is typically also insecure and demotivated.
Only when employees are ready and willing to adapt should the change be announced – not a moment before. So even if management is eager to solve problems, discuss the new strategy and get started, there is much to gain from a little procrastination – enough that employees actually ask for solutions before they are given them.
Bite‑sized chunks
We always recommend planning how to move employees safely and smoothly, one step at a time. Research shows that the main problem with organisational communication is that we ask people for too much at once. They need incremental steps – otherwise they retreat into their shell.
Typically, you have to start with the “boring” topics such as understanding the new organisation. Then move on to more engaging ones such as enthusiasm, motivation and ownership.
It is rarely possible to get an employee to change teams, modify tasks, understand and act on a new strategy and feel motivated and comfortable – all at once. Think about the amount of time and energy you usually spend training and coaching a new employee. It is the same process when moving a thousand people. And as with onboarding a new colleague, the process must be incremental.
Finally, you must focus on maintaining positive emotions. Did you know motivation dies out in two months if you do not fuel it? So it is not just about making employees understand the strategy – they must fully feel motivated to act on it.
Operational considerations
It is not enough to say that you want employees to feel motivated and enthusiastic. They must know it – and feel it – in their hearts as well.
Work must be done to choose the very words the change‑leader delivers. He or she must be trained, and the right style must be found so it does not sound like a thoughtless script recorded by management. It must be credible, honest and effective.
The order of communication must also disarm critics at the right moments so they do not poison the atmosphere with too much negativity. Neutral settings should remain positive, and the key task is to avoid obstructing the behaviour change you are trying to create. All of this is achieved by working with rhetoric.
And then what?
If you build a tactical plan that identifies when employees are ready to understand the need for change – and combine it with training in the unfamiliar communication situations managers typically face – you get a far more effective implementation.
Employees act as intended because they understand the strategy both emotionally and rationally. And no, this technique does not solve all problems or eliminate all resistance. But it is significantly better than the alternative.
About the authors
At Rhetorica, we do not know anything about your business strategy. We are the ones you call after the five‑year plan is completed. The ones you contact when Rambøll, Implement, Valcon or McKinsey have delivered their analyses. We are there when messages need to be announced – and need to reach the people where it makes the difference you want.
You can call us implementation experts. We call ourselves rhetoric consultants.
