Breaking Through the Apathy Barrier
How simply communicating better with your staff can have astonishing results
Breaking the sound barrier was one of aviations most formidable challenges until World War II Captain Charles “Chuck” Yeager quite literally rose to the occasion. On the 14th October 1947, and with several broken ribs, he finally flew his plane the Glamorous Glennis at the then astounding speed of 670mph, and in doing so achieved what had cost many skilled pilots their lives and what some scientist feared impossible.
Navigating your organization through any change management programme can feel like a battle of equal hardship at times. It is one of the greatest strategic challenges that can be asked of any leader, and more often than not the success of the entire company, not to mention your own personal reputation, will rest on getting your people to embrace new ways of thinking and working. But with the effects of the recession biting at your employee’s heels it can be difficult to get them to accept that the proposed changes have anything to do with them all.
In fact it can feel as if you’re doomed from the get go with numerous studies confirming that between 60-80% of all change projects will fail in some way, either through not meeting the objectives of the project or by running out of time or budget. Yet all need not be lost.
To break through the apathy barrier and reach out to your staff you may just need to talk to them a little differently. Creating a story that your staff can be part of, add to and retell themselves is the key to getting them to take their heads out of the clouds and say “count me in”.
Change management expert John Kotter also recognized the need for engaging staff as early as possible. As part of his 8 step plan he emphasises the need for an effective communication plan.
A plan that will
- Build alignment and engagement through stories
- Use every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies
- Keep communication simple and heartfelt
- Teach new behaviors by the example of the guiding coalition
Often, communications departments get into a rut with ‘official’ communications losing any sense of humanity. The tone is often too formal, and often combined with brand guidelines that prevent the use of striking, sincere emotive visuals. Attractive, relevant and memorable.
As more and more people create their own stories, we see a tipping point where the apathy barrier has been broken through more often than not, and the possibility of change becomes real. The naysayers become the minority.
Thanks to the pioneering work of Chuck and his colleagues, pilots of today routinely break the sound barrier with none of the pain and turmoil he would have suffered. They know it’s possible, that’s all.
