Telling the Change Story
Jo Ann Sweeney
Explaining Change Expert, Clarifying the Complex. Helping Stakeholders to Embrace, Understand, Believe & Support Change.
What is storytelling, and how do we apply the storytelling process to change and transformation? How can we create clear and compelling stories with impactful messages our audiences relate to?
When I think of storytelling my mind goes to theatre and films. Their essentials are narrative, characters, evocative location and production values. We can add each of these to our own change stories.
In this downloadable document I share practical tips for using storytelling in your change and transformation programmes.
Persuading Executives to Support Change
Structured and logical business cases are a good way of winning executive support for change I’ve found in working for a range of global clients.
They are a way of bridging the daily experiences and expectations of customer facing staff with priorities of senior leaders.
In this downloadable document I share an outline for an all-singing, all-dancing business case you can pick and mix from.
Managing Change Fatigue
Most large organisations are dealing with more change than ever. This can be very destabilising for people on the ground, leading to lots of change fatigue.
It may be that people believe executives don’t understand what is going on externally; they are introducing change as a knee-jerk reaction.
There is no understanding of customers or competitors, people don’t trust executives to make wise decisions.
People don’t understand why they are being asked to change the ways they work; or how these changes will benefit their customers. No one is listening to their views.
If you are facing these challenges, what can you and your team do differently? Here are six tips to help explain why change is necessary.
Videos on YouTube
Enjoy watching these videos in my YouTube channel. They are responses to questions I’ve been asked during webinars and in conversations with change and transformation practitioners.
Managers are designated as change leaders in our organisation, but they do not have the authority or commitment to lead change. Transformation goes wrong from the start. What can we do?
This is an issue in most sectors, countries and established multinationals where people have experienced numerous change initiatives.
In this short video I share techniques I use with my clients to persuade managers and executives to get involved and actively support change.
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In our organisation everyone has to prioritise billing time to clients to earn short term revenues. There is no incentive to make time for changing technologies, processes, procedures, or mindsets.
A UK culture and change manager asked this question. She added, there is no time to embrace the changes that will ultimately increase total billing time for the whole organisation.
Here are some tips for helping executives to see the benefits of change if you are also in an organisation with a similar short term focus.
Transformation is treated as an objective rather than a response to external factors in our organisation, how can we change perceptions?
Let me share some questions to uncover how your executives view transformation, along with some practical tips for how you can present transformation as a strategic response to the marketplace forces and customer expectations impacting your organisation.
What Has Jo Ann Been Up To
Autumn is arriving in London with frequent heavy rain showers, so the flowers in our garden are blooming for a little bit longer.
I won’t see them for much longer as I’m heading back to Dubai this weekend for three weeks of training delivery. First up is social media for marketing, then government communications, followed by best practices for protocol officers. Do let me know if you would like to know more about any of these courses.
Mike and I spent the tail of summer holidaying in Amsterdam with New Zealand friends. Much of our time was in art galleries and I found myself getting close up to the paintings I loved to check out the artist’s techniques. Close up and far away give quite different perspectives.
About Jo Ann Sweeney FCIM FIIC
Jo Ann Sweeney is the founder of Sweeney Communications. Typically she acts as engagement director for a client’s digital transformation programmes.
Clients value her deep understanding of audiences. She is experienced at segmenting and prioritising stakeholders according to their influence and attitudes, then tailoring engagement activities to take them on the journey from where they are to where they need to be in terms of involvement and commitment.
If you want to talk with Jo Ann about your challenges persuading people to change, contact her at support@sweeneycomms.com