………when managing change.
Over the years I have led, managed or been involved in a number of change programmes. Some have delivered, some have partly delivered and some have failed to deliver at all.
The one common feature of those that have delivered or partly delivered has been a culture of honesty and openness within the change team and across the organisation as a whole.
Some would argue that there must be an element of concealment as not everyone needs to know everything. My view is that saying “I cannot answer that question at the moment but will do as soon as I can* is far more productive than a platitude or an outright lie.
Of course people will be unhappy if they hear bad news but at least they can then start to move forward rather than hope the rumours, that conflict with what they have been told, are not true.
The human condition is a tricky beast but it does like to be respected. Honesty and openness are of course key elements of respect.
Interspiral 