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Welcome to all new subscribers who have joined us over the last fortnight - do check out earlier issues of this ezine - we keep the last couple of months issues online here

Also, I've recently put a copy of the site map on the "Home Page" to make it easier for you to review and access the full site content.

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I feel disconnected

From where I am sitting right now in my home/office down by the sea in Clevedon in the south west of the UK the sun is shining and I can hear the seagulls overhead. The tide was in and the water was shimmering in the sun earlier as I went for my morning jog up the sea front. I should be feeling good...

And yet... I feel rather disconnected as I type this...

Roughly every fortnight I have a stab at putting together what I trust will be relevant and stimulating information on change management related themes. I create links to new resources, create facilities for people to communicate with each other via this site and always on the look out for new and interesting material.

Truth is, I have no real idea whether many (any?) people ever read this stuff or whether it makes the slightest difference to anyone's life. I know very little about those of you on the mailing list and you don't know much about me either.

As is the spirit of the age, we just exchange information.

No need for flowers

Well actually we don't - that's not strictly true most of the time. I put a website up, create facilities, send out information and you may (or may not) read it or occasionally respond.

To be perfectly truthful, sometimes it feels like "feeding an insatiable monster".

I'm not asking for flowers and bottles of wine in sympathy - I behave in exactly the same way on several newsletters I subscribe to - I do, of course, know that this is just the nature of the medium - it comes with the territory.

And yet, on occasions, it does all feel rather empty.

I could build quite a passionate case that for everything we have gained in this instant information age we have lost an equal - maybe greater - amount in real communication - in dialogue. We have lost the connection in communication.

We are all constantly scouring the ether, utilising the "social" media, twittering, facebooking, devouring information, insatiable for more, and more....

This how we do things these days. (Yeah OK, I know, I really am showing my age now!)

And yet... so very little real communication, so very little dialogue....

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One way information traffic

Recently I reviewed and scanned through what are supposed to be the top 150 business and leadership blogs.

So much material.

So many opinions.

All vying for attention.

Information overload.

All of us bloggers and internet marketeers trying to have our say and carve out our own little niche - some of us to build an online business and others to sound off and build a profile.

Yet in truth, there really is so very little dialogue or real communication.

It is nearly all a one-way traffic.

"We know best..."

And isn't this exactly how it is in most organisations?

Informations flows - one way - from the top.

Often it is not really communication, and certainly not dialogue, just information, delivered from the old command/control style of management:

"We know best and you will do what we tell you."

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Dialogue - the key to change communication

In the past 2 ezines we have looked at length at the critical importance of recognising and working with the informal networks within an organisation.

Also, we've considered how that whilst of course formal structures are necessary and yes there is (and will always be) a requirement for command/control management, it is the informal networks that are the key to overcoming change resistance and successfully realising the envisaged benefits of the change initiative.

I would suggest that change communication that involves dialogue is also another critical component of the overall change process.

Change communication coach Jennifer Frahm has recently posted a very relevant piece on this very subject "Let’s touch base and dialogue"

Jennifer also has published an excellent one page guide which I thoroughly recommend (and ideal for printing out and sticking on your wall): "Six Tactics for Creating Conversations of Change"

And for those of you who are interested in the "basics" of change communication, may I point you to "Say what you mean and mean what you say"

Have a good week.

Best Wishes
Stephen

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Stephen Warrilow
Lynton Glenthorne Ltd
2 Beach Mews
The Beach
Clevedon
Bristol BS21 7QU
UK

+44 1275 349878
+44 7860 215986

Strategies for Managing Change

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Featured Articles

"Let’s touch base and dialogue"

"Six Tactics for Creating Conversations of Change"

"Say what you mean and mean what you say"

Doing Homework or Research?

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Get Connected

Do you have something to share re your experiences of change management that will be of interest and benefit to others?

Do you have an article related to the theme of change management that you would like to publish? Or, do you have a comment on articles and comments already published?

Post your own articles and comment on the site and, if you wish, create your own profile FULLY LINKED from this site to your blog or site. See here for details:

Get Connected Here - "How to Manage Change in Practise"

Burning Question?

What is your most burning question about the whole business of leading and managing change...?

Or, what is your most burning question about being on the receiving end of change...?

What is Your Most Burning Question?

Alternatively, if you prefer email me direct at stephenwarrilow(AT)tiscali.co.uk

Resources

This book will dramatically reduce your 70% chance of failing - either as a change leader or a change survivor.

• You will be shown what to ask and how to act NOW - for immediate results - rapid results can be key to your survival and success

• You will be educated to challenge people and know what the right questions are to ask - a key survival skill

• You will understand the core and universal principles of successful change and how to adapt and apply them to your own organisation - to misquote the former US defence secretary - you will know the "known knowns and the unknown knowns"

• You will understand the strengths and weaknesses of popular change models - you will gain understanding of the holistic view - how it all hangs together - can I share a dirty little secret? No-one - not even Kotter or Bridges has a monopoly on change management "truth"... the key is knowing what matters, when it matters

• You will be equipped to challenge prevailing assumptions and to facilitate discussions with colleagues [up + down the line] - extremely useful when your neck is on the line

• You will have a language and framework to articulate sensitive issues - essential when dealing with the messy stuff

• You will have the tools to "health-check" your own plans for a change initiative - and the tools and processes - all ground out of hard painful experience - to ensure you don't make mistakes I have made - and that you succeed both personally and organisationally

• You will gain insights into original perspectives, tools and processes never published before - ideal if you are a student or undertaking some form of higher business education - a fast-track to a good grade on your course.

"This is an excellent reference for anyone involved in change management"

[Mike Pollard, Business Analyst, Business Improvement Unit, Information & Communication Services, University of Dundee]

See here for full information - or click on image above left

I can de-risk your initiative by making sure that you anticipate and resolve the issues that derail so many initiatives and lead to that 70% failure rate


Specialist support that:

• Focuses on the areas outside of the scope of traditional programme and change management methodologies

• Gets "under the radar", "behind the lines" - and does "whatever it takes" to ensure that you DO succeed and DON'T become part of the 70% of failures:

  # Before you have an issue - to anticipate it
  # When you have an issue - to neutralise and resolve it
  # After you’ve had an issue - to ensure it doesn’t happen again
  

Click here for more information and to contact me now

Pay It Forward

If you are finding this ezine and my website of value - may I ask you to email this newsletter to friends and colleagues with a brief note indicating that this may be of interest to them?

They can check out the site - via the links in the resources section below - and then, if they want to, they can subscribe and receive their copy of the free report that accompanies this ezine.

Thank you

Sign Up To This Ezine and Receive This FREE Report

This 29 page document is a brief introduction to some of the key themes and key points that you need to consider in starting the change process.

# Assessing the case for change

# The single biggest issue re managing change

# 8 key strategies for managing change

# 4 key steps to incremental change

# The 3 Keys to realising the benefits of step change

# Recognising the emotional dimension of leadership

# How to reduce the risk of failure of any major business initiative

See here for full information - or click on images above left or below

PLEASE NOTE: If you experience any difficulty with any of the links above - cut the WHOLE LINK and paste it directly into your browser.