Communicating the Change (Milestone 3)
An important part of any change project is how the change is communicated to the organization, to the change agents, to the line workers, to the customers, and to the public. Along with media relations issues, communicating change (especially in a publicly traded company) can involve multiple legal and regulatory aspects as well as personnel and management concerns. Perhaps the single most difficult piece of handling Kotter’s “establish a sense of urgency” is that too many inexperienced or immature change agents read this to mean “panic the troops.” Never do this.
This project piece will have three parts.
- The main part of this project component will ask you to pick one of the company’s change plans and develop a communication plan for the company. This plan should be submitted by using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and setting out the stakeholders, the timeline of the communication plan, the method of communication, the rationale for why you chose this method of communication, the purpose of the communication, and identifying who will do the communicating. The grid for this project can be found in the Files section of the Course Menu and is titled Grid for Week 6—Communication Plan.
- Select one of the communication pieces that you would have used that is listed in your communication plan, and write the communication in a Word document (either the text or the script, if the communication would have been oral). Be sure to review the Week 6 information and the examples of communication plans and types for more assistance on this piece of the project. If you use any form of communication from templates you find online or in a textbook, be sure to cite your source. Your instructor will grade this based on how well it relates to the audience and stakeholder group to which it is intended.
- The real-world aspect of this project is that you will write a one- to two-page analysis of one of the media pieces about one of the company’s changes written (or provided via oral media) by the company. For this section of the project, please analyze any media, news, or other communications that explained the change going on in the organization. Explain in your paper how the company handled communicating the change to its stakeholders.
Grading Rubric
| Category | Description | Total points |
| Stakeholder ID | ID Stakeholders have been identified on the Excel spreadsheet grid. | 10 |
| Documentation and Formatting | Paper is properly referenced according to APA guidelines with at least two references, properly cited and in-text citations included. | 5 |
| Communication Timeline | Timeline of communication has been identified and explained on the Excel spreadsheet grid. | 10 |
| Communication Type | The type of communication has been identified and explained on the Excel spreadsheet grid. | 10 |
| Communication Rationale | The rationale for why this method of communication was selected. | 15 |
| Communicator ID | ID correct communicator has been identified on the Excel spreadsheet grid. | 10 |
| Communication Pieces | At least four communication pieces listed on the Excel spreadsheet no more than six. | 10 |
| Analysis | An analysis of the actual communication plan as seen from the public eye. | 15 |
| Communication Sample | A sample communication piece for the organization. | 11 |
| HRM Outcome C | Assess the culture and workplace environment and propose and make HR decisions that align with and help achieve an organization’s strategic goals. | 4 |
| Total Points | A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements. | 100 |
