Communication PlanBrittany MornewegAET560Phyllis CarbonaroSeptember 29, 2015

Overview• JC Penney’s production declined under

previous management. New management has been brought in to regain the organizations credibility and revenue.

• Employees are resistant to more change and fearful for job security based on experience with previous management.

• Change agents have been hired to help employees effectively communicate their perspectives and cope with current and future changes.

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Launching theCommunication Plan• Four phases

▫ Phase 1 - Preapproval Convince management that training for all employees on

effective communication and coping with change is needed▫ Phase 2 - Developing the need for change

Use data gathered from pre-assessments, surveys, and employee feedback to explain need

▫ Phase 3 - Midstream change Pulse checks on progress and any new issues or misconceptions Communicate status with employees Management must maintain enthusiasm about the process

▫ Phase 4 - Confirming the change Celebrate successes of the change and re-evaluate to reflect on

journey to prepare for changes ahead(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.319-320)

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Technology• Preapproval

▫ Prepare PowerPoint presentation for top management, print out hard copy for meeting, and email a recap with encouragement for feedback PowerPoint, Computers, Microsoft Word, Printer, Email, Internet

• Developing the need for change▫ Email link to employees for an electronic bulletin board so they may leave

anonymous feedback and conduct an online survey to gather data from each department Electronic bulletin board and online survey site, Email, Computers, Internet

• Midstream change▫ Implement a Change Blog to sample opinions and maintain awareness of

employee reactions to changes Blog site, Computers, Email, Internet

• Confirming the change ▫ Senior management and immediate supervisors will write personalized

letters to their team members to celebrate accomplishments Microsoft Word, Email, Computers, Internet

(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.321)

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Communication Plan Effectiveness• Transition Managers will be employed to monitor and track

effectiveness of the communication plan during the organizational change process.▫ Preapproval

Incorporate management feedback from preliminary meetings▫ Developing the need for change

Utilize data to support the changes and ensure steps in the plan relate to the overall goals of the change process

▫ Midstream change Include formative assessments which align with pre-assessments and

compare data to show increase in communication and an increase in positive attitudes related to change

▫ Confirming the change Assess approaches, tools, and summative feedback and compare to

preliminary assessments and formative assessments to measure overall effectiveness

(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.327-328)

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Impact of Management Response• Management has a crucial impact and an

obligation to be present during the change▫Communicate the same message multiple times via

a variety of channels and mediums Face-to-face communication must be incorporated to

promote two-way communication▫Immediate supervisor is key and they must maintain

enthusiasm about the changes during the process Opportunity to use trusting relationships between

employees and supervisors to help make information more relevant and personalized for their team members

(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.322)

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Continuous Improvement•How to generate feedback

▫Including employees throughout the change process helps dissolve misconceptions and alleviate fears which promotes a willingness to participate Phase four – Confirming the change allows

celebrating success and time for employees to realize how changes benefit them and the organization Summative assessments will be delivered to employees with

a clear message that their feedback from the previous process will be utilized and implemented to help future change processes be successful

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Addressing Negative Responses• Education and communication

▫ Help employees understand the changes, what their responsibilities will be, and how it will benefit them

▫ Provide awareness to promote advocacy for the change• Facilitation and support

▫ Change agents work with employees by providing guidance and support when adapting to change

• Manipulations and cooperation▫ Include opposed employees in communications about the change

and incorporate their perspectives and relevant feedback• Systematic adjustments

▫ Reassignment of employees may help reduce negative responses by finding a place where their talents and perspective fit to enhance the process of the changes

(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.323-324)

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Communication Plan Impact on the Organizational Change•Changes in an organization produce varied

emotions and behaviors from all employees▫Having a plan and strategies in place to approach

changes will help minimize resistance, fears, and misconceptions throughout the change process

•The Communication Plan serves as a “Do it” orientation▫Prepares employees to take part in the change

process and encourages them to take action to ensure the changes are implemented successfully

(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.328)

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Summary• JC Penney employed change agents to help

minimize negative responses to new and needed changes from recently hired management for the success of the organization.

• A Communication Plan was implemented to support the organizational change and training on effective communication and coping with change.

• Formative and summative assessments of employee feedback and data were used to help with continuous monitoring of this organizational change process and helped prepare for future changes.

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References•Cawsey, T. F., Deszca, G., & Inglos, C. (2012).

Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

•Google Images. (2015). Retrieved from https://images.google.com/