The less we know, the more we suspect. Managers routinely underestimate the amount and quality of education and communication required to make change and improvement efforts successful. If people don't buy into why changes or improvements are necessary, they will resist them. Before people will want to improve, they need to agree with why to improve. Then they are ready to learn how to improve.

Strong partnerships are built on keeping each other informed. Effective partners communicate frequently and clearly. Since information is power, empowering means sharing information.

A constantly improving and highly effective team or organization is transparent. Why, who, what, and how decisions are made, and actions taken is obvious to everyone. The culture is marked by openness and informality. Information is widely shared.

Objectives:

• Build a compelling case and cause for change/improvement.
• Paint everyone into the big picture.
• Strengthen ownership/commitment for improving our organization.
• Improve communication/feedback flows up, down, and across.
• Create a more transparent organization.
• Develop a strong conduit for organization learning.
• Increase trust levels.

Effective Communication Strategies, Systems, and Practices:

• Deliver clear and consistent messages.
• Use face-to-face communication as much as possible.
• Are simple, direct, and fast.
• Mobilize and energize.
• Are user-friendly, human, and personal.
• Move information, experiences, learning, and feedback up, down, and across.
• Use multiple channels and media.
• Are possible only in an atmosphere of trust and openness.

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Focus & Context

1. Vision, Values, and Purpose

Customers & Partners

2. Customers
3. Internal Partners
4. External Partners

Strategy & Direction

5. Strategy, Structure, and Roles
6. Goals and Priorities

Measures & Rewards

7. Measurement and Feedback
8. Reward and Recognition
9. Review, Assess, Celebrate, and Refocus

Processes & Systems

10. Process Management
11. Systems

Learning & Development

12. Education & Communications
13. Skill Development
14. Teams
15. Innovation & Organizational Learning
16. Improvement Infrastructure/Process