-
Participants:
Competitors, referees, and support staff.
-
Spectators: fans of either the competitors or the
sport, & those who would rather be somewhere else.
-
Non-attendees:
those who are affected by the result & those with no obvious involvement.
Performance and passion will vary. Events will be recalled and reported differently;
“the facts” recorded.
Change in business is no different. There are those involved in the change, those
watching with their own agenda and those with no obvious interest. Each will behave differently - their
motivations initially unclear. Their
level of investment may vary. How they
interpret what they hear and read will depend on their very personal
experience.
Leaders of successful change recognise the existence and
potential of each group, whether they are involved, watching or apparently disinterested. A segmented “group” may be large, such as a
local community, or small representing a key individual. Each group will have different or potentially
conflicting needs, beliefs and objectives – the underlying motivations and
causes need to be understood.
Separate communication plans for each group need to reflect
these differences. Different content,
media and timing will be deployed to create awareness and then acceptance. Messages need to be consistent and feedback
appropriate.
These segmented communications need to influence all the
other tasks and actions in the project plan, including the deployment of
technical solutions.
Segmented communication plans also need to be part of any “change
control”, contingency and risk assessment process, because people react in
different ways, events change outcomes and stress impacts performance.
Finally, I would like to wish every athlete and spectator at
the Olympic or Paralympic Games a successful, enjoyable and safe visit to the
UK.
[From the series “Changing Leading Performing” by Salmon
Heaton & Kimmins Ltd]
