Go Along or Resist:
Employees determine the success of change management.

You don’t send a marriage proposal by email. And when it comes to transformations, face-to-face communication is essential for inspiring employees through direct interaction to embrace a new shared future. A kick-off or a roadshow across multiple locations must align with the purpose and content of the transformation. The time and effort spent on preparation are always well invested. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Groß & Cie. handles the creation of the narrative structure, the review of content in accordance with the “master story,” the staging and emotional engagement—including teasers and follow-up. And if a company lacks its own resources or if those resources are overburdened by the transformation, the organization of the event is also part of the scope of work.

Online and print media should be integrated into change communication due to their different functions, potentially alongside existing internal media. The structure depends heavily on the company: in manufacturing facilities, few employees have direct access to the intranet and other digital platforms. In decentralized sales organizations, print media serve as high-quality teasers for the online communication typically used there.

Groß & Cie. designs and implements all employee media, depending on the resources and expertise available within the company. Especially when it comes to specialized change media—such as manuals, special editions, or web specials—Groß & Cie. brings its specific knowledge and experience to bear to meet the unique needs of employees during transformations. Success stories and praise can be counterproductive if negative news is the prevailing sentiment in the workplace.

Many employees are active on various social media platforms—from XING to Facebook and Twitter. Companies can leverage this affinity during transformations for innovative change communication, using it as a starting point for the gradual development of the intranet with a “social media suite.”

For employee engagement, relevance to their daily work is fundamental: project managers provide a brief daily tweet on the current status. Senior management demonstrates how to implement the transformation themselves. Speed, proximity, and authenticity sustain change communication—provided the use of blogs and similar platforms is continuous, open, and honest.

It is crucial to allocate the necessary human resources to ensure the quality and quantity of support, for example, to process suggestions and criticism from employees. After all, every piece of feedback should be addressed promptly. Groß & Cie. acts as a consultant and coach in this process, since the actual implementation of the content should naturally be in the hands of the employees.

Wikis are a core component of social media applications, not just during transformations. The goal is to facilitate the easy exchange of knowledge, making current and new information available to all employees. During transformations, wikis can help reduce complexity, make results easily accessible, and collect links for further reading.

Every wiki should have a specific topic. A core group of employees creates the basic content to ensure high utility for daily work right from the start. The risk of misuse is much lower than with email communication alone, since every post is personalized and can be commented on by any employee. Wikis for individual locations or for management are also often useful.

In addition, small incentives are important to motivate usage at the start, for example through information available only on the wiki or small prizes for the first new contributions. Groß & Cie. supports the core team in the design and editorial work, as ongoing maintenance should naturally remain in the hands of the employees.