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Joy at Work!1thechangedecision.comIntuit Confidential and Proprietary1How do I know what I’m ready to communicate?How do I keep my team aligned so we communicate to others consistently throughout the change?1©2022 Intuit Inc. All rights reserved.Joy at Work!The Change StoryCommunicate change
Joy at Work!2thechangedecision.comthechangedecision.com2The Change StoryCommunicate changeThe Change Story is a simple and effective tool for communicating change and summarizing the relevant information in one spot. You can create the story before communicating something new to your team or, if you’re leading change with others, create the story as a leadership team. The tool facilitates a clear understanding of the change ahead.Other benefits:• It helps a leadership team communicate consistently with stakeholders.• It’s a handy tool to keep with you and refer to when discussing the change with others.• You can update the story as the change progresses and new decisions are made.Play intro
Joy at Work!3thechangedecision.comThe Change Story templateWhat[Why are we doing this work? What isn’t working? What’s the opportunity?]WhyNowWhatHow WhenBenefits[What is changing? What are we doing? What are the facts? What don’t we know yet?][What benefitsdo stakeholders get if we do this work and do it right?][How will this happen? Are there different phases? How will we interact with stakeholders?][When are the key milestones for this work? Is there a timeframe?][What willstakeholders notice happening next?]What do we know now and what are we ready to communicate about the change?Tool1How to use
Joy at Work!4thechangedecision.comThe Change Story Conversation GuideHow do you share The Change Story?1: The Conversation•Communicate the decision and why it was made. Clarify the implications for the team and what’s expected of them. Acknowledge the difficulties if you’re aware of them. (See Change Impact Assessment tool for help.)•Ask the team to help you make this happen and describe what’s at stake if it doesn’t happen well.•Ask the team for their thoughts: “I think I understand the implications for us as a team but I want to hear from you to make sure I do.”○ What do you like about this decision?○ What do you find challenging about it?○ What would you recommend to overcome these challenges?•Ideally, the people on the team who are most influential would respond constructively. If you’re concerned about this, you could meet with them in advance to get their perspective and then share that in the team meeting. “Joe and I talked about this yesterday and he mentioned these challenges and recommendations. What other thoughts do you have?”2: Overcoming objections•Focus on what you can control and remind the team that there’s a lot you can do to overcome obstacles, it’s often a matter of attitude.•Say what you’re committed to doing and invite others to offer suggestions. “I’m committed to do X to help us succeed. What other suggestions do you have? What else could we do?”PhilosophySituation 1: It’s okay for you to be the decider without input sometimes, especially in your domain of expertise. That’s at least part of why you were hired!Situation 2:Sometimes you have to communicate decisions made by others that you don’t have control over.In both cases, you can communicate the decision and invite constructive reaction from the team. The team may not have a say in the decision but they can have an influence in how to make the change decision happen.Tool1
Joy at Work!thechangedecision.com5Tool1Context2Challenges3Change Leader Role4● The Change Story● Conversation Guide● 3 Options to Use the ToolYou don’t have answers yet People have a big reactionPeople have no reactionA practical philosophyJoy at Work ThinkingFinal considerationsOverview1: Get Started2: Investigate3: Create4: Implement5: Wrap-upThe Change Story MenuBack to full toolset
Joy at Work!6thechangedecision.com1: Create a Story for Your TeamPrepare to communicate something new to your team by clarifying the basic information about the change.3: Ways to Use Your StoryUse the story as a reference for your daily interactions and as a way to understand how people are impacted by the change.Tool13 Options to Use the Tool2: Create a Story as a TeamAlign as a team on the basic information about the change and the questions you anticipate getting when you share the story.
Joy at Work!7thechangedecision.com1: Create a Story for Your TeamInsert ImageThe Change Story helps you clarify what you know and don’t know so you can prepare to communicate something new to your team.1.Answer the questions in the template.2.Separately note the questions you anticipate getting from your team and the answers if you know them.3.Notice if there’s any missing information or answers you’re unsure of. If it’s possible to clarify the answers, take the time to do that now. If not, you can acknowledge this with your team when you communicate the change.The Change Story is useful both initially and in all phases of the change process. Continue to use the tool to discuss your team’s questions and reactions and update the story as the change progresses and new decisions are made.What do I know now and what information can I share about the change?Back to 3 options
Joy at Work!8thechangedecision.com2: Create a Story as a TeamInsert ImageDocumenting The Change Story as a team facilitates a common understanding of the change and prepares you to deliver a consistent message to others.As a team:1. Answer the questions in the template. In the conversation, acknowledge it’s natural that each of you have assumptions. Encourage the group to talk about them because they’re likely a sign of the questions and reactions to anticipate.2. Separately note the questions you anticipate getting from stakeholders and the answers if you know them. You may want to begin keeping an FAQ document.3. Notice if there’s any missing information or answers you’re unsure of. If it’s possible to clarify the answers, take the time to do that now. If not, you can acknowledge this when you communicate the change.The Change Story is useful both initially and in all phases of the change process. Continue to use the tool to discuss stakeholder reactions and update the story as the change progresses and new decisions are made.What do we know now and what information can we share about the change?Back to 3 options
Joy at Work!9thechangedecision.com3: Ways to Use Your StoryInsert ImageWhat is the reaction and what do people most need to know now?• Use your story as a handy reference in your daily routines and interactions.• Note the questions you receive from stakeholders. How well are you able to answer them? What’s the reaction? Are there new questions? What does this tell you about what people are concerned or excited about?• Decide what updates to make to the story based on these reactions.• If you’re leading this change with others, discuss the questions and reactions and compare notes as part of your feedback interpretation conversations. (See Change Feedback Search tool.)• Reflect on what the reactions tell you about how people are impacted by the change and what information they most need now to make progress.Back to 3 options
Joy at Work!10thechangedecision.com32514Wrap-upWhat will help sustain adoption?What was learned for the next change?ImplementHow are people responding?What are the signs of adoption?CreateHow will barriers be overcome?What will make it easier for people to adopt the change?InvestigateWho is involved?What does the change mean to them?Get StartedWhat is the change?A structured change management approach typically follows these phases. Play process overviewContext2The Change Process
Joy at Work!11thechangedecision.com32514Wrap-upWhat will help sustain adoption?What was learned for the next change?ImplementHow are people responding?What are the signs of adoption?CreateHow will barriers be overcome?What will make it easier for people to adopt the change?InvestigateWho is involved?What does the change mean to them?Get StartedWhat is the change?A structured change management approach typically follows these phases.1Get StartedBegin using The Change Story once you make a change decision and are ready to communicate the basics of the change.In the Get Started phase:■ The tool is still useful for you to clarify your understanding of the change and align with others on the message, even if you’re not ready to make a broad announcement.■ Do not be concerned if you are unable to answer all of questions in the template. In fact, if you have all of the answers it may be a sign that you’re behind in communicating. Some decisions may not be clear in this early stage. ■ At least part of the value of The Change Story is to identify what you don’t know yet so you can decide what to do about it, including acknowledging that with your stakeholders.1Context2The Change Process
Joy at Work!12thechangedecision.com32514Wrap-upWhat will help sustain adoption?What was learned for the next change?ImplementHow are people responding?What are the signs of adoption?CreateHow will barriers be overcome?What will make it easier for people to adopt the change?InvestigateWho is involved?What does the change mean to them?Get StartedWhat is the change?A structured change management approach typically follows these phases.1InvestigateContinue to use The Change Story, updating it as new information comes to light and significant decisions are made. Think of The Change Story as a living document to be kept up to date as the change progresses. In the Investigate phase, more people become aware and engage in the change. You’re likely to receive more questions about the change and what it means to them. Note questions for story updates and refinement to address their specific concerns.2Context2The Change Process
Joy at Work!13thechangedecision.com32514Wrap-upWhat will help sustain adoption?What was learned for the next change?ImplementHow are people responding?What are the signs of adoption?CreateHow will barriers be overcome?What will make it easier for people to adopt the change?InvestigateWho is involved?What does the change mean to them?Get StartedWhat is the change?A structured change management approach typically follows these phases.1CreateContinue to use The Change Story to keep stakeholders engaged and manage expectations about what’s ahead.In the Create phase, people may become impatient for information or decisions to be made. Or, you may lose their interest if the initiative is not making progress from their point of view.Continue to provide regular updates, even if you don’t have a lot of new information. This will communicate that the change remains a priority.3Context2The Change Process
Joy at Work!14thechangedecision.com32514Wrap-upWhat will help sustain adoption?What was learned for the next change?ImplementHow are people responding?What are the signs of adoption?CreateHow will barriers be overcome?What will make it easier for people to adopt the change?InvestigateWho is involved?What does the change mean to them?Get StartedWhat is the change?A structured change management approach typically follows these phases.1ImplementUse The Change Story to share information about the new tools and activities available to help stakeholders integrate the change into their work.The Implement phase is when the majority of your stakeholders are engaged and attempting to adopt the new ways of working. This phase can feel the messiest and most frustrating to them. Use your story to point out where they are succeeding, remind them of the overarching goal, and reinforce the progress they’re making.4Context2The Change Process
Joy at Work!15thechangedecision.com32514Wrap-upWhat will help sustain adoption?What was learned for the next change?ImplementHow are people responding?What are the signs of adoption?CreateHow will barriers be overcome?What will make it easier for people to adopt the change?InvestigateWho is involved?What does the change mean to them?Get StartedWhat is the change?A structured change management approach typically follows these phases.1Wrap-upUse The Change Story at the end of an initiative to celebrate what’s been achieved.In the Wrap-up phase, people may be tired of the change and ready to move on. Even so, your change is an opportunity for people to understand and internalize how well they adapted. Change is a normal part of the work experience. Taking this moment to reflect on what was learned is a way to continuously build confidence in the organization’s ability to adapt with intention and respect for everyone involved.5Context2The Change Process
Joy at Work!16thechangedecision.comThis is not unusual in the early stages and important to acknowledge. Once people are aware of the change, update them regularly even if you don’t have new information. This may seem counterintuitive but in the absence of an update, people will assume the change is not happening or something is wrong.If this situation happens later in the change process, it could cause a delay or indicate a need to adjust the scope or pause. Questions to assess the risk:● How does the lack of information impact people? The company? Is this temporary? How soon will you know when you’ll know?● How much friction is this causing today? How soon and under what circumstances will it escalate? Are people losing confidence in the initiative? What tells you that?● What could be done to manage this well and treat everyone with respect?This can help you decide the best steps to take and manage the impact people are currently feeling.What can go wrongChallenges3I don’t have a lot answers to questions yet. What do I do?Other challenges:● People have a big reaction● People have no reaction
Joy at Work!17thechangedecision.comConflict and reactions are an expected part of every change. The question is about the amount of reaction you didn’t expect or didn’t prepare for. When you’re in the middle of this it can be hard to see what the real concerns are and what’s just temporary venting. You may be tempted to react to every request and solve every complaint. This might be a good strategy initially but is not sustainable and not good for the initiative. When you’re in constant reactive mode, the change loses credibility. People want to feel confident in the change even if they don’t say that directly. Reacting to their every request can diminish their confidence.Do what’s necessary to address immediate concerns as reasonably as possible while you investigate the issues. Once you understand the true concerns, you can address them as part of your Change Plan.What can go wrongChallenges3People are having a big reaction. What do I do?Other challenges:● People have no reaction● You don’t have a lot answers yet
Joy at Work!18thechangedecision.comThis could be happening for several reasons. For example, maybe this change has been tried before and the change didn’t happen so it's hard for them to believe that it's important to pay attention this time. Maybe people are legitimately too overloaded to pay attention. Maybe something else is happening that is a complete distraction.Questions to reflect on:● What’s telling me people are not paying attention to the change?● What’s the risk at this point?● What do I absolutely need them to know or do right now because if they don’t it’s a real risk to achieving the change goal?● What’s a realistic and reasonable way that I could go about getting these messages to land with them?● What signs am I looking for that tell me they’re paying the right amount of attention to the change?What can go wrongChallenges3People are having no reaction. What do I do?Other challenges:● You don’t have a lot of answers yet● People have a big reaction
Joy at Work!19thechangedecision.comIntuit Confidential and Proprietary19Leading change intentionally is simply a gesture of respect.— Change & Joy Philosophy19©2022 Intuit Inc. All rights reserved.If you take the position that everyone involved in the change you're leading must be treated with respect, it makes it easier for you to decide what say and do. Everyone includes you, the people who are impacted, decision-makers, the company and the customer --everyone involved in the change.Joy at Work!Change Leader Role4Play philosophy
Joy at Work!20thechangedecision.comthechangedecision.com20© 2020 The Change DecisionA Change Leader’s role is to create the conditions to make it easier for people to work in new ways so that the benefits of the change are achieved.Constantly seek to:● Understand the impact of the change to others● Do what’s reasonable to make it easier for people to adopt the new ways of workingChange Leader Role4Joy at Work Thinking
Joy at Work!21thechangedecision.comIntuit Confidential and Proprietary2121©2022 Intuit Inc. All rights reserved.● What are some potential positives for everyone involved if the change goes really well?● What would happen if the change were handed poorly?● Is there anything your stakeholders need to know right away about the change?● Who are your likely advocates?● How can they help you keep stakeholders feeling included and informed?● What are some old stories related to the change that need to be addressed or reframed because they no longer serve the organization well?Joy at Work!Change Leader Role4Final ConsiderationsBack to full toolset