Communication Archives

Ronald A. Heifetz: Preparing for an Adaptive Change

What exactly is an adaptive change? Have you ever introduced a fundamental change to your organization’s processes? How did you communicate it to your team? According to change theorist Ronald A. Heifetz, an adaptive change is a change instituted in response to an “adaptive challenge”—an organizational problem that has no known solutions. Part of your job as an adaptive leader is to prepare people for the change, and the first step to this is to make sure that everyone has an accurate understanding of what the challenge entails and what change is about to come. In this article, we’ll look

How to Initiate Change and Get People Onboard

What can the fable Our Iceberg Is Melting teach you about initiating change? Why do so many people resist change? How can you kickstart change in your organization? In their fable about change, Kotter and Rathgeber discuss the difficulties of initiating change in a company. They discuss the difficulties of convincing others that major change is necessary and what to do when you encounter resistance. Keep reading for advice on how to initiate change in your company or personal life.

8 Keys to Concrete Communication

Why is concrete communication important? How can presenting information in concrete terms make it resonate better? Many ideas fail to stick because they are presented in abstract rather than concrete terms. They are unconnected to specific things that people easily grasp. You need to use concrete communication if you want your message to resonate. Keep reading to learn eight keys to concrete communication.

Getting Through Organizational Conflict: The 8 Steps

Have you ever dealt with conflict at an organizational level? How did it manifest? What was the underlying issue? Surfacing organizational conflict is a sign of unarticulated and unacknowledged differences in values and points of view. It won’t be possible to function effectively until this information comes to light and people understand the conflict’s underlying issues. In this article, we’ll look at eight steps for getting through organizational conflict: how to bring it to light and how to resolve it constructively.

Building Trust in a Team in Times of Change

Why is teamwork so important when it comes to making changes in an organization? How do you build trust in a team? In the fable Our Iceberg Is Melting, the main character, Fred, noticed that the iceberg his colony lives on is full of cracks and won’t survive the winter. He puts together a meeting to initiate change, but that’s only the first step when it comes to making major changes, The second step is to make a team. Continue below to learn how to to build trust in a team, according to John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber.

Memory Hooks: The Blue-Eyes Brown-Eyes Exercise

What was the blue-eyes brown-eyes exercise? What can it teach us about memory hooks? School teacher Jane Elliott’s blue-eyes brown-eyes exercise in 1968 taught her students about discrimination. That lesson is still powerful to this day. It also teaches us how to use memory hooks to create a message that sticks with people. Read more to learn about memory hooks and the blue-eyes brown-eyes exercise.

Credible Communication: Make Your Message Stick

Why is credibility important in communication? How can you build credibility? Credible communication sticks with people. When people trust you, they believe what you have to say. The Heath brothers share ways you can build credibility to help make your message stick. Continue reading to learn about the power of credible communication.

How to Spread Ideas of Change in an Organization

Does your organization require major changes to stay afloat but others are resisting change? Do you want to know how to convince others about what needs to be done? In their fable about leadership and change, John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber discuss the difficulties of enacting change within an organization. They provide advice on how to slowly spread ideas until most of the members are on board. Here’s how to spread ideas of change within an organization.

How to Build a Network: Be a Giver

Do you want to level up your networking game? What is the key to building strong, personal ties? According to Adam Grant, the author of Give and Take, the key to building a social network is to be a giver. Grant explains that takers and matchers usually have small networks because recipients either feel like they’re being manipulated, or the give-take relationship is a quid pro quo. Givers, on the other hand, grow large networks because they give to many people, not knowing who might be helpful down the road. Keep reading for tips on how to build a network,

The Role of Storytelling in Communication

What is the role of storytelling in communication? How can storytelling help you get your message across more effectively? Stories have the power to motivate and teach. They are interesting and memorable. That’s why storytelling communication is an important aspect of making your message stick. Keep reading to learn about the power of storytelling in communication.