Strategic Communication Plan For Organizational Change in Apparels Inc

a) What is your challenge or opportunity? 

My challenge is to introduce a process type of organizational change in Apparels Inc. It involves the communication on the proposed upgrade of machines from manual to the automatic ones. My job is to teach all the staff members of the organization. This will include taking all the stakeholders through the process of transition and communicating the impending challenges and planned solutions. The most significant problem is to effectively reduce the uncertainty that may be exhibited during the change process. 

b) Why is this professionally important to you? 

Of importance to me is that this is my first opportunity as a new project manager to lead a significant organization milestone. The success of this change will mean my success in the professional field. Both the senior management and other external stakeholders will be assessing the feasibility of my proposals as we move through the change process. Also, the opportunity is my first shot at showing my fellow project members that I am up to the task and capable of leading a successful organizational change. 

2. Goal a) what goal or outcome do you want to achieve with this communication? 

My primary goal for this communication is to minimize the negativity and uncertainty that accompanies organizational change, minimize delays in the process, create good connection concerning the purpose, and communicate overall changes. i. Is it clear, concise, and actionable? 

The goal is actionable as it will involve the audience. 

3. Audience a) who is your target audience? 

Overall, my audience includes the influential persons in their respective departments and team managers and team players. Also included will be the human resources managers. It will take a lot of commitment and collaboration to ensure the organization change happens successfully. Most importantly, the employees form the basis for the communications as they are the dominant group that is affected by the change ( Eason, 2014) . 

i. What are the professional positions of the audience members? 

1. Human resource manager 

2. Supervisors 

3. Heads of Department 

4. Financial Manager 

5. Procurement Officer 

6. Line Managers 

7. Supply logistician 

8. Warehouse keeper 

9. Machine Operators 

ii. What demographic characteristics will the audience comprise ? 

The audience is comprised of highly diverse demography. First, it is varying in the level of positions. It includes white collar ex, executives, blue-collar office personnel and machine maintenance personnel. The audience will also exhibit varying degrees of income which follows the positions. There is also a difference in educational level which increases with the situation in the organization. Also, age, gender, and religion are considered. 

iii. What is your relationship to the audience? 

Previously, I worked as a supervisor in the production lines but after further education was promoted to the project manager. The previous post gave me close contact with the audience as I was the link between the employees and the management. The coordination required has made me associate with the people in the organization. iv. What background knowledge and expertise does the audience have? 

Given the diversity of the audience, there is a plethora of expertise that is present and which is essential for the organization change. Most of the machine operators hold a basic knowledge of technical aspects. The human resources and the other top management have experience in the management of people and running. The process change is aimed at both personal and technological change, and thus the two bases of knowledge will be critical. v. What does the audience know, feel about, and expect concerning this communication? 

The senior management feels that for the company to be on par with the evolving technology, the change is necessary and timely ( Waddell et al., 2016) . On the other end, the machine operators feel like they are jeopardized by the imminent changes and that they will be on the losing end and that the communication is just a way to console them. vi. What preconceptions or biases do you possess that might prevent you from building rapport with your audience? 

One of my greatest biases is that the blue-collar personnel will not be able to understand the necessity and the reason behind the communication for the change ( Newman, 2016) . Also, on the other end, the senior management is supposed to automatically recognize the change process and the basis for the conversation. b) What information is available about your audience? 

1. The mode of the communication process 

2. The difference in perception and expectations 

3. The influencers among the workers 

4. The types of jokes they like 

i. What research/sources will you use to obtain information about the audience? 

I will use the tool that I already have, and that is personal interactions with the members over the last five years in the organization as the primary source of information. 

ii. What conclusions have you been able to draw about the audience? 

My audience will require different types of communications at different times based on the information I have retrieved. 

c) What tone will you use to convey your message? 

The tone will be tactful and positive. i. Is the setting casual or formal? 

This is a formal setting, and the type of communication is expected to be official. But given the high levels of misunderstanding on the change and preformed judgment, it will have to be casual and relaxed to encourage more participation. ii. Is the communication personal or impersonal? 

The goal of the process is to make the communication personal and that every employee can relate to it. The more I make it personal to every worker the more they will be willing to communicate and understand the implications of the change. Also, the more personal I will make it to the senior management the higher the flexibility they will offer the workers and me in the further completion of the process ( Newman, 2016) . 

4. Key Message a) what is the primary message you must convey to your audience? 

By initiating the change, our company will be poised to take advantage of the highly competitive market while at the same time offering an opportunity for performance and benefits for our employees. The change process is a significant challenge but to ensure it works, we have to maintain open lines of communication. i. Is the message compelling and memorable? 

The message is compelling because the company needs the change to compete in the market effectively. ii. Is the message clear and concise? 

The message is clear and needs everybody’s participation. 

iii. Is the message aligned with your audience’s goals and needs? 

The audience will always want to know their position during the change process and their roles. 

5. Supporting Points 

a) What three to four points, reasons, or justifications support your message? 

1. Whether we are senior management personnel or the lowest earning worker, we need effective communication to have an active and successful change. 

2. Offering a chance for feedback and ensuring open lines of communications will provide a quick adaptation to the upgrade and challenges during the process of upgrade. 

3. The more information that can be received from all the involved parties, the more they will feel they are an essential part of the change and that it will help in having foresight for the possible challenges and fears. 

i. What research/sources will you use to obtain facts/data about your message? 

I will use prior experiences in the change process. As organizational change has a higher chance of failure due to insufficient communication, I will use the previous attempts and figure out where the problem was with the message. Also, I will use data from other companies which have initiated a successful upgrade. 

6. Channel Selection a) what communication style will you employ (Tell/Sell or Consult/Join), and why? 

The primary style of communication that I will be advocating for is consult/join. This is because I will need feedback from the audience and they will be offering insights into their needs and the possible challenges expected along the way ( Eason, 2014) . This is because mine is to convey the message on the upgrade, but the real people affected by it have to show their expectations, fears, and strengths. b) What channel(s) will you use to deliver your message, and why will they be the most effective? 

I. Scheduled meetings are one of the means I will deliver my message. The face-to-face communication is effective to gauge the attitudes of every employee towards the change and ask questions. The senior staff will also be engaged to be briefed on the scope, case, and priority. 

II. The other way is to provide newsletters for alerting the employees on the following process. This can be done through emails and handouts. 

III. Creation of posters can also help in making the workers get familiar with the change. c) What purpose is served by each channel you have selected? 

The meetings will help in creating rapport with the audience. 

Newsletters is used to push the message and remind everybody of the ongoing. 

Posters will help in focusing the attention of everybody towards the change 

7. Action Request a) Is your call to action you are making to your audience clear, concise, and easily actionable? 

The call to action is that everybody be involved in the process of the change for its success to be reaped by all. In any organization change, there are always fears from the end of employees that their jobs and security are at stake. Hence by communicating effectively the action call, they will feel they are part of it and not the victims. 

References 

Eason, K. D. (2014).  Information technology and organizational change : CRC Press. 

Newman, A. (2016). Communication planning: A template for organizational change. 

Waddell, D., Creed, A., Cummings, T., & Worley, C. (2016).  Organizational change: Development and transformation . Cengage AU.