How should the adaptive leadership toolkit be communicated to the
organization's leadership to help gain buy-in?
The toolkit should be communicated to the organization's leadership
through several outlets. e Each leader responds differently to change
and we want to ensure they understand the purpose and value of the
toolkit. The guiding principle is simple: Use every possible channel,
especially those that are being wasted on nonessential information
(Kotter, 2007). The organization should utilize their primary sources
of communication in their email, newsletters, group meetings, videos
or mail distribution. They should actively make these sources
engaging and motivating to the listener. The organization also needs
to ensure they are not only communicating the toolkit, but actively
executing the resources. Nothing undermines change more than
behaviour by important individuals that is inconsistent with their
words (Kotter, 2007). The senior leadership team needs to lead by
example to stress the importance and can prove to others the
effectiveness of the leadership toolkit. e When there is trust within the
organization the leadership team will be more inclined to follow
through and believe in the effectiveness of the toolkit to help the
organization become stronger as a whole.
How can you ensure this communication strategy is sustainable
long-term, more than two years?
Sustainability of any change is difficult in an organization, and in
order to ensure long-term success the strategies must be continually
executed in a business rhythm and short-term wins must be
recognized within the organization. e Without short-term wins, too
many people give up or actively join the ranks of those people who
have been resisting change (Kotter, 2007). e With change there will be
processes that fail and the leadership team must acknowledge and
speak about the experience as a learning opportunity, to keep the
momentum pushing forward. In times of great uncertainty, leading
with positive emotions is absolutely essential to moving people
upward and forward (Kouzes, 2021). e The communication strategy
will only be successful if the leadership team feels valued by their
senior team and the organization overall. Acknowledging an
accomplishment is a great way to demonstrate their value (Kouzes,
2021).
Sources
Kotter, J. P. (2007). Leading change: why transformation efforts fail.
Harvard Business Review, 85(1).
Kouzes, James M., Posner, Barry Z. (2021). Leadership Challenge, 6th
Edition for Southern New Hampshire University. John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.
