Change Communication Strategy - Wallaroo Airline - Case Study Example

Running header: Change communication strategy Student’s name: Instructor’s name: Subject code: Date of submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 Introduction 3 The change communication skills and strategies 4 Communication during crisis 6 Pre-disaster phase change communication strategy 7 The initial disaster phase change communication strategy 8 The maintenance phase communication strategy 10 The disaster resolution phase communication strategy 11 The evaluation phase change communication strategy 11 Important ingredients of the change communication strategy 12 Conclusion 14 References: 15 Abstract Successful communication during a crisis is vital if the organisation is to survive from a crisis. With a focus on the December 2001 storm that hit Brisbane’s international airport the home base of Wallaroo Airlines, this paper looks at how the Airline should have responded to the crisis; how the airline responded to the crisis and the communication skills and strategies the organisation should have employed in communicating organisational change occasioned by the crisis in a bid to ensure that its reputation is not affected by ensuring that customers are confident and are satisfied with the airline’s efforts in responding to the crisis. The paper suggests the strategies and skills the airline should have put in place for successful communication of change in such a disastrous situation to avoid the negative publicity that the airline acquired due to inadequate crisis communication strategies employed and maintain customer loyalty. Introduction Communication is a vital trait in organisational change process more so if the change is occasioned by a disastrous situation as was the case with Wallaroo airlines. Lewis (2009) views communication and organisational change as being intricately interlinked. However, how the change is communicated will greatly determine how the affected stakeholders will react to the change either for the better or to the detriment of the organisation and its reputation. In the Wallaroo airline’s case, the airline seems not to have had a crisis communication strategy and hence the passengers only got abrupt changes to their schedules without any prior communication. Bearing in mind that each passenger usually has his/her own schedule, there should have been a communication strategy to ensure that they are fully aware of why they were being inconvenienced. Furthermore, the communication strategy should have involved all stakeholders especially those dealing directly with the passengers as there seems to have lacked cooperation between the manager and the employees (Reynolds, 2010). Furthermore, the CEO seems not to have handled the crisis appropriately. Although the crisis had been caused by forces beyond the Airline’s control, the response was very poor and hence the CEO should have taken the opportunity to reassure the public of the airlines commitment to provide quality services to its customers instead of blaming the nature. It is important to understand that the customers would have wanted to know what the responders knew during the storm crisis. Customers in such a situation often view and watch every move and passing emotion of the responders during the crisis. In such a crisis, communication is very important and hence keeping the passengers confined for more than five hours and cancelling flights without making the passengers understand what is happening was inappropriate and a mistake (Seeger, 2007). The airline’s role during such a crisis should have been that of offering the information that the passengers needed to counter the common harmful behaviors and worries that occur during such disastrous situations. This report therefore sets out the change communication skills and strategies that the organisation should have employed in a bid to preserve and win their customer’s loyalty and trust as well as that of the general public. The change communication skills and strategies Wallaroo airline seems not to have had any change communication strategy in place since the storm seems to have caused confusion not only to the passengers but also to the management and the airline staff. As such, the airline should develop and put in place a change communication strategy that employs the skills below in responding to such situations in future. a) Be first – for an airline, crisis are time sensitive and hence prompt communication of any changes should have been a priority bearing in mind that the changes implied inconveniences and panic. b) Being right- accurate communication of information in such a situation is important in establishing credibility (Birkland, T2006). As such, the airline should have accurately communicated what was known, what was not known and the efforts they were putting in place to fill the gaps. c) Credibility – It is important to ensure that the change communication strategy fully embraces honesty and truthfulness during such a crisis. d) Express empathy –the airline should have issued a statement expressing empathy to the clients. This is because such a disastrous situation obviously created harm and such inconveniences and suffering needed to have been expressed in words that address the passenger’s feelings, the challenges they were facing in a bid to build loyalty, trust and rapport. Unfortunately, such communication seems to have been ignored. e) Promoting action – the airline seems to have totally ignored the passengers’ feelings despite having cancelled their flights hence causing them inconveniences, panic and suffering. It would have been more prudent to keep them engaged by giving them meaningful things to do in a bid to calm their anxiety hence promoting a restored sense of control. Despite the storm, they needed to feel that things are under control. f) Show respect – the airline should have embraced respectful communication during all the disaster phases at such a time when the passengers felt confused and inconvenienced (Coombs, 2007). The response by the CEO by blaming nature instead of acknowledging that the airline might have not responded to the disaster appropriate and promising improvement in future seems disrespectful. A change communication strategy that embraces the above principles would have been vital in calming the passengers’ uncertainties hence restoring their loyalty, trust and rapport. The strategy Communication during crisis Disasters such as the storm can have detrimental effects to organizations such as Wallaroo airline. Communication during such times is important as it ensures the effects of the disasters are minimized or avoided. The disaster situation that faced the airline is a crisis since it occurred unexpectedly and the airline could have had no control over it. Furthermore, the situation called for immediate response failure to which it could harm the organization’s viability, image and reputation as happened to the airline. As such, Wallaroo airline needed to have put in place a crisis communication strategy for communicating the crisis to both internal and external stakeholders and hence trigger action and guard against undesired effects. Such a strategy should have informed the passengers with information regarding the expected disaster effects whether good or bad and their magnitude of the outcome incase they are exposed to the storm. i.e. the risks involved in flying during such a time. Such communication should have helped the passengers respond appropriately to the crisis (Coombs, 2002). The strategy that the airline should have employed should not only have addressed the disaster period but should have also have involved pre-disaster preparedness as well as post disaster preparedness. This way, there should not have been confusion resulting from the manager being new in the station or the CEO being absent since a systematic response should have been initiated. In other words, a change communication strategy need not rely on individuals but on structures so that disasters do not have to wait for a person to be present for them to be mitigated. The change communication strategy the airline should have employed in communicating change is explained below; Pre-disaster phase change communication strategy A successful change communication during such a disastrous situation called for making and effectively communicating far reaching and emotionally difficult decisions under pressure and in situations devoid of fully accurate or complete information (Hearit, K2001). This means that Wallaroo airline should have put in place the necessary organisational structure, tools and processes long before any crisis. This change communication phase should have involved; Anticipation and addressing the types of disasters the airline could be exposed to Anticipation and developing the likely answers to questions by those affected by the change Drafting of initial messages –specific details could be filled later Identify communicators and/or responders, resources and/or resource mechanisms in advance Practice the response plan using the messages created above and then refine the plan and messages as deemed appropriate Fostering of alliances and partnerships in a bid to ensure coordinated disaster communication and response unlike the Wallaroo situation where there was no cooperation between the manager and the rest of the staff Development and testing of communication systems and networks Had the airline had a well laid out disaster communication strategy as the one outlined above, there should not have been any confusion and the change communication strategy should have initiated itself regardless of whether the CEO was in or not or whether the manager was new in the station or not. Furthermore, this would have enabled a coordinated response between the management and the employees (Adam, 2007). This way, the passengers would have had their worries addressed and would have been kept informed at all times during the disaster thus avoiding the negative publicity the airline gained. This would have been instrumental in maintaining the customer loyalty and trust. The initial disaster phase change communication strategy The objectives of change communication in this phase involve general rapid communication to all stake holders and rapid change communication to the affected passengers (Gilpin, 2006). Change communication in this phase will involve the following; -conveying empathy and assurance to the passengers in a bid to reduce emotional turmoil -designation of crisis communicators and identification of formal channels and methods of communication -establishment of general and broad based understanding of the disaster circumstances, consequences as well as anticipated outcomes based on the information available -Reduction of disaster related uncertainity to the lowest level possible -Helping the passengers / the affected group understand the various efforts that the airline is undertaking in responding to the disaster Promotion of self efficacy by explaining to the affected people any steps they can take to help themselves during the crisis. Information communicated during this phase should be as simple, consistent, and credible and delivered on time as possible (Dougherty, 2002). This is because the phase is characterized by confusion, incomplete information and disrupted channels of communication. As such, the organization’s crisis communicators should acquire as much information regarding the disaster as possible in determining the organization’s communication responses and confirming the magnitude of the disaster as fast as possible. The communicators need to be as accurate as possible while appreciating that deficiency in facts regarding the disaster does not imply that the responders/communicators responsibility is alleviated even if it means honestly stating that “we don’t know”. Accuracy in any information released and the speed with which the responding officials respond to the crisis is critical in this stage. Providing useful information about change in disaster situation is vital in limiting the resulting anxiety. Even when there is inadequate information to offer regarding the change, it is important to communicate what the organisation is doing in mitigating the disaster and when more information will be availed. The messages given to those affect ted by the disaster ought to demonstrate that the airline is engaged and actively addressing the disaster. It is important to note that the pressure to release information prematurely could be intense in such a situation (Cowden, 2002,). However, the information communicated should be cleared by designated clearance officer before being released to those affected by the disaster. The communicators should also be prepared to handle any questions from those affected as a result of the change in a bid to ensure they are calm and satisfied with the organization’s disaster response efforts. The maintenance phase communication strategy The communication strategy in this phase will involve the following; -ensuring that those affected by the disaster are updated, understand the ongoing risks as well as the risk mitigation efforts being undertaken -provision of background and supportive information to those in need of it -encouragement of broad based support and cooperation with response and recovery efforts -gathering feedback from those affect ted by the disaster. This should involve listening, learning and assessment -correction of misunderstandings, unclear facts and rumors -Continuously helping people that the changes effected are in their best interests and are aimed at protecting them and their families from the risks -supporting informed decision making by those affected by the changes based on their understanding of the benefits and risks involved in the changes As the disaster continues, the airline should anticipate unexpected developments, rumors and misinformation. Furthermore, other experts and professionals not involved in communicating change may publicly comment on the disaster and hence contradict or misinterpret the information issued by the airline (Ginzel, 2004). As such, the organisation should be in control of information flow and maintain close coordination even with those not involved in response. The disaster resolution phase communication strategy The communication strategy in this phase should involve; -Explaining ongoing efforts, remediation and recovery efforts to the affected stakeholders and motivating them to take action if need be. -facilitation of broad based and honest open discussions regarding the causes, responsibility, resolutions as well as the adequacy of the response to the disaster -promotion of personal preparedness The communication strategy in this phase is aimed at ensuring that as the status quo gradually returns, there will be better understanding among all the stakeholders on what took place (Sturges, 2004). Once the disaster is over, the airline might need a better approach in responding to media scrutiny on how they handled the disaster unlike how the Wallaroo CEO responded to the storm disaster. This way, the organisation can avoid negative publicity while ensuring customer loyalty and trust is maintained. The evaluation phase change communication strategy The communication strategy in this phase is mainly geared to the responders/communicators. The phase is aimed at assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of how the airline responded to the disaster. The strategy should involve; -Discussion, documenting and sharing of lessons learned -Determination of specific actions to improve disaster related change communication as well as the airline’s disaster response capability -evaluation of the performance of the organisational change communication strategy -Implementation of links to pre-crisis activities Communication in this phase is aimed at ensuring that the entire change communication strategy is reviewed and lessons learnt implemented so that the organisation can better communicate change during disasters in future hence avoid such confusion as was witnessed in Wallaroo airline and ensuring customer loyalty and trust is maintained. Important ingredients of the change communication strategy The following is important if the organization’s change communication strategy is to be effective during a disaster situation; -Maintenance of ongoing dialogue throughout the crisis- it was observed that there was communication breakdown between the manager and the employees during the storm disaster. This was the cause of the poor manner in which Wallaroo airline responded to the crisis. As such, the change communication strategy adopted by the organisation should encourage dialogue between all the stakeholders either affected by the disaster or involved in managing the disaster (Reynolds, 2010). Where the organization’s stakeholders have regular communication channels, the channels should be used during the disaster situation along with the channels developed for specific disaster situations. -Talking to employees first- it is important that internal change communication during a disaster precedes external communication. This is because they are most likely the ones that will be involved in disaster management as well as communicating change to the clients. Thus failing to communicate to them first may hinder the successful organisational change communication during the disaster. Such communication also fosters a better understanding and employee support for the steps that the organization’s management may adopt in managing the crisis. -Try and eradicate uncertainty-underestimating the need for effective change communication during disasters is detrimental as it may result in lack of trust, loyalty and subsequent loss of clients and/or employees (Birkland, 2006). Communication is important during a disaster since stakeholders’ desire updated information as well as continuous feedback. As such, part of the internal communication strategy to employees should entail determining -the desired outcome of the organisational change communication -who is to initiate communication - Who among the employees will be the change communicators? - How and when the communication should happen? This way, such uncertainty as was witnessed in the airline during the crisis will be avoided. -Effective tackling of any questions –questions should be anticipated from those affected by the disaster and hence should be identified and responded to continuously throughout the disaster period. This is because their trust in management’s ability to tackle the disaster is crucial and should never be compromised. As such, even the questions that seem inconvenient or unimportant ought to be addressed (Coombs, 2002). This is especially so when the disaster may harm those affected and their loved ones. In such situations, the airline should consider communicating empathy and regret while offering clear explanation on the steps the airline is taking to restore the status quo. However, the messages disseminated should also take into account opinions, perceptions and expectations by other stakeholder groups as well as any legal and other restrictions on how certain information regarding the crisis should be disseminated. -creation of communication allies- most stakeholders have vested interest in working with the organisation to prevail over the disaster and hence are eager in putting in extra effort and time to turn the organisation around (Gilpin, 2006). As such, the change communication strategy should also empower them to take charge in disaster hence creating valuable communication allies who reinforce the communication from the management. Conclusion As observed above, Wallaroo airline lacked any change communication strategy during the storm disaster. Furthermore, there seems to have been little knowledge of communication skills in responding to the crisis. There was no cooperation between the employees and the management while the change communication strategy at the airline seems to have been dependent on the presence of the CEO hence the poor response. This implies that organisations need to put in place effective change communication strategies that will help them effectively respond to such disaster situations. Although there is no single strategy for responding to a disaster situation, the change communication strategies and skills outlined above could have helped Wallaroo airline to better respond to the disaster situation. References: Reynolds, B2010, Principles to enable leaders responds to harsh realities of crisis and risk Communication, Journal of Business Contingency Emergency planning, vol.4, no.3 pp.262-73. 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