What Is The Role Of PR In Change Management?

In many situations we see public relations efforts spent on creating perfect messages to be shared with external stakeholders. There is rarely an effort put into addressing an internal atmosphere as chances are introduced in a company. Balancing is definitely important and we have to understand that internal PR is actually vital in proper change management. Public relations is never just about communicating with the external partners. It is also about guaranteeing proper internal communication, especially in a larger company.

It is great to notice the fact that there is a constant evolution in PR. In the past thirty years we saw a clear evolution of change management, with companies like Change Quest specialized in offering the skills necessary for proper management of company strategy, technology, process and structure changes, all with an addition of PR techniques.

Change management is all about minimizing negative impact that appears on customers and employees. Public relations specialists will work on the internal communication channels, in a collaboration with human resources departments in order to create a perfect strategy that communicates all changes to employees that are affected by the change process.

PR professionals also work hard on obtaining support and input about the current state of the change process. We all need to understand the fact that communication is always vital in change management. You cannot actually reap in the benefits if the employees do not understand them in the first place.

All people are naturally resistant to changes. The actions and mindsets of different individuals need to align and this is where the PR specialist can prove to be a vital part of the team. PR will develop messages that reinforce the benefits of the changes and the effects that will appear after successful implementation. Various storytelling techniques are used to do this.

Although most people think differently, the truth is that changes are never actually easy. Adapting to any change is something that is necessary and the employees need to understand this. The PR professional needs to consider the following takeaway points:

  • You have to manage company reputation and leader reputation. That is done by always communicating the truth and making sure that all benefits are clearly communicated to everyone affected by the change.
  • Change should always be addressed internally at first. You do not want the employee to find out about an acquisition by reading online news sites.
  • The professional needs to be positive, especially when dealing with change management during crisis situations. The messages always have to remain positive so that the company can stick to the change and move towards a more desirable future.

Change management should ensure long lasting results. Leaders have to act properly and people will always be resistant to change. PR pros have to step in and arrange proper internal communication channels so that everyone can understand the benefits associated with the entire process. Never start a change process without consulting the public relations professional. That would lead towards many possible problems, problems you do not want to be faced with. 

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