Through digital transformation, change has become a common occurrence: It not only drives globalization, but also, and above all, the individualization of products and services. Many business models must be adapted or they will disappear completely. And digitalization is rapidly penetrating more and more areas of life and work. All this puts companies under permanent pressure to change. They must constantly renew themselves.
Communication transforms. Because well functioning and efficient communication provides orientation and agility. This helps companies to act with foresight, implement strategic course corrections quickly and remain competitive into the future.
K12 helps companies and organizations to change and become agile with powerful communication concepts and measures. Together with our clients, we shape permanent renewal in such a way that managers, employees and other important stakeholders not only understand and support new developments, but promote them as well.
In addition to permanent renewal, there are special turning points where communication can make a critical contribution to success.
Strategy change
A change in strategy can have serious consequences for individuals or groups of employees, and will be quickly viewed with suspicion. Many employees have already experienced strategy changes several times over and are accustomed to ignore the changes. However, if the change of strategy is to really unfold its full force and achieve the intended success, as many employees as possible will need to be on board. This requires persuasiveness and intelligent methods to quickly engage every single person in the organization.
How we can help you:
- Analysis of thought patterns that promote and hinder change, and derive the need for action
- A line of argumentation that makes the change in strategy comprehensible and explains the role of managers and the demands on employees
- Communication strategy that determines who is to be addressed when and with which instruments
- Master plan that links the communications process with other relevant processes
- Catalogue of measures that contain the recommendations for measures that appeal to reason and emotion
Integration / Mergers
Company mergers or takeovers are associated with high-flying hopes, which often fail to materialize. Most of the time they paralyze an organization at first. Sometimes, companies also fail to regain full momentum later on. The most important factor is to win over employees and swiftly form a powerful team – to develop a new common culture.
How we can help you:
- Organizational comparison to reveal integration catalysts and obstacles, and derive the need for action
- Integration narrative that makes the merger transparent and explains the role of managers and the demands on employees
- Communication strategy that determines who is to be addressed when and with which instruments
- Master plan that links the communication process with other relevant processes
- Catalogue of measures that contains the recommended courses of action
Management succession
The replacement of executive leadership is a turning point in the company’s history that calls into question the trust of customers, employees and other relevant target groups. It is essential that the successor is given a good start and the predecessor a worthy exit – especially if the handover does not take place within the family but rather to an appointed manager or even to a new owner.
How we can help you:
- Perception analysis for the disclosure of the attributes, assumptions and expectations towards the executive director
- CEO positioning that describes the role of the new executive director
- A communication strategy that determines the means by which the new CEO positions himself and how the former one will make a dignified exit
- 100-day program, timing the departure of the outgoing CEO and introduction of the incoming CEO with links to other communications-related processes
Restructuring
Restructuring initially creates fear and usually leaves behind winners and losers. That is why it is crucial to explain the necessity in a way that is understood by everyone, to reduce unnecessary fears and resistance, and to prepare people carefully for the rod ahead.
How we can help you:
- Analysis of thought patterns that promote and hinder change, and derive the need for action
- Renewal narrative that makes the restructuring process comprehensible and explains the role of managers and demands on employees
- Communication strategy that determines who is to be addressed when and with which instruments
- Master plan that links the communication process with other relevant processes
- Catalogue of measures that contains the recommended courses of action
Reorganization
A reorganization shakes a company to its very foundations. Insecurity, fear and resistance are usually the outcome. Countermeasures must be taken if the company is to get back on its feet. Effectiveness and performance must be restored as quickly as possible. It is imperative to reassure, convince and motivate high performers and knowledge carriers.
How we can help you:
- Analysis of fears and resistance
- Reorganization narrative that makes the opportunities comprehensible and explains the role of managers and demands on employees
- Communication strategy that determines who is to be addressed when and with which instruments
- Master plan that links the communication process with other relevant processes
- Catalogue of measures that contains the recommended courses of action
Innovation
In many cases, new process routines and technologies can only be implemented in the face of resistance. Companies need to constantly develop with a view to markets and customers. They ask themselves: How can I get my employees to continuously accelerate the development and implementation of innovative ideas? How do I avoid fear and resistance to innovation?
How we can help you:
- Analysis to uncover innovation-friendly and innovation-hostile factors
- Line of argumentation for innovation that makes changes understandable and plausible
- Communication strategy that determines who is to be addressed when and with which instruments
- Master plan that links the communication process with other relevant processes
- Catalogue of measures that contains the recommended courses of action
Our services at a glance
- Analysis workshops
- Workshops for the conception of new communications
- Workshops for topic identification
- Establishment of new communication channels
- Editing of accompanying publications
- Analysis of rules, requirements and perception conditions
- Identification of existing values that can be connected
- Community procedures for developing the guiding principles
- Leadership guidelines that strengthen management as an exemplary role model
- Communication plan for communicating and anchoring the guiding principles
- Analysis of existing internal communication
- Master plan that links the communication process with other relevant processes
- Communication strategy that determines who is to be addressed when and with which instruments
- Strategic topic planning
- Management support, with presentation documents
- Establishment of innovation communities as initiators and drivers of innovation processes
- Catalogue of measures and implementation
- Quick-Starter Package, which sets the first milestones for short-term action (e.g. workshops, kick-off events, strategy presentations)
- Regular communication via contemporary and dialogical communication instruments
- Support in the development of Corporate Newsrooms: Transformation of communications departments