Reposted from MLs Monday Morning Musings on LinkedIn – Jan. 27, 2025
Communicators, have you ever been asked to lead communications for a large organizational change at your company? On top of your already demanding regular work?
Me too.
In an interview I did with Kate Chechko for a new member spotlight feature in @IABC Tri-State’s newsletter, I recounted a time when I felt overwhelmed with the challenge ahead and how we overcame it.
The change communications program earned top honors and led to invitations to share what my team and I did to support a successful, 3-year change effort.
As the IABC World Conference deadline to send in my presentation neared, I had to figure out a way to distill that 3-year program to something informative, relatable, memorable, and short enough to share with a few hundred communicators in under 40 minutes.
Here are five steps that helped me do that relatively quickly that could be helpful to you. The outcome was so successful, I trademarked it. (More on the 4C’s Change Framework here.)
1. ISOLATE. Find an environment where you can do focused work. Wherever that is, be sure you’re undisturbed. An unplanned concentration break will set you back.
2. BRAIN DUMP. Write out everything related to the topic that you can think of. No judgement. Rapid fire. Just get it all down. You can use yellow sticky notes or create a document.
3. GROUP. Once you have exhausted everything you can think of, start grouping what you wrote down into categories. It could be by date, project, audience, tactical approach, objective, etc.
4. ANALYZE. With your list group, look for patterns or insights into how you would describe that grouping in a word or two. Jot those down on another set of sticky notes or color-code the text in your document. Play with different words or concepts until you’re satisfied.
5. TEST. With your content distilled, categorized, and labeled, test what you’ve come up with. Go through it in your mind and aloud. Is it clear? Comprehensive? Relatable? Memorable? Then, ask some trusted colleagues or friends to hear what you came up with and get their feedback. Adjust if needed and celebrate!
Of course, AI tools can help digitize this process.
For me there is something therapeutic about doing this kind of exercise “long-hand.”
However you engage, this 5-step process can help you moved from overwhelmed, stuck, and paralyzed, to a place of clarity. With clarity, your great work can begin.
What tips work for you?
To your prosperity!
(IABC Tri-State Members can find the interview here.)
Interview Transcript:
January IABC member spotlight: Meet Mary Lou Panzano!
Mary Lou’s path into communications was far from direct. With an inherent desire to help people, Mary Lou wanted to pursue a career in education. However, watching her often aspire to reside in the likes of properties featured in Architectural Digest at the kitchen table, her mother encouraged her to pursue something more lucrative.
Mary Lou went on to earn her degree from a top secretarial school, eventually stepping into a career-defining role. After an early stint as a secretary and few promotions, she applied for a communications manager role in her company’s legal department. Although she was initially overwhelmed, this move led her down the path of change communications—a field she would help shape.
Her adeptness at navigating corporate change didn’t just come from these experiences. Her involvement with professional organizations like IABC was integral to understanding communications fundamentals and learning from the industry’s best. Equipped with best practices, she went on to develop impactful comms programs, eventually earning her Ragan Communications ‘Employee Communications Program of the Year’ award while at Bayer.
Now the challenge: how to boil a three-year change communications program down to a 40-minute presentation. Mary Lou found herself at the kitchen table again… this time poring over her own research. After seeing underlying trends in all her work, she developed her pivotal 4C’s Change Framework™ for effective change management. This framework became instrumental in transforming complex multi-year strategies into what Mary Lou does best: help people and organizations reach their full potential.
Want to connect with Mary Lou and see what she’s up to today?
- LinkedIn: Mary Lou Panzano
- Website: Help People Prosper
