#28 COMMUNICATING CHANGE with professor & author Ellen Auster
Communication is a critical skill for effective change management, whether you’re leading change for an organization, a department, or for your family. Professor Ellen Auster shares five common mistakes and 6 success principles for effective change communication, including embracing the politics, collective visioning, using mantras, building change fitness and focusing on relationships. References & Links Professor Ellen Auster * LINKEDIN PROFILE – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-auster-2b888b * SCHULICH PROFILE – https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/ellen-r-auster/ * STRAGILITY Change Management Consulting – https://stragilitychangemanagement.com/ * Recommendations – * Oprah’s Supersoul Sundays – http://www.oprah.com/app/super-soul-sunday.html * The Skimm – com/?r=ffdb7418 Books by Ellen Auster * STRAGILITY: Excelling at Strategic Change – https://amzn.to/2YZYlSF * Strategic Organizational Change – https://amzn.to/2YNC3mK * Excellence in Business Teaching: A Quick Start Guide – https://amzn.to/2Zb8c30 Talk About Talk & Dr. Andrea Wojnicki * Weekly Email Blog – https://talkabouttalk.com/blog/#newsletter-signup * Website: https://talkabouttalk.com * Andrea’s email – Andrea@TalkAboutTalk.com Interview Transcript Dr. Andrea Wojnicki: Thank you so much for joining us, Ellen. Professor Ellen Auster: I’m so happy to be here. Delighted to do this with you, Andrea. AW: me too. Today we’re going to be talking about communicating change and specifically leading change. So I thought we should start with a definition. Can you define change leader for us, please? EA: In my mind change leader is someone who inspires others, they spark their passion, and sort of unleash their potential to bring new ideas to life. It’s interesting, catalyzed by us doing this podcast, I started thinking more explicitly about change and communication and realizing that really conversation and talking are the engines of change. AW: Wow. That’s why we’re here. EA: That’s why we’re here. And you know, whether that’s in our families trying to enroll others to think about our next vacation or whether it’s as change leaders transforming tech in the workplace, we all do change all the time, day in and day out. Big change, little change. And really how do we get going on that? And how do we stay on track? And how do we make it happen? It’s through conversations. AW: Exactly. Change really is so difficult yet, it’s so necessary. I’ve heard this from other podcast guests about how if you’re not changing, you’re not growing. And if you’re not growing, you’re not really living. And yet, it’s really difficult for many of us and including myself. The default is status quo, because it’s easier.