Northwest Valley Community
College Communication Plan
Audrey Tucker
AET560
October 13, 2014
Professor Charity Jennings
Agenda
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Management Buy-in
Creating Need for Change
Midstream Change Phase
Milestone Communication
Communication Strategies
Launch Strategies
Evaluation Techniques
Wrap up Plan
Conclusion
Management Buy-in
• Pre-change approval
– Target individuals that influence and/or authority to approve
needed change
– Outline reason for change that related to organization’s goals,
plans, and priorities
• Current issues
• Internal and external analysis
• Future growth points
– Address approach to minimize misinformation and rumors
that could potentially lead to instability or ambiguity
Creating Need for Change
Creating need for change through informative sessions with
all parties directly and indirectly impacted
Communication from Tichy’s organizational system theory:
 Technical – communication of relevant and timely information on
the current status of the college through valuable data and
feedback on current programs and processes
 Cultural – communicates changes in a subtle form and directly to
the organization’s culture, i.e. faculty and staff and a shared
understanding of mission, strategy, and goal of the college
 Political – communicating changes that recognize the interest of
various departments within the organization and how to
highlight the common goal that will influence and motivate
stakeholders
Midstream Change Phase
• Midstream change phase will inform faculty and
staff of timelines of the changes underway
• Management conducts feedback sessions to
gauge the changes and behaviors of the faculty
and staff
• Communicate changes to new reporting
structure and systems
– Group breakout
– Face-to-face session
Milestone Communication
• Milestone communication to various audience by
providing a timeline of what has been accomplished and
the way forward
– Level 1 – All levels of management are informed of feedback
and progress of changes and implementation of system
– Level 2 - Faculty and staff receive communication of training
sessions, any changes in reporting structure, and pilot testing
of new learning system
– Level 2 – Current students receive communication of new
programs and learning systems being tested to expand and
enhance their learning experience
– Level 3 – Community receive communication of new
programs that will be offered by the college; demonstration
of new learning system for future students
• Conduct online surveys to sample awareness and
opinions
Milestone Communication (cont.)
Plan Timeline
PROJECT
START
MILESTON
E3
MILESTON
E1
1 Sep
1 Oct
1 Nov
1 Dec
MILESTON
E2
MIDSTREA
M POINT
1 Jan
1 Feb
MILESTON
E4
1 Mar
1 Apr
MILESTON
E7
1 May
1 Jun
MILESTON
E6
1 Jul
1 Aug
PROJECT
END
1 Sep
MILESTON
E8
Communication Strategies
• Communication strategies must be accomplished
through all facets of the organization
– Line authority communication is effective in where
employees are receiving and believing the message from
top management
– Immediate supervisor is key to relating the message
– Opinion leaders will be identified and utilized; members
of focus groups will be also serve in this role
– Working groups that include student advocates for
change
Communication Strategies (cont.)
– Face-to-face communication
– Multiple messages through various forms of media
will increase chances of people obtaining and
retaining the message
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•
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Website, electronic bulletin boards, email,
Social media, blogs
Online surveys
Newsletters
– Employee themselves pick up and retain relevant
information that resonates with them personally
Launch Strategies
• Education
• Internal Messaging/Marketing
• Expanded working groups with Student
representation
• Staff and student inculcation
• Starts at the top
Launch Strategies (cont.)
• Incentives
– Bonuses / Time off awards
– Employee Recognition – Performance based bonus
– Employee Suggestion Program
– Appraisals
Evaluation Techniques
• Implementation Focus Groups
– Cross functional team
– Responsible for assessing bench marks, monthly status
reports
• Formative and summative evaluation process
– Control measure
– Track data
• Feedback and Surveys
• Performance appraisals
– Transfer Training method
– Appraisals
Wrap up Plan
• Confirming change
• After Action Reviews
– Collect Data
– Identify Deficiencies
– Sustain Positives
– Improve Performance
Conclusion
• Effective communication plan
– reduce uncertainty, lessen ambivalence, and
resistance to change
– Increase involvement and commitment of
employees
– Important role of creating a sense of fairness, trust,
and confidence in leadership
– Promote success of cultural and behavioral, but also
celebration of change
References
Giberson, T. R., Tracey, M. W., & Harris, M. T. (2006). Confirmative Evaluation of
Training Outcomes: Using Self-Report Measures to Track Change at the
Individual and Organizational Level. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 19(4),
43-61. doi:10.1111/j.1937-8327.2006.tb00384.x.
Gist, M. E., Bavetta, A. G., & Stevens, C. (1990). TRANSFER TRAINING METHOD:
ITS INFLUENCE ON SKILL GENERALIZATION, SKILL REPETITION, AND
PERFORMANCE LEVEL. Personnel Psychology, 43(3), 501-523.
Harris, D. (n.d.). Northwest Valley Community College - Kelsey Campus. About us.
Retrieved from
https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Education/NVCC/about.asp.
Spector, B. (2013). Implementing organizational change: Theory into practice (3rd ed.).
Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection.
University of Phoenix. (2014). Virtual organization: Northwest Valley Community
College. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, AET560 website.
Vasile, D. (2009). Communicational approach in the organizational change
management. Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 18(4),
185-190.