Change Management Communications Lessons from Dr. Seuss

“One fish. Two fish. Red fish. Blue fish.
Black fish. Blue fish. Old fish. New fish.
 Some are red. And some are blue. Some are old. And some are new.
Some are sad. And some are glad. And some are very, very bad.”

Dr. Seuss was a man ahead of his time.

Who knew One fish, Two fish. Red Fish. Blue Fish could be a rallying cry for diversity, not to mention a lesson in change management communications! Different kinds of fish, some old and some new, many happy and some sad, all need to be communicated with in different ways.

Communicating internally and externally — in this case with your internal team and external clients and prospects — is a lot like speaking to all of Dr. Seuss’s fish. They don’t all think the same way, they don’t interpret messages the same way, and they surely won’t all react in the same way – especially when the news isn’t good, or expected.

When it comes to changing behavior and gaining buy-in through change management communications, the way in which you communicate is crucial, and the investment in those communications needs to be considered – and valued – from the start.

Over the years, we’ve helped companies tell good stories and bad, happy and sad. When you’re faced with a change management situation, whether it be a CEO replacement, the investment of a private equity team, or even a change in internal processes or structure, there are lessons from Dr. Seuss’s titles to help guide your way.

Horton Hears a Who (and so should you)

The beautiful takeaway from Horton Hears a Who is that “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” What a lesson in life – and communications!

If there’s a change ahead in your organization, everyone needs to be told, appropriately, from the C-suite to the front-line worker and everyone in between.

Your employees are your cheerleaders. They have the power to applaud your capabilities and praise the quality of your leadership. But remember that in today’s connected world, the bad will be shared even more quickly than the good, so don’t ignore your employees – any of them – when there’s something to tell.

If you adhere to a set of core values in your organization (and you should), stay true to them when sharing news that can affect personnel. Know that the first question any employee asks in a time of change is, “What about me?” Plan your guidance accordingly.

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! (Here’s where we come in)

Let your imagination run wild! Think about what you want to say, who should say it, how to say it, to whom you want to say it, and why it’s important that it’s said at all. The main lesson of Green Eggs & Ham is similar: Don’t be afraid to try something new!

As we learned with the fish, employees and clients all take in messages differently, so it’s crucial to consider the cadence of the messaging and the channels you use.

Sometimes an email is just an email. They can be cold and impersonal. Sometimes they say too much; sometimes too little. In more cases than not, they’re off-putting and they leave more questions than answers. Read and re-read and then re-read again anything you plan to send or share. Read it with outside eyes, thinking about how it will be interpreted by different audiences.

Think about new ways to connect. If your leader is charismatic, it may be time for a video, and not a stiff one with the CEO behind a desk. How peer-to-peer breakout sessions? Have you considered smaller regional meetings? What about a company-wide gathering with a cadence of planned giveaways leading up to the event? The communications can take different forms for different audiences, and often, you already know what would be best, but convention may prevent you from trying something new or different. Don’t get caught in that quagmire. Times have changed, your employees have changed, and communications avenues have changed, too.

There is no end to the ideas we can generate when it comes to sharing news – good or bad, happy or sad. (And truth be told, sometimes it is just an email!)

How the Grinch Stole (my trust)

Avoiding the Grinch is an absolute. He may have tried to steal Christmas, but if you don’t communicate effectively, you’ll become the Grinch who stole the trust of your employees and/or your clients. And what’s harder to regain than that? (Ask Chipotle.)

Oh, the Places You’ll Go (if you do this right)

Valuing your employees and cherishing your clients and customers is paramount in any business or organization. The most well-respected brands, and the most profitable companies, delight their customers, hold their employees dear, and never let anything get in the way of doing the right thing at the right time.

Think of the places your company can go when you invest in communicating with all of your audiences the right way, every day, and certainly in times of change.

Happy Birthday to You (And to you today, Dr. Seuss!)

So why a post about good ole Dr. Seuss? Because today would have been his 114th birthday. In his own words, “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss, and thanks for the lessons.