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Welcome to Changemaker stories from LOCAL - an ongoing series of personal interviews with leaders driving change across every industry and discipline. Because change shouldn’t mean going it alone.
This week we spent time with Lauren Bocci, a marketing communications leader with experience across a wide range of companies and industries, to talk about how to think through your communications, especially when things change. Here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Lauren:
The first step in communicating about change is to understand who you are talking to and why they should care. This is a person we’re talking to, after all. We should think about what a typical day might look like for them and what could be getting in their way.
There is a lot of content competing for people’s attention. I think it all comes back to how well you know your audience. You can have the best content or write the perfect jingle, but if you’re not putting it in front of the right people for the right reason, then it won’t make an impact.
Sending a one-and-done email isn’t quite enough. You’ve got to commit the time and creativity to effectively communicate that message many times to be sure you get through.
Lean on your team. I think it’s important to have the humility to know that other people have great answers, too. Some leaders can get in their own way and don’t give enough trust to their team members who are closer to the problems. This trust and humility also prevent you from working yourself into burnout.
Understand that things change, sometimes in the middle of your original change. You may realize that your own mind as a leader has changed after you’ve received more facts. You thought you made the right decision, but that turned out to be wrong. When this happens, it’s important to be transparent and honest with your team. This lets your people know that there is no hidden agenda, and it creates a feeling of connection.
I think the best example of a Changemaker is Jesus. He was completely undistracted from his mission and message. Like so many Changemakers, he had people coming to him wanting answers and wanting them right now, but he had the ability to calmly draw back and recenter himself. To continue on as healthy leaders for our teams, we sometimes have to step back and give ourselves space to refocus.
It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about connecting with your audience and doing what is right for them. If we try to see ourselves as the victor, we can really lose sight of our people.
Keep it light. When going through a change, if I walk around like someone who has all the answers, I lose some of the levity that makes people want to come to work. To me, that appreciation for fun shows you care for your people.