Communicating Change: Winning Employee Support for New Business Goals [Hardcover]

T. Larkin (Author), Sandar Larkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1994

When a company decides to make a major organizational change­­whether it's a new emphasis on customer service, quality management, restructuring or downsizing­­managers must get the message through to front-line employees, and enlist their support...or the changes will create more turmoil than progress.

Written for busy managers at all levels, Communicating Change offers specific prescriptions for effecting successful change centered around three guiding principles:

• Conveying the message through supervisors
• Communicating face-to-face
• Making the changes relevant to each work area

In addition, a variety of helpful forms, checklists, sample communications, and surveys help managers to quickly put these principles into action.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070364524
• ISBN-13: 978-0070364523
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #631,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb book, June 10, 2000

By 

Joe Downing (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Communicating Change: Winning Employee Support for New Business Goals (Hardcover)

I'm an academic--a professor of corporate communication--and this is one of the few books I recommend to students in this area. Larkin bases every one of his assertions on applied research in organizational communication--very refreshing from the "I did it in my organization, so it must work in your company" perspective of most business authors. Larkin also completely shatters myths around traditional corporate communication practices (e.g. the executive should communicate directly to employees around major change areas), and bases such assertions on research in the area *plus* his own consulting experience (of which he has a great deal). My students also loved this book. If you buy one book on employee/corporate communication, this is the one.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuts to essentials in obtaining business performance, June 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Communicating Change: Winning Employee Support for New Business Goals (Hardcover)

With anecdotes to back up the prinicples set forth, this book clears the fog from many of the myths and unsuccessful techniques that aim at increasing performance in any size organization. The phrase "myths and unsuccessful techniques" is intended to label systems and approaches that rely on changing employees' value systems or behaviors that are derived from them; winning the hearts and minds of the employees; or putting fires in their bellies. Larkin and Larkin direct attention to what needs to be done for business success; who needs what information in order to achieve success; and how to set about devising measurable systems that make people fundamentally accountable for results. Sounds simplistic, but in the morass of business improvement approaches, this is a breath of fresh air. An easy read for a complex subject, with illustrations of direct applications for immediate use in almost any business.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful for focusing organizational communications, January 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Communicating Change: Winning Employee Support for New Business Goals (Hardcover)

The authors were very clear on the where to place the primary focus when communicating change in an organization. They helped to dispell some old myths about the effectiveness of newsletters and video presentations. I found their conclusions very sound and very applicable in real work settings.