C3-PO

C3 = Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! Since there are no Ps, then P=0. How geeky. That's what comes out from the mind of a Star Wars nut.... anyway....

I'm quite pleased to relate back to what we've done all the while as far as communications is concerned. Back from the early days when the idea for the change initiative was first hatched, right up to now - continuous communication has been taking place at all levels. Starting off with senior management - they were briefed way from the start of the big picture and what's to come. In addressing the local ICT support teams, the communication started with the "grouping" of the MIS teams together, to congregate at group-level MIS meetings - something which was practised many years back, but then just "disappeared" after the 1997 economic crisis (everyone was busy with other things, understandably).

At the present juncture - communication is propogating at user / staff level, commencing since late last year actually (again, my definition of "speed" being "present" is very "stretched"). It'd only be sensible to preach at this level once the other higher levels are firstly sorted. Furthermore, implementation of the change initiative's first step (that NEURON thing) has only recently been "deep" into the group, after the initial first phase at head office level. Hey it could've been worse - two months after deciding what to do, the group could've just started issuing painful directives to scrap everything and adhere immediately.

Anyway while communications efforts are now more focused at user/staff level - I think this area can be improved and worked upon further. The user / staff level is by far the most difficult segment to tackle - as more and more stakeholders (thousands of them this time) are roped in to participate in the change initiative. Very soon, there will be more channels opened to users and staff in the form of surveys etc (all online, hey - we have the facility now, might as well use it right?). Gotta figure out more ways to lure more buy-in and more importantly, make the change stick....

Oh headache... need... to sleep....