Communications as Ikor

Change Management (Transformation Communications)1  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

1990년대는 진정한 변화의 시기였습니다. 일찌기 90년대 초에 Hammer와 Champy의 Reengineering the Corporation이라는 책이 베스트 셀러가 되더니, 미국 전역을 휩쓸고, 이제는 한국에서 그들 이론의 선조격인 “리스트럭쳐링”등이 일부 현장에서 용틀임을 하고있습니다. 사실은 Reengineering은 일찌기 90년대 초중 반 미국에서의 열풍과 거의 동시에 한국의 몇몇 재벌 그룹사들에서 내부적으로 시도된적이 있었습니다. 그결과는 어땠는지 모르지만 빠르게 이런 이론들을 받아들인다 하는 면에서는 우리나라도 참 세계화된 나라라는 걸 느끼게 됩니다. 예를들면 삼성의 “스피드”운동이던가요 그런것도 하나의 리엔지니어링적 노력이 아닌가 합니다.

하옇튼 미국은 많고 다양한 변화의 물결을 거쳐 회사 조직자체가 하나의 살아 움직이는 유기체가 되었습니다. 주변환경에 따라 자신의 몸의 온도, 색깔, 모양등을 바꾸는 카멜레온 같이 회사라는 조직은 미국에서 살아 움직이고 있습니다. 미국 기업들은 자주 그리고 많은 자극들을 주변으로 부터 받습니다. 그래서 그 자극들에 대응하며, 몸을 자꾸 바꿉니다. 각분기별로 사업의 결과 보고를 받는 주주들이 가장 큰 자극원이 되겠지요. 분기별 목표 퍼센테이지를 맞추지 못한 경영자는 한칼!입니다. 거들먹거리거나 어리벙할 시간 조차 허용치 않습니다.

사원들은 리스트럭쳐링이다, 다운사이징이다해서 짤려나가고, 아웃소싱을 이유로 집으로 내쫗기고, CEO는 그 나름대로 분기.분기에 자신의 경영 목숨을 겁니다. 멀쩡한 회사를 몇분기 망친 경영자는 쫓겨난후에 다른곳으로 갈수가 없습니다. 전문경영자들은 철저한 챔피언 의식속에서 패자를 인정치 않는 환경에서 자라납니다.

우리나라도 이제까지 많은 경영적 구조조정이있었습니다.

그러나, 저는 국내 대기업들의 구조조정이 진정한 교과서적 의미의 “Restructuring”이라고 평가하지는 않습니다. 많은 외국 Corporate Change 전문가들도 한국 재벌들의 지금 노력들을 진정한 Restructuring이라고 보는 사람은 그리 많치 않은듯합니다.

방만한 사업적 구조를 핵심사업을 중심으로 재개편해서 더욱 성장적 잠재력을 충만하게 하는것이 구조조정(Restructuring)이라고 하겠습니다. 그러나 많은 기업들이 IMF경제 체제를 맞아 자의에서 보다는 비정상적 시장 환경에서 비롯된 충격 때문에 얼떨결에 구조조정이라는 것을 해냈는데, 끝나고 보니 이건 구조조정이 아니었던 겁니다. “회계’적 여유를 갖기 위해 보유 자산을 매각하거나, 인력을 줄이는 것 -바로 우리가 해냈던 이러한 구조조정은 진정한 Restructuring은 아니고 일종의 Downsizing이었습니다. 단기적인 위기 극복 요법이라고 할까요.

이런 때우기 식의 기업변화는 그 결실을 거두기가 어렵습니다. 다운사이징 이후에도 기업의 명확한 비젼제시와 함께 발전 전략에 근본을 둔 리스트럭쳐링이 따라 일어나야 합니다. 그리고 정련된 조직을 가지고, 핵심사업을 중심으로 발전적 역량을 최대화 시켜야 합니다. 정련된 조직을 완전 가동시킬수 있는, 스피드 중심의 리엔지니어링까지 도달할수는 없어도 최소 본질적 리스트럭쳐링은 시도해야 합니다.

한국의 기업 당사자들이 구조조정이라고 부르는 험난했던 변화를 겪은 기업의 전후를 비교할때, 얼마나 현시적인 경쟁력이나 성장 역량의 증대를 거두었습니까.

의문입니다. 미국에서도 기업변화가 시도된후 거의 60-70%가 실패했다는 보고가 있었는데, 우리나라는 어떨까요.

이런 상황은 MBA아저씨들이 신경쓰실 테마일찌도 모른다고 생각하고 그냥 지나갑시다. 우리는 기업의 모든 변화를 알고 있어야 하는 전략홍보인들이니 그냥 이해만 합시다.

하여튼 그 과정이나 결과가 무었이든 당장 변화의 순간에 우리가 해야 할일은 기업의 변화를 성공적으로 달성시키기 위해 완전한 커뮤니케이션적 지원을 해야 한다는 것입니다. 대부분의 Change Management 전문가들은 기업내의 커뮤니케이션적 노력(우리는 Change Communications, Transformation Communications이라고 부릅니다)을 기업변화 성공의 핵심이라고 합니다.    

어떻게 우리가 감히 이해하기도 힘든 기업적 변화를 Implementation할수 있을까요..이 이슈는 현재 한국에서 가장 우리 홍보인들이 갖추어야 할 전략적 지식과 자세라는 이유때문에 앞으로 몇회에 걸쳐 자세하게 소개 할까합니다.

많은 관심 감히 바랍니다.

밑에는 우리 홍보인들이 성공적 기업 변화를 지원하기 위해 참고할 만한 하나의 단순한 예입니다. 한번 꼼꼼히 읽어 보시고 같이 생각해 봅시다.

그럼 내일부터 차근차근 논해보겠습니다. 전 이만 … “홍보!”

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BUILDING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT TO CHANGE  

Organization: Georgia Pacific Distribution Divison

Agency: Ketchum Public Relations(죄송합니다, 고르다 보니 계속 켓첨 녀석들 사례만 나오는 군요. 개인적 취향이 아니라, 지금 제일 잘나가는 녀석들이라서 그런가 봅니다. 앞으로는 따른 녀석들 걸로 찾아올리겠습니다.)

In July 1994, Georgia Pacific’s Distribution Division unveiled its plans for a massive restructuring program to support its vision for a renewed growth strategy capable of dramatically improving customer service while reducing costs. The massive and unprecedented restructuring of the Division’s operations began with a unique prototype area in its Southern region to test and refine sales and logistics concepts before national expansion.

Success of the total restructuring program depended on employees embracing Georgia

Pacific’s change effort and effectively communicating the advantages to their customers. Gaining that commitment from its 5,000 employees, most of whom had never experienced massive organizational change, required a focused, responsive and creative communications effort utilizing front line management as the critical communications link and a variety of communications targeted to provide information for educating and retaining crucial employees.

Georgia Pacific Distribution Division Communications collaborated with Ketchum Public Relations to develop and implement a comprehensive communications program designed to profile the strategic benefits of the growth strategy and build employee awareness of the strategy without significant negative effects on morale, retention and customer service levels.

RESEARCH

Before an effective communications program could be developed and implemented, two essential questions needed to be addressed:

Do employees understand the need for change, particularly when the company is more profitable than ever?

What is needed to foster that sense of commitment to an unknown future?

Early research indicated:

Employees want more information about Georgia Pacific’s vision, values and strategies as they move through a reengineering program (externally conducted surveys, focus groups).

The challenges of reengineering are cultural and structural and will challenge many of Georgia-Pacific’s core values and tightly held beliefs (best practice benchmarking study of key corporations).

Communications are vital and integral to successful change management (best practice benchmarking study of key corporations).

Front line managers are the most critical link in reaching and influencing employees (online research, academic writings and business press).

Client and agency conducted best practice visits to key companies engaged in full scale reengineering efforts to better understand the role employee communications plays in meeting business and performance objectives.

Communications need to be creatively executed to enlist support from employees to enlist support from and effectively reach an adverse audience.

PLANNING

Objective: Ensure that communications raise understanding of the need for change while maintaining current employees and morale levels.

Audience: Employees of the Distribution Division (approximately 5,000).

Strategy: Provide employees with the information needed to make the decision to stay with Georgia Pacific and to effectively communicate the Division’s growth strategy to customers (via sales results).

Messages: Our success is yours, your success is ours; Georgia Pacific needs to respond to their changing customer base; and Employees will continue to have job opportunities within the organization.

EXECUTION

Since the organizational change initiative was slated to continue over several years and with key decisions on the national strategy still unknown, creating and maintaining momentum for the communications program was essential during the periods of change – the first 18 months (July 1994 December 1995).

We employed a series of tactics with the common theme of positioning the organizational change as the best option for employees and the company.

Communications Training. Ketchum training staff and Georgia Pacific leaders together trained front line managers on the delivery of key messages, announcing the reengineering program (to immediately affected and non affected employees simultaneously) and answering employee questions. Presentation decks, resource manuals, messages and Q&A documents supported the managers in their delivery of news.

Pre Launch Communications. To condition the entire employee population about the need for the change within the Division, Georgia Pacific began publishing select articles and producing news videos on the changing nature of the business and customer needs, and engaged in focus groups to better understand employee sentiment regarding rumored change efforts and pilot reengineering programs.

Launch Communications. The announcement of the reengineering effort was conducted simultaneously at all locations across the country and at the headquarters facility in Atlanta. Managers were equipped with presentation decks and backup materials to effectively deliver the news to employees and respond to their psychological and emotional needs. These materials and the previous training were key to maintaining productivity and morale during the short term. The communications team developed all these materials and provided a toll free hotline for employees to call 24 hours a day to receive immediate answers to questions. In addition, each employee was provided copies of information relative to their job category, all produced by the Georgia Pacific communications team.

Maintenance Program. Key to maintaining initial momentum and providing employees the information they needed to make critical career decisions was a comprehensive ongoing communication program. That program included reformulated publications, specific reengineering only publications and general communications, as well as other audio, video and broadcast vehicles creatively designed to educate and inform the employee population about the business direction (strategic articles and special features), early signs of success (customer testimonials and sales reports) and their role within the organization (skills paths and employee profiles).

Special communications vehicles. Throughout the year, various creative communications vehicles were developed and executed to meet specific employee needs, including: relocation materials and support; brochures highlighting the transition process and job opportunities; career/skills path information highlighting advancement opportunities; and special satellite broadcasts outlining the new strategy, operations and new business communities.

EVALUATION

The communications program was continuously evaluated through message and media mechanisms. Research consistently showed morale improving as a result of frequent, credible communications research and feedback.

Employee feedback, evaluation and research activities highlighted the need for a more rapid announcement of Georgia Pacific’s intentions. Employee communications representatives served as strategic partners with the senior management team in their decision to unveil the entire plan nearly two years prior to scheduled completion and months ahead of scheduled announcements.

Sales figures independently showed employee commitment and support of the strategy by generating strong sales increases over target prototype figures during the first ten months of operation (January-October 1995).

Year end research showed that the majority of employees understand and accept the change initiative and support management efforts. Employees also maintained high levels of acceptance and employee retention remained at approximately 70 percent of the original population.

Objective: Ensure that communications raise understanding of the need for change while maintaining current employees and morale levels.

Results: Messages reached employees within the Distribution Division via the various innovative communication vehicles and affected their behavior by increasing the level of applications for new jobs and overwhelming support for the new strategy which dramatically increased employee retention (turnover only increased one percentage point versus pre-reengineering figures).