Visualizing Success

When approaching any new project what you will need to do is visualize your organization's success.  It doesn't matter if it is a internal project, external project, outsourcing project, multiple business unit change, you will need a road map for your success. 

Communication should be a key part of that success.  Everyone knows change affects people / groups in different ways.  Your worst enemy is the water cooler talk in any project.  This is where rumors get started and can lead to a very negative feeling on what the organization is trying to accomplish.  As a consultant this is something we need to grasp with the organization.  You will approach it lightly and see the customer's response.  If they have a good track record of organization wide communication then they will be driving force. If this is something new, you as the project / technical expert need to be that driving force.  

In you project team / group's meetings / sessions you will need to convey a communication road map that aligns with your success road map.  You will need a strong leader in the business to share the visualized success with their employees, as these can become you worse enemy when trying to visualize, implement, and train them on the new way of doing things. 

What do I hear most when talking with employees who's management is not leading the communication of road map, "Well, this how we have always done it".  This is not a good attitude when changing for the good.  As you can see by just that one statement the success road map is not being communicated. 

Have a motto, create posters, send out weekly / bi-weekly / semi-monthly updates, and just be pro-active.  

When you start with the visualization get all the success criteria documented.  But with change there will be always a negative impact somewhere in the business.  Don't shelter it, be forthcoming and communicate this also.  

"Success Cannot Be a Success Without Change Being In the Equation"