Communication Often the Missing Element in Changing Businesses

By Heather McLean Widerhoeft

People in our society often feel the need to communicate 24 hours a day, resulting in a continuous buzz of e-mail, instant messages and cell phone calls. But sometimes, critical communications are neglected or missing, especially those that emphasize cross-cultural communication in even the most detailed change-management programs.

Deborah Barrett, Rice professor in the practice of professional communication, stresses that ineffectual communication during times of great change, particularly during a merger, can be the downfall of any change management initiative. “With the national and geographical cultural diversity in most organizations adding to the challenge of reaching all employees with meaningful change messages, the greatest difficulty organizations face in bringing about change today is effective cross-cultural communication,” Barrett writes in her article, “Successful Cross-Cultural Communication During Major Change,” published recently in the International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management.

Embracing communication in each element of a change management strategy may be challenging, but without it, the chance of true success is nearly impossible. Barrett encourages leaders within organizations to develop cross-cultural advisory teams to provide both analysis and support to the change leaders. This team, which would have representatives from major cultural groups within the organization, should be made up of individuals who are culturally literate, exemplify open communication ability and have a strong degree of emotional intelligence.

Companies that have had success in communicating cross-culturally are applying both traditional and new media as ways to reach employees. Barrett recently worked with El Paso Energy and has high praise for the company’s organization of its intranet as a way to reach its varied employees. “While El Paso may not have as many cross-cultural challenges as other organizations with more international operations, the tailoring it has done with its intranet is commendable,” Barrett says. “For instance, when an employee who works in the regulated side of the business first turns on his PC, the message he’ll be reading via the company intranet is different from a fellow employee who works in the nonregulated arena.”

Barrett brings her insights to Rice as well as to outside organizations. “President Leebron has emphasized that communication skills are fundamental for every Rice student,” she says, “so we are working on strengthening communication instruction across the curriculum.”