1. Brittany Morneweg AET560 Phyllis Carbonaro September 29, 2015
Communication Plan
Brittany Morneweg
AET560
Phyllis Carbonaro
September 29, 2015

2. Overview
(Google images, 2015)
JC Penney’s production declined under previous management. New management has been brought in to regain the organizations credibility and revenue.
Employees are resistant to more change and fearful for job security based on experience with previous management.
Change agents have been hired to help employees effectively communicate their perspectives and cope with current and future changes.

3. Launching the Communication Plan
Four phases
Phase 1 - Preapproval
Convince management that training for all employees on effective communication and coping with change is needed
Phase 2 - Developing the need for change
Use data gathered from pre-assessments, surveys, and employee feedback to explain need
Phase 3 - Midstream change
Pulse checks on progress and any new issues or misconceptions
Communicate status with employees
Management must maintain enthusiasm about the process
Phase 4 - Confirming the change
Celebrate successes of the change and re-evaluate to reflect on journey to prepare for changes ahead
(Google images, 2015)
(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p )

4. Technology Preapproval
Prepare PowerPoint presentation for top management, print out hard copy for meeting, and a recap with encouragement for feedback
PowerPoint, Computers, Microsoft Word, Printer, , Internet
Developing the need for change
link to employees for an electronic bulletin board so they may leave anonymous feedback and conduct an online survey to gather data from each department
Electronic bulletin board and online survey site, , Computers, Internet
Midstream change
Implement a Change Blog to sample opinions and maintain awareness of employee reactions to changes
Blog site, Computers, , Internet
Confirming the change
Senior management and immediate supervisors will write personalized letters to their team members to celebrate accomplishments
Microsoft Word, , Computers, Internet
(Google images, 2015)
PowerPoint, Computers, Microsoft Word, Printer, , Internet, Electronic bulletin board site, Online survey site, Blog site
(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.321)

5. Communication Plan Effectiveness
(Google images, 2015)
Transition Managers will be employed to monitor and track effectiveness of the communication plan during the organizational change process.
Preapproval
Incorporate management feedback from preliminary meetings
Developing the need for change
Utilize data to support the changes and ensure steps in the plan relate to the overall goals of the change process
Midstream change
Include formative assessments which align with pre-assessments and compare data to show increase in communication and an increase in positive attitudes related to change
Confirming the change
Assess approaches, tools, and summative feedback and compare to preliminary assessments and formative assessments to measure overall effectiveness
(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p )

6. Impact of Management Response
(Google images, 2015)
Management has a crucial impact and an obligation to be present during the change
Communicate the same message multiple times via a variety of channels and mediums
Face-to-face communication must be incorporated to promote two-way communication
Immediate supervisor is key and they must maintain enthusiasm about the changes during the process
Opportunity to use trusting relationships between employees and supervisors to help make information more relevant and personalized for their team members
(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.322)

7. Continuous Improvement
(Google images, 2015)
How to generate feedback
Including employees throughout the change process helps dissolve misconceptions and alleviate fears which promotes a willingness to participate
Phase four – Confirming the change allows celebrating success and time for employees to realize how changes benefit them and the organization
Summative assessments will be delivered to employees with a clear message that their feedback from the previous process will be utilized and implemented to help future change processes be successful

8. Addressing Negative Responses
Education and communication
Help employees understand the changes, what their responsibilities will be, and how it will benefit them
Provide awareness to promote advocacy for the change
Facilitation and support
Change agents work with employees by providing guidance and support when adapting to change
Manipulations and cooperation
Include opposed employees in communications about the change and incorporate their perspectives and relevant feedback
Systematic adjustments
Reassignment of employees may help reduce negative responses by finding a place where their talents and perspective fit to enhance the process of the changes
(Google images, 2015)
(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p )

9. Communication Plan Impact on the Organizational Change
(Google images, 2015)
Changes in an organization produce varied emotions and behaviors from all employees
Having a plan and strategies in place to approach changes will help minimize resistance, fears, and misconceptions throughout the change process
The Communication Plan serves as a “Do it” orientation
Prepares employees to take part in the change process and encourages them to take action to ensure the changes are implemented successfully
(Cawsey, Deszca, & Inglos, 2012, p.328)

10. Summary
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JC Penney employed change agents to help minimize negative responses to new and needed changes from recently hired management for the success of the organization.
A Communication Plan was implemented to support the organizational change and training on effective communication and coping with change.
Formative and summative assessments of employee feedback and data were used to help with continuous monitoring of this organizational change process and helped prepare for future changes.

11. References
Cawsey, T. F., Deszca, G., & Inglos, C. (2012). Organizational change: An action-oriented toolkit (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Google Images. (2015). Retrieved from