Change Management In The Communications Industry: Change Processes In Media Companies And In Corporate Communications 3658359595, 9783658359591

Citation preview

Markus Kaiser Nicole Schwertner

Change Management In The Communications Industry Change Processes In Media Companies And In Corporate Communications

essentials Springer essentials

Springer essentials provide up-to-date knowledge in a concentrated form. They aim to deliver the essence of what counts as “state-of-the-art” in the current academic discussion or in practice. With their quick, uncomplicated and comprehensible information, essentials provide: • an introduction to a current issue within your field of expertise • an introduction to a new topic of interest • an insight, in order to be able to join in the discussion on a particular topic Available in electronic and printed format, the books present expert knowledge from Springer specialist authors in a compact form. They are particularly suitable for use as eBooks on tablet PCs, eBook readers and smartphones. Springer essentials form modules of knowledge from the areas economics, social sciences and humanities, technology and natural sciences, as well as from medicine, psychology and health professions, written by renowned Springer-authors across many disciplines.

More information about this subseries at https://link.springer.com/booksubseries/ 16761

Markus Kaiser · Nicole Schwertner

Change Management In The Communications Industry Change Processes In Media Companies And In Corporate Communications

Markus Kaiser Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Nürnberg, Germany

Nicole Schwertner Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Nürnberg, Germany

ISSN 2197-6708 ISSN 2197-6716 (electronic) essentials ISSN 2731-3107 ISSN 2731-3115 (electronic) Springer essentials ISBN 978-3-658-35959-1 ISBN 978-3-658-35960-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7 © Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Responsible Editor: Barbara Emig-Roller This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH part of Springer Nature. The registered company address is: Abraham-Lincoln-Str. 46, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany

What You Can Find In This essential

• Digitalization is forcing the media and communications industry to undergo a radical change. Due to a change in media usage in society, high-cost pressure and constantly new technologies, changes have to be implemented ever faster. It is shown why media companies and communication departments of companies need a lived change culture. • The introduction of a newsroom, new social media channels, mobile reporting as well as the employee structure in the industry lead to industry-specific challenges in change management. The critical success factors for change processes are mentioned. • In change management, the focus is on people. Using traditional models, it shows for the media and communications industry what needs to be done in a change process from vision to leadership coalition and storytelling to anchoring. • Communication is the most important success factor during a change process. It will be shown what needs to be considered for successful change communication. • Further education and courses of study are presented in which journalists or corporate communications staff can be trained as change managers.

v

Preface

Social media and podcasts, e-paper and news apps, virtual and augmented reality, chatbots and robot journalism, blockchain, personalized advertising & Co.: The media and communications industry is in the midst of a profound transformation. New digital media and new digital technologies are eroding traditional business models in print, radio, television and advertising and creating new challenges in corporate communications and marketing. Before moving to Nuremberg Institute of Technology, we built up the Media Location Agency for the Free State of Bavaria and tried to support the industry in the digital transformation, in the introduction of new products, new playout channels, new ways of working, new sales markets, new business models and new job profiles. We have seen how either business leaders have been slow to embrace digital transformation, or how bosses have imposed radical changes on employees. In both cases, competitiveness has suffered greatly. Often everything revolves around technology, content and design. This triad is also needed for a successful digital media product. However, during our work at MedienNetzwerk Bayern and MedienCampus Bayern, as well as now in academia at TH Nuremberg and at our change consulting firm Kaiser//Schwertner and CGI Germany, we quickly and massively became aware of this: Radical change only works if, as a fourth point, the human side is not forgotten. Change management means involving employees in the change process from the beginning to the end. In many editorial departments, PR agencies and marketing departments as well as press offices of companies, this may still be a phrase that often crosses the lips of the bosses. In practice, however, change management is all too often forgotten alongside project management: There is rarely a position for an internal change manager—especially in medium-sized publishing houses—and hardly any budget for external consultants. The topic is rarely approached systematically.

vii

viii

Preface

Every change process means a change of course in a company and, above all, uncertainty for the employees. It is quite normal that employees do not immediately shout hurrah in most cases. This should not deter management from making what they see as necessary changes. Sometimes resistance is not rooted in the new way of working itself, but in the fact that employees have not yet found their new role or, for example, that private habits have to be adapted due to changed working hours. Every change process means hard work: for management and for every employee affected. In this book, we provide a practical overview of what needs to be considered in a change process in the media and communications industry and how change can succeed. Some change management is still better than no change management at all. In the first chapter, we show why media companies and corporate communications departments need a living change culture. “Change is the new normal” has been proclaimed as a motto by IBM, for example. Even the Greek philosopher Heraclitus has been quoted as saying, “The only constant in the universe is change.” This is more true than ever in the age of digitalization, where almost all companies have to reinvent themselves. Media companies need to change urgently and ever faster. From the newsroom to social media and corporate publishing: The second chapter describes the special change processes in the media industry and what needs to be considered. The third chapter deals with how change processes can be managed. There are a number of proven models that can be used, but they must be tailored to the specific project. An important aspect is how to communicate with employees and other stakeholders. The fifth chapter, therefore, deals with change communication. At the end of this book, we show where you can get further training or certification as a change manager. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have inspired us for writing this book. Among them are the other founding members of the German Institute for Change Processes and Digital Business Models, Dr. Christina Blumentritt, Aline-Florence Buttkereit, Wolfgang Kerler, Maximilian Rückert and Eva Werner (www.change-prozesse.org), the students of our management seminars at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen and Nuremberg, the Nuremberg Institute of Technology and University of Applied Sciences Ansbach, as well as our clients at Change Consulting Kaiser//Schwertner and CGI Germany. We also received numerous ideas from Patrick Wanner from the TiBa Management School in Munich as part of the Prosci certification as a change manager. A big thank you for this as well!

Preface

ix

We wish our readers a lot of fun reading and exciting insights into change management! Nuremberg in June 2020

Prof. Markus Kaiser Nicole Schwertner

Contents

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

2 Special Features of the Communications Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Introduction of a Newsroom in Editorial Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Introduction of Social Media Channels in the Company . . . . . . . . 2.3 Mobile Reporting and Multimedia Working Methods . . . . . . . . . . .

11 12 14 14

3 Change Only Works with Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Every Change Needs an End: Kurt Lewin’s Three-Phase Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 A Leadership Coalition is Almost at the Beginning: John P. Kotter’s Eight-Step Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Storytelling also Helps with Change: The 7 + 3 Change Management Model Kaiser//Schwertner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4 In the Beginning There is Consciousness: The ADKAR Model by Prosci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17

21

4 What the Communications Industry Still Needs to Internalise . . . . . .

29

5 Change Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

6 Training Paths to Becoming a Change Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43

20

23 25

xi

About the Authors

We welcome criticism, suggestions and discussions: [email protected] [email protected] www.change-consulting.org Markus Kaiser is a professor of journalism, media innovations and change management at the Nuremberg Institute of Technology and a consultant for change management, communication, social media, innovation management and leadership at CGI Germany. Nicole Schwertner is a consultant of change management at CGI Germany.

xiii

1

Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

“The preserving force in daily change”: This advertising slogan of the “Nürnberger Zeitung” makes it clear that the medium wanted to score points with its target group with reliability. Even if the whole world is turning: The letters to the editor page remains just as much in its regular place as the obituaries, the sports commentator yells into the microphone just as emotionally at the foul play today as he did on the last matchday, and even the sponsoring partner of the weekly business window on local television has been the largest local credit institution for years. This makes it clear: where there was hardly any change, change did not have to be managed or communicated. Media companies rarely or never had innovation departments or innovation teams. The editor-in-chief or press spokesperson was primarily concerned with day-to-day business and only marginally with the further development of their own product (see Kaiser et al. 2019, pp. 64–81). In more than a few editorial offices, the seniors in the publishing family thought that “this Internet” was a temporary phenomenon that they intended to wait out. Curious editors who wanted to use e-mail or the Internet for research were often thwarted in the beginning. Technical equipment for journalists with the smartphone, data flat rate, laptop, etc. is not a matter of course for everyone, even in the year 2020. The Corona crisis and the remote work have ruthlessly brought to light the sometimes still catastrophic technical equipment. But if the executive level is not behind innovations, if the employees do not see any benefit, if the technical equipment is not provided for mobile reporting, etc., how is a change culture supposed to develop in media companies? But it is exactly this cultural change that is urgently needed in media companies, but also in PR agencies, corporate communications departments and marketing departments.

© Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7_1

1

2

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

The following seven sections on why the development of a change culture is so immensely important are not an exhaustive list. However, they clearly show that the world has turned, or is turning to such an extent that, for media companies, savings as the only means of reacting to external changes are a completely wrong way to go. 1. “We bought out the rival paper. Now we’re a monopolist for good!” Wrong! At first glance, this thesis may still sound plausible, after all, there are increasing concentrations on the media market: 61.6 % of the total circulation of daily newspapers was sold by the ten largest publishing groups in the first quarter of 2018 (see Fig. 1.1). Media scientist Horst Röper cites mergers, the discontinuation of individual titles and the establishment of central editorial offices as the reason (www.ard-werbung.de/fileadmin/user_upload/mediaperspektiven/pdf/2018/0518_Roeper_2018-12-18.pdf [Accessed 07.06.2020]). Similar approaches can be seen in broadcasting. The numerous medium-sized regional publishers have created monopoly areas for daily newspapers and more are emerging all the time, but there are entirely new competitors in the form of weblogs, podcasts and social media channels, and the circulation of most daily newspapers has been in decline for years (see Fig. 1.2). The boundaries between radio, television and newspapers are also softening online, as news apps are becoming virtually indistinguishable from each other. The newspaper publishers’ complaint against the “tagesschau” app that it was too press-like was aimed precisely at this. However, the time of the monopolists is not only over as far as journalistic content is concerned but also in the advertising business in particular. New on the market are US tech groups such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, which dominate the digital advertising market and thus eclipse the classic advertising business of publishers, local radio stations and even national broadcasters such as RTL and ProSieben. 2. “The relaunch of our website is online. Now we are finally done with this digitizing!” A misconception! Digitization has only just begun—this became extremely clear during the Corona crisis. According to tech investor Frank Thelen, digitization in Germany still needs to make a significant forward momentum: “Germany has so far pushed digitization ahead of itself and is starting the exponential age with a clear lag” (https://www.handelsblatt.com/meinung/ gastbeitraege/gastkommentar-corona-reisst-uns-aus-dem-wohlstandsschlaf/258 31268.html?ticket=ST-2582879-6sdAkerlLxE7JwC5QSGj-ap5, [Retrieved on 11.6.2020]).

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

3

Fig. 1.1 The circulation areas of regional newspapers in Germany are divided. There are numerous counties with monopolists in the print sector. The digital competition with Google, Facebook and Amazon, on the other hand, appears overpowering. (Graphic: BDZV Federal Association of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV Bundesverband Digitalpublisher und Zeitungsverleger))

4

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

Fig. 1.2 Monopolists going under: According to journalism professor Klaus Meier, the printed newspaper will die by 2034. In digital, publishers will have to prevail against strong competitors. (Source: Journalism textbook by Prof. Dr. Klaus Meier)

Nowadays, it is no longer enough to offer your content online instead of just on paper. In this case, we are still a long way from talking about digitization. Especially since every editorial department and every press office must be aware that it is not a matter of transferring content 1:1 into the digital. First of all, it must be examined which digital change is to be implemented and how it is to be used sustainably. The special thing about digital innovations is that they sometimes disappear from the market more quickly than expected and hoped for. A distinction can be made here between short-lasting trends and innovations that are longer-term, such as chatbots and the use of artificial intelligence. The annual Gartner Hype Cycle shows which technologies are in vogue and how they are classified and evaluated. In its model, the US market researcher describes five phases through which an innovation passes before it either establishes itself or disappears from the market. In the first phase, the innovation is announced, but there is no market-ready model yet. This is followed by a peak of expectations as the media reports on it, even though only prototypes are available at this stage. This is followed by a downhill slide into

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

5

Fig. 1.3 The Gartner Hype Cycle for Digital Marketing and Advertising ranks the innovations in this area. (Graphic: Gartner)

the valley of disappointment, as the expectation for the new product cannot be met. This is followed by an epiphany, where the innovation’s limitations and benefits come to the fore. In the last phase, the mass suitability is tested. The Gartner Hype Cycle exists for new technologies (such as augmented and virtual reality, blockchain, artificial intelligence and chatbots) as well as for marketing trends, for example (Fig. 1.3). Researchers at the Media Technology Center (MTC) of ETH Zurich are working on an augmented paper to show how a classic print product can be innovatively conceived and linked with digital content: The research project aims to enable readers to see moving pages with the help of augmented reality glasses (see https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2020/05/thevirtual-made-real-new-technology-for-the-media-of-the-future.html, [Accessed 11.06.2020]). This shows that even traditional media houses have to get to grips with the latest technologies in order not to miss the boat. 3. “We now have a fan page on Facebook. This way we can also reach the youth!”

6

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

Fig. 1.4 If you also want to reach the youth, nowadays a Facebook presence is no longer enough because Instagram and TikTok are the social networks that are becoming increasingly relevant among this target group. (Source: ARD.ZDF Online Study 2019)

Unfortunately too late! Because young people have already moved away from Facebook and are now on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok. Editors and communication specialists of companies have to rethink quickly because media usage is changing rapidly. The first thing to do is to analyze the target group: On which channels do they spend time? As soon as a media company has decided on a network, it is important to keep in mind that this medium can become obsolete in no time and that the target group will be on a new platform. Currently, it seems that each generation prefers to use its own network. It’s not just the social web that’s volatile: moving images have long since moved ahead of text and audio and are dominating the market. Podcasts are experiencing a renaissance and are significantly more popular than weblogs, especially among younger users. The ARD.ZDF online study, for example, provides an annual overview of how rapidly media use is changing (Fig. 1.4). The data from 2019 show that young users spend most of their time in online communities, such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, and that these social networks are thus becoming increasingly relevant. 75% communicated daily via WhatsApp in

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

7

2019, compared to 72% in 2018 (see www.ard-zdf-onlinestudie.de/whatsappo nlinecommunities, [Accessed 11.06.2020]). Video-based platforms are also gaining more and more users. Besides YouTube, TikTok, a Chinese video portal, has dominated the market since 2018, where users can imitate video clips. In May 2020, the app reached two billion downloads—driven mainly by the Corona pandemic and the loss of leisure activities (see https://t3n.de/ news/schaffte-bisher-nur-facebook-2–1274972/, [Retrieved 11.06.2020]). The network is becoming an ever-growing competitor to YouTube, which is owned by Google. According to the Reuters Digital News Report 2019, Instagram is even used by young people for the most part for newsgathering (see https://hans-bredow-institut.de/uploads/media/default/cms/media/x52 wfy2_AP47_RDNR19_Deutschland.pdf, p. 47, [Retrieved on 13.06.2020]). Media houses such as Bayerischer Rundfunk are responding to this novel phenomenon: the “News-WG” format shows how Instagram can be used to play out political content. Understanding news and being able to join in the conversation is the goal of the format: a kind of “modern-day news” for young people. The success can be seen in the usage figures, which have been steadily increasing since the launch in September 2018: After one year, 52,000 subscribers followed the channel (main target group is 18- to 24-yearolds) (see https://www.br.de/presse/inhalt/pressemitteilungen/news-wg-des-brmit-prix-italia-ausgezeichnet-100.html, [Retrieved on 11.06.2020]). In June 2020, the channel has around 88,000 subscribers. 4. “We don’t have to worry about fake news and conspiracy theories. After all, we have nothing to do with that.” But ducking out is not an option here! Because fake news and conspiracy theories are published on the Internet and especially in social networks directly above or below seriously researched journalistic news—on the same channel. This, therefore, leads to changed requirements for media companies. Fake news flourishes especially in times of crisis: This can be seen during the current Corona pandemic. Fake news aggravates the situation and creates additional uncertainty as well as mistrust towards the media. For example, fake news was spread that doctors at the University of Vienna allegedly found out that ibuprofen accelerates the multiplication of the coronavirus. The university denied this news on Facebook and stated that it was fake news (see https://www.facebook.com/MedizinischeUniversitaetWien/photos/a. 330940943649041/2817591401650637/?type=3, [Retrieved on 11.06.2020]). Conspiracy theories and myths are deliberately used to put fake news into the world. They are then spread virally on the net: The role of the reader has

8

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

thus changed from that of a mere consumer to that of an active user who wants to participate and join in the discussion. As a result, users also become producers and put their own content on the net. Uncertainty about what is journalism and what is not is growing, as is distrust of full-time journalists. Especially in these times, fact checks and verification tools are important to separate false reports from truthful research. To regain trust and debunk fake news, German media companies have launched a wide variety of initiatives (the list is not complete and only shows a selection): • Faktenfinder is a research department of the public broadcasting network ARD, founded in 2017. The fact finder is assigned to the Tagesschau as the most-watched news program on German television and pursues the goal of searching the internet for stories that are obviously false in order to research and correct them. The results are published centrally on the website www. tagesschau.de/faktenfinder. • Echtjetzt is an initiative of the non-profit research association Correctiv. On the website, selected stories are checked for their truth content. The team wants to take targeted action against fake news on social networks and counters the false reports with thoroughly researched facts. Echtjetzt classifies the reports and stories and rates each as false, partially false, mostly false, completely false, unsubstantiated and mostly true (see https://correctiv.org/faktencheck/artikel-faktencheck/2017/06/02/ueberechtjetzt, [Retrieved on 11.06.2020]). • Social Listening and Verification is a unit of Bayerischer Rundfunk that uncovers rumors, half-truths, lies and propaganda on the Internet and social media. The unit takes care of radio and television and the news brand BR24. The results are not presented on a website, as is the case with the fact-finder, but are incorporated into ongoing reporting (see https://www.br.de/unternehmen/bundestagswahl-faktencheck-verifi kation-100.html, [Retrieved 11.06.2020]). Therefore, a change towards verification units is needed, as described in the examples above. Accordingly, editorial offices cannot simply take over the news: whether from associations and companies or the local CDU chairman from their own district. It is necessary to check these and research the truth content before publication. This basic rule should be brought to the fore again, also in view of the personnel bottlenecks and the associated time pressure. 5. “Surely the hardware store must continue to place ads with us if they want to sell their spring flowers.” A dangerous misconception! Even smaller companies now advertise on the Internet. This is why the advertising revenues of traditional media companies

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

9

have been declining massively, and not just since the Corona pandemic. In addition, the number of subscribers to daily newspapers is in decline (see Fig. 1.2 by Prof. Dr. Klaus Meier), and even the broadcasting fee is hardly increasing for the public broadcaster. Conclusion: The revenue situation for media companies is anything but optimal. Cost pressure is increasing. It is also increasing because more expenses are being incurred on the expenditure side: More channels have to be used, the new equipment has to be purchased and apps have to be programmed. This increases the pressure to change, to successfully implement innovations, to work more efficiently, to develop new business models far away from the core business and also to part with old ballast. Today, for example, it is no longer appropriate for a daily newspaper to print sports results on a full page on Monday, which readers can already access much more conveniently on the association’s website at the weekend. And in corporate communications today, not even the smallest piece of news has to result in a press release. 6. “Media’s everyone’s dream job, isn’t it? We’re flooded with applications anyway.” Those days are over for many media companies! The fact that editors-in-chief can nowadays choose the perfect candidate for a traineeship from a pile of excellent applications is probably a thing of the past. For this reason, newspaper companies are increasingly advertising with image videos and campaigns to draw attention to the training opportunities in their own company. Media courses are booming at German colleges and universities. But where do the trained young talents go? At any rate, fewer and fewer of them go into traditional journalism. This is also because the image of journalists has suffered and established media are perceived by young people as old-fashioned—here, too, a change is needed. Often the long working hours and weekend duty, the supposedly poor pay and the lack of prospects put them off. The lack of applicants is also due to a new competitive situation on the labour market: journalism and communication are no longer only required by media companies; the skills are in demand across the board in almost all sectors. Furthermore, several new job profiles have developed in recent years (see Schwertner, N.: “Medienberufe im Wandel”, in: Kaiser, M. et al. 2019, pp. 40–63). 7. “We make washing machines and yet we are not a media company.” Chance missed! As a company’s head of communications, writing a press release and sending it to journalists is no longer effective enough to sell a topic. Red Bull and Mercedes, for example, have shown how companies can

10

1 Why Media Companies Need a Change Culture

set up their own media channels and communicate directly with their customers instead of going through the press, which previously had the role of gatekeeper. More and more companies are turning to corporate publishing and content marketing. Corporate publishing is the journalistically prepared dissemination of information by a company, such as a customer newspaper, an online magazine, corporate blogs and also social media channels. A well-known example is SZ Scala, the agency of the Süddeutsche Zeitung for strategic corporate communications and content marketing. Background information Examples of proprietary corporate communications media include: Virtual press conference: An event does not always have to take place on site. Due to the ever-increasing time pressure, a virtual press conference can be an alternative. Journalists, but also interested customers, shareholders or business partners can follow the event from their office and get the topic presented in an appealing and lively way instead of receiving a mail with a notice. Certainly, one should prepare a written summary, but the perception through the event is a greater one. During the Corona crisis, for example, the German Chancellor and the Bavarian Minister-President addressed the citizens directly in this way. Integrate video content: The shorter, the better. Video content offers an alternative to the pure text form. Interviews or short explanatory videos can be used to draw attention to a topic. Newsletters and blogs: The advantage of a newsletter is that you can accommodate different topics there. The important thing with a newsletter is the personalization so that the news is adapted to the individual needs. This guarantees a precise selection of topics and each recipient only receives the information that is really relevant to them. Another possibility is a specific topic blog. Social media: Here, viral distribution is possible with content specially prepared for social networks. It is therefore advisable to maintain the company’s own channels well and keep them up to date. Another advantage under the aspect of open innovation can even be to involve customers to design new products with them on Facebook, Instagram & Co.

2

Special Features of the Communications Industry

The media and communications industry has some special features. For this reason, it is worth taking a specific look at the particular challenges and changes in the industry, as well as the characters who work in it. Whether in design, journalism, camera operators, social media editors or copywriters in the advertising industry: these are creative professions. Here, it is once again significantly more important to take people along with you when making changes than in a screw factory. In journalism, for example, there are no indisputably meaningful KPIs against which to measure reporters’ work. Intrinsic motivation plays a huge role in the communications industry in particular. This follows from the fact that employees identify strongly with the vision and goals of their professional activities. This is exactly why it is immensely important to bring the employee along by strongly involving him or her in change processes and also explaining why the change exists. The proportion of academics among employees in journalism and corporate communications is relatively high. The employees are used to working independently, making many decisions themselves, and they are often open to discussion. This also leads to the fact that they should be strongly involved in the change process in order to avoid blockades in the first place and on the other hand to use their ideas. In addition, interdisciplinary teams often work together on digital projects. Because there are often several smaller change projects running in parallel, some of which require a lot of expert knowledge (for example, the introduction of a paywall), neither the publishing management nor the editor-in-chief can impose and monitor everything. That’s why you have to rely on as much initiative as possible in the changes, which in turn also shows the importance of change management. The job market was an employee market until the Corona pandemic: employees could largely choose their employer. Many new job opportunities have been created

© Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7_2

11

12

2

Special Features of the Communications Industry

in the communications sector, including the introduction of new social media channels and corporate publishing. This, as well as the trend towards new-work styles, means that media companies have to be more responsive to the needs and desires of their employees in order to remain attractive as employers. Every industry has specific change projects. One trend in journalism in the 1990s, for example, was the switch within the editorial department to a full-page makeover: the journalist himself created the layout of the daily newspaper pages on his PC, into which his colleagues could write their texts directly. Previously, he had recorded it on paper and given it to the technology department, where a metteur ultimately cut out the individual texts with a scalpel knife and glued them to the page. In the following—without claiming to be exhaustive—some specific processes of change in the media and communications industry are considered.

2.1

Introduction of a Newsroom in Editorial Offices

When a newsroom is introduced in an editorial department or a company, it is a very complex undertaking from a change management point of view. This one project involves numerous changes and a lot of dynamite within the newsroom. Open-plan office instead of individual office For many editors, the idea of no longer working in a cubicle office is new. Over the years, they have often made themselves comfortable in their one or two-person office, put up photos of their family members, brought their own refrigerator or at least their own coffee maker, and in some sports departments, there is even a basketball hoop attached to the cabinet, which is repeatedly thrown at during breaks. These concerns about sitting at functional workstations in a large office in the future must be taken seriously in any case. This is important even if all technical aspects have been considered for the newsroom: sound-absorbing carpeting, air conditioning and comfortable furniture. Hierarchies are shifting: Departments in a newspaper editorial office have worked relatively autonomously up to now. But who will have the last word in the future if, for example, the head of the politics department and the desk chief disagree? Some editorial departments (such as the Rheinpfalz) regulate this in such a way that the editor-in-chief then

2.1 Introduction of a Newsroom in Editorial Offices

13

decides. In others, the news desk, which is often headed by a deputy editor-in-chief, overrides the department head—which leads to a loss of power for the latter. New job profiles are emerging A search engine optimization specialist, an audience development manager, or a social media editor—new job descriptions require new knowledge, training, and onboarding. New software Topic planning with, for example, the Desk-Net software, a new media-neutral editorial system, analysis tools for the social web, etc.—the introduction of new software is often the focus of change processes. Here, too, it is important to bring the employees along, to make the benefits clear to them and also to pay individual attention to how easily employees can familiarize themselves with new programs. Print-Online Integration This is one of the biggest challenges to introduce a newsroom. Often there was a difference in payment, sometimes editors even come back together from different GmbHs. The print editors considered the online editors to be digital nerds. This was widely discussed, for example, when the former online boss of sueddeutsche.de, Stefan Plöchinger (now: Ottlitz), was promoted to the editor-in-chief of the Süddeutsche Zeitung because of his hoodies (see https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/sue ddeutsche-zeitung-hoodiejournalismus-fuer-ploechinger-a-960349.html, [retrieved on: 12.06.2020]). Online editors, on the other hand, considered the print editorial office a relic of the past millennium. Combining these two cultures and forming a team out of them is one of the biggest challenges for change management. Changed working hours Newsrooms only rarely started work before 9 a.m., and sports newsrooms usually even only hit top form in the afternoon or evening. On the website, however, there is already the first peak in access figures in the morning, when employees come into the office. That’s why working hours, but also editorial conference times, are usually adjusted to digital channels. For editors, this may well mean that they also have to rearrange their private lives and may no longer be able to take the children to school in the morning.

14

2.2

2

Special Features of the Communications Industry

Introduction of Social Media Channels in the Company

Marketing is responsible for advertising, Customer Dialog writes letters to consumers, Sales sends flyers with new products, Corporate Communications informs the press, and Human Resources places ads in the newspaper job market. In companies, the most diverse departments that in some way had anything to do with communication have had to talk to each other relatively little until now. With social media, this has fundamentally changed. All of a sudden, all departments have an interest in the same channel. Take Facebook, for example: Corporate Communications is responsible for the posts on the fan page, the Marketing department places Facebook ads, the messages from users concern customer dialogue, internal communication reaches employees better via a Facebook group than via the intranet, and Human Resources sees social networks as the most important channel to get in touch with potential applicants. Departments need to work together. This often leads to friction during the change process. In some companies, marketing and corporate communications could not smell each other, in others the HR manager and the head of the customer service are enemies. It is also unclear who is calling the shots on the new social media channels. On XING and LinkedIn, it may seem sensible for HR to wear the hat. With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Co., no one can claim the leading role per se. For some companies, the introduction of social media channels goes hand in hand with a newsroom or a general restructuring. This must be considered here just as much as the perceived devaluation of a press office. After all, the press office will lose importance in the company if in the future it communicates more via its own channels—keyword corporate publishing.

2.3

Mobile Reporting and Multimedia Working Methods

The reporter is more often referred to as an egg-laying jack-of-all-trades when he simultaneously photographs, films, writes and, if possible, operates the social media channels live on site. In the past, a journalist could usually concentrate on one playout channel, but today he has to serve several or at least think for several channels.

2.3 Mobile Reporting and Multimedia Working Methods

15

This leads to numerous new requirements. The journalist has to deal with and be familiar with technology more than in the past, he is under greater time pressure, and he has to get to know ways of telling stories for the media he has been unfamiliar with up to now. In the case of mobile reporting, that is, reporting with mobile devices directly from the location of the event, the reporter does not first travel to the editorial building to have his TV report cut by an editor or to type his report but produces his journalistic contribution himself under all adversities (from poor smartphone reception to the background noise at an event). These new requirements mean that you also have to accompany this change with change management. There are also subliminal messages. While the polished word of the noble pen in a report or an editorial has counted up to now, speed will be more appreciated in the future. What is expected of an editor in the future must also be communicated transparently and openly. This different assessment of what is to be understood by a good work performance also comes into play in the plus models for paid content (such as at bild.de or spiegel.de) as well as in the introduction of automated communication such as chatbots or robot journalism. This is also a change process when employees and their performance appraisals are subject to new criteria in the future.

3

Change Only Works with Management

Before a change, there is a vision. If this is missing, you should keep your hands off a radical change process and only change something gradually. Every change is derived from a vision, which can or even should be a bit more abstract (for example, “We want to become the most digital media company in North RhineWestphalia!” or “We reach our customers completely through our own channels!) A vision sometimes has a time horizon of more than ten years. Only from the vision are a strategy and goals derived, which should be SMART (see Fig. 3.1). This is an acronym. There is not always the same assignment for the individual letters. If one uses German-language terms, SMART usually stands for specific, measurable, attractive, realistic and scheduled. Only under the leadership or with the participation of the management of a company can a vision, a strategy and concretely formulated goals be defined. In addition to the strategy, that is, the measures with which the goals are to be achieved, the structure and the culture also play a decisive role. By structure is meant, on the one hand, how the processes are organized. On the other hand, how the editorial department or the communications department of a company is structured. Culture is concerned with the values with which the company or the journalistic product is to be associated and which values are exemplified between the employees in the company. A vision, a strategy and goals do not come about by the publishing manager, the director, the editor-in-chief or the corporate spokesperson listening to their gut feeling. It is not a lonely decision that one person makes and should make even in a medium-sized owner-managed publishing house. In order to develop a strategy, there are a number of internal and external analysis methods that management should master. One relatively simple method is the SWOT analysis (see Fig. 3.2). On the next page, we will show how this could look like using the example of the introduction of events as an additional playout channel. © Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7_3

17

18

3

Change Only Works with Management

Fig. 3.1 Only if goals are formulated smartly are they concrete enough to be able to evaluate their implementation. (Graphic: own representation)

Fig. 3.2 The SWOT analysis uses an example to illustrate how one’s own strengths and weaknesses can have an impact. (Graphic: own representation)

3

Change Only Works with Management

19

Another example: When developing a vision, it is always worth taking a look at current megatrends. Among the current megatrends are, for example, the trend towards individualisation, connectivity, the Silver Society, neo-ecology or a trend towards knowledge culture (see www.zukunftsinstitut.de/artikel/die-5-wic htigsten-megatrends-fuer-unternehmern-in-den-2020ern/, [retrieved on 7.6.2020]). Conclusions for one’s own vision can be derived from these megatrends. In the analysis, it is advisable to first consider the global environment, then one’s own communications and media industry, finally the stakeholders (such as listeners, viewers, readers, users and customers, employees and shareholders) and finally one’s own company itself. In doing so, one should pay attention to technological factors (for example, the new technologies listed in the Gartner Hype Cycle such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, immersive media, etc.) as well as ecological, political and social factors. New products and thus also new business models can be developed, for example, with the help of Designing Thinking methods (see the book “Transforming Media. Neue Geschäftsmodelle in der digitalen Welt” by Markus Kaiser and Stefan Sutor). But here we are not yet at change management, not even at project management. Once the vision, the strategy and the goals have been defined, it is necessary to determine how the goal is to be achieved, that is, what change and how this change is to be achieved (for example, through agile methods such as Scrum or through classic project management). Desired results are defined, milestones and finally work packages as well as the employees involved in order to be able to implement the project. Project management is not the same as change management. In the latter, the focus is on the person, the employee who is implementing the change or who is affected by it. As a rule, two different people look at the project or the change process from a different perspective: on the one hand, the project manager, who has the milestones and the qualitative goals in mind; on the other hand, the change manager, who is supposed to make sure that the employees are taken along. It is recommended that a change manager is also involved from the beginning of a change process. “This does not necessarily have to be an external consultant; someone from within the company can also take on this task” (Kaiser et al. 2019, p. 21). Especially in medium-sized media companies, an external change consultant may have more experience with other change processes, know change management tools better and be unbiased. He is not concerned with gaining any posts after the change process itself. An internal change manager, on the other hand, has the advantage that he knows the structures of the company, the weak

20

3

Change Only Works with Management

points and the colleagues better and can thus accompany the change process more authentically (see ibid.: p. 21). The following sections explain the tasks facing a change manager, what successful change management looks like and what needs to be taken into account in a change process. For this purpose, models from the field of change management are used to provide practical advice for successful change management, without presenting the models in all their details.

3.1

Every Change Needs an End: Kurt Lewin’s Three-Phase Model

The social psychologist Kurt Lewin formulated his three-phase model for change processes as early as 1947 (Fig. 3.3). Lewin calls the first phase “unfreezing”, the preparation of a change. In this phase, the management or publishing house management communicates its plans and the affected employees are involved. In the second phase, “moving,” the change occurs. The new desired state is brought about. The third phase is “Freezing”, the solidification of the new way of working. Kurt Lewin’s model sounds quite simple. But it contains an important point that is neglected in many change projects: a change process has a beginning and an end. On the one hand, this means that a change process must be well prepared and is not spontaneously initiated on a whim. The “unfreezing”, which in the ADKAR model described later goes hand in hand with the creation of awareness for the change process, must not be neglected. On the other hand, a system must also be restored to a stable state after “freezing”.

Fig. 3.3 In Kurt Lewin’s model, “freezing” is at least as important as “unfreezing” in a change process. (Graphic: own representation)

3.2 A Leadership Coalition is Almost at the Beginning …

21

A never-ending process of change overwhelms employees. At first glance, this may sound like a contradiction to the thesis from the first chapter of this book that digitization is far from having reached its end. But it means that every single change process needs a goal and an endpoint towards which the project team, the management and, above all, the employees are working. But why is this so important? During a change process, a great deal is demanded of employees: they have to move out of their comfort zone, work overtime and adapt to new ways of working. As a rule, employees are only willing to share this extra effort if it is for a limited period of time that is clearly specified to them. Incidentally, this is also a reason why change processes should generally be initiated when a company is not already up against the wall. If staff is reduced and work is condensed, the additional work is often not well manageable through a change process, overburdens the employees and ultimately leads to far more employees turning away from the project. “In the vast majority of cases, a certain pressure to suffer or even real crises or variants thereof are decisive for triggering a change,” says Josef Wissinger in the book “Innovation in the Media”. “Some experts speak of up to 80% of changes being triggered by external pressure” (Kaiser 2015, p. 198). Other triggers are vision and insight. In these cases, the starting position is significantly better. New agile working methods as well as the continued rapid dynamics of digitalization are counterarguments for the stable state. Here, however, one must distinguish between projects and day-to-day business. While new projects are always being initiated in order to launch corporate publishing products or a data journalism project, a fixed structure is needed for the workflow in the newsroom as soon as it has started work. Of course, adjustments are made here as well, but preferably in evolutionary steps.

3.2

A Leadership Coalition is Almost at the Beginning: John P. Kotter’s Eight-Step Model

Another change management classic is the eight-stage model of the US scientist John P. Kotter, who teaches at the Harvard Business School (Fig. 3.4). Some aspects can be found in various models. A noteworthy aspect of Kotter’s model is the point of building a leadership coalition. In editorial departments, a deputy editor-in-chief is often specifically responsible for the digital channels. If he wants to implement changes, this means he has to look for allies. Of course, it is always crucial that superiors support the

22

3

Change Only Works with Management

Fig. 3.4 The US scientist John P. Kotter describes eight stages that should be considered in a change process. (Graphic: own representation)

change and also position themselves in the staff. But support is also needed at the same hierarchical level. The deputy editor-in-chief must win over advocates at the employee level and, in particular, also network with the other departments of a publishing house or a broadcasting station. For a digital product, for example, the deputy editor-in-chief has to win over the head of the advertising department just as much as the head of the marketing department and the head of sales. If the deputy editor-in-chief does not build a leadership coalition, he or she will lack the strength for a radical change process. John P. Kotter sees this leadership coalition as immensely crucial even in the initial phase: In successful change processes, this leadership coalition grows bit by bit. If it is not present from the beginning, the change process will peter out, Kotter believes. It is important to have the head of the company involved, plus the head of the department and another 5 or 15 or 50 employees—of course, depending on the size of the communications or marketing department or editorial team. In most successful examples, according to Kotter, this coalition is very powerful in terms of hierarchical level, prestige, information flow, networking and experience (see Kotter 1995, p. 62). For Kotter, the leadership coalition is so important that he sees it even before the development and communication of a vision or strategy. This, in turn, can of course also be criticized, since a change process—as described at the beginning of this chapter—only begins when a vision has been developed. Kotter’s eight steps can be worked through like a checklist in a change process, but can of course also be combined with other models and adapted to your own

3.3 Storytelling also Helps with Change: The 7 + 3 Change …

23

specific change project. An important aspect of Kotter’s approach, which is not found in all models, is to make short-term successes visible. Some change processes take a long time to prepare, but the change takes place in one fell swoop: This is the case, for example, with the introduction of a newsroom. Other projects drag on over a long period of time. Here it makes sense to make the small successes during the change process visible and also to celebrate them. Kotter believes that many employees are reluctant to commit to a change if success does not pay off after twelve months, or 24 months at the latest. According to Kotter, without celebrating short-term successes, too many give up during the change phase and do not stick it out to the end (see Kotter 1995, p. 65).

3.3

Storytelling also Helps with Change: The 7 + 3 Change Management Model Kaiser//Schwertner

The Kaiser//Schwertner 7 + 3 change management model starts with the challenge even before the change process (Fig. 3.5). Private media companies, for example, must develop new digital business models, public broadcasting must at least increase its reach to younger audiences, and in corporate communications,

Fig. 3.5 In the Kaiser//Schwertner 7 + 3 Change Management Model, the focus is on people. (Graphic: own representation)

24

3

Change Only Works with Management

it is necessary to establish direct and quickly usable channels to existing and potential customers. The model is structured in an agile way. The vision is developed from the challenge. How this works has already been explained as an example at the beginning of this chapter. This long-term goal is like a navigation device in a car: During the change process, you are repeatedly guided through side streets, you get stuck in traffic jams, maybe you even avoid an accident by changing your route at short notice—but the goal always remains in front of your eyes. Without a vision, it would be unclear where the media company is heading. On the other hand, it would be even more difficult to convince employees to join in, because they would not know why the change was needed in the first place. This leads to the next point in the 7 + 3 model. Every change needs a story. After all, the best way to communicate a vision is to tell a story to go with it. A story helps employees to internalize for themselves why the change process is being carried out. The story also helps the employee to explain, for example, to their own family members, why something should change in the company (see Kaiser et al. 2019, p. 25). Storytelling, which has a long tradition in journalism in the form of reportage, has also become popular in marketing and corporate communications, for example. In change management, too, it ensures that the often technocratic-sounding goals can be communicated more vividly. “It is advisable to tell the story with a protagonist. Whether the board of directors (at Apple, for example, Steve Jobs acted as a visionary) or an ordinary employee is suitable as a protagonist depends above all on the corporate culture and the charisma of the leader” (ibid.: p. 25). In the 7 + 3 model, this leads to the next point: As a perfectionist and technocratic as work packages are to be developed and processed in project management, the emotional side must not be neglected in change management. “Change processes work above all when employees are emotionally picked up and taken along” (ibid.: p. 26). The vision and storytelling must be naturally attuned to the emotions that are to be aroused. “This also means, however, that the face of a change process should be someone who allows and exudes emotion in themselves. Working through a change process like the order list for office supplies can therefore not work” (ibid.: p. 26). Of course, it is also important to pick up on the negative emotions of the employees. Here, professional and private things can definitely mix. An example: If a long-standing editor, who has always been passed over for promotions up to now, is appointed desk chief when a newsroom is introduced and his salary is increased in the process, at first glance there may be no reason to expect him to take a negative view of the change process. But perhaps he will no longer be

3.4 In the Beginning There is Consciousness: The ADKAR Model by Prosci

25

able to take his children to daycare early in the morning because of the change in working hours? Or maybe he fears that he will meet an unpleasant colleague at the desk more often in the future? Or maybe he sees his vocation in the fact that he likes to be out and about doing research and doesn’t want to spend the whole day in the office. Or maybe he doesn’t want to trade in his lovingly furnished workstation with photos of his wife and two children and his own coffee machine for a change of workstation. In change management, it is therefore also important to look at the personal side of the employee and to understand what is important to him. Once the vision has been developed, the storytelling is in place and the emotions have been aroused, it is time for implementation, the change period. This is followed by integration. The new ways of working, the new product or the new playout channel should be firmly anchored at the end. The 7 + 3 model connects the “freeze” phase of Kurt Lewin’s model (this is marked here by the thick solid bar) by an arrow to the next challenge. It thus resolves the criticism of Lewin’s model that there should never be stasis, but without giving up a stable intermediate state. After all, the newsroom introduced today may already have to evolve again in a year, because new challenges arise for the publisher, the broadcaster or the corporate communications or marketing department as a result of digitization. Significantly, the 7 + 3 model does not focus on the change process as such, which is usually led by a project manager, but on people. After all, change management literature repeatedly talks about the fact that at least 70% of all change processes fail. “Particularly in the case of change, there is a lot of human involvement, because people like to hold on to the tried and tested, are afraid of the new, and in change processes, there are often not only winners but also (perceived) losers, for example in terms of power and prestige” (ibid.: p. 19).

3.4

In the Beginning There is Consciousness: The ADKAR Model by Prosci

For example, when introducing a newsroom or new social media channels, the ADKAR model of the US company Prosci can be applied very well (Fig. 3.6). The model can be used for change processes in companies as well as for social or political changes. It is primarily used to identify where a change manager should start with the conception of his change management measures. The developers Jeffrey M. Hiatt and Timothy J. Creasey describe the model in particular as a planning tool (see Hiatt 2006, p. 131). It shows where an individual employee stands in the change process. Of course, this can vary depending on

26

3

Change Only Works with Management

Fig. 3.6 ADKAR is suitable for analysing where a change manager should start with measures. (Graphic: own representation)

the employee. Therefore, the different speeds of change management must also be taken into account. If, for example, Instagram is defined as the most important social media channel in the future, on which all local and regional news is played out first, the change process will most likely fail if you start with Instagram training for the editors in the field newsroom. After all, they don’t yet have any awareness of why Instagram should be relevant to them in the future. Nor do they have any desire to participate in the change process and post stories on Instagram in the future. They just see it as annoying extra work. Therefore, in this example, the first thing to do is to create awareness that Instagram is an important social media channel, that it also provides access to younger audiences, and that without cross-media ways of thinking, the classic business models of a publishing house will erode. This can be achieved soberly through user numbers of social media channels, perhaps through discussion rounds with young adults, perhaps through a visit of the local editorial team to the colleagues of the News-WG of the Bayerischer Rundfunk. The second step (Desire) goes a bit further by trying to get the employee to enjoy participating in the change process and posting on Instagram in the future. This can possibly be achieved by making it clear to the editor that the reach of

3.4 In the Beginning There is Consciousness: The ADKAR Model by Prosci

27

his message will increase immensely by staying up to date for the job market or simply having fun trying something new. It also answers the question, so to speak, of what benefit someone will personally gain from the change (see Hiatt 2013, p. 36). Only then should training follow as the third step (Knowledge). After that, the possibility must be also created to implement the new skills and ways of working (Ability). This means, for example, that editors must also be equipped with smartphones, a good data plan and external microphones, as well as being given the time to create a successful Instagram story during their external meetings. Last but not least, the change must be firmly anchored in the daily routine (Reinforcement) until it no longer seems to the editors that this is a new way of working (see Hiatt and Creasey 2012, pp. 33–38). Often the mistake is made to start with training for the employees during change processes without analyzing where they stand. As a result, the training is not used effectively to acquire new knowledge and skills.

4

What the Communications Industry Still Needs to Internalise

1. Innovators are not freaks or outsiders Innovators in the media house must by no means sit in their greenhouse with pasted-up Post-its walls, also called innovation lab or innovation laboratory, tinkering away and being smiled at by colleagues who do the routine day-today work. The goal to be achieved with an innovation team or lab must be determined early on. It is not expedient to integrate such a team just “because everyone has it”. The vision of such a project must be clearly defined. Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, for example, has its own Digital:Lab in Berlin, where experts research the trends of tomorrow. These think tanks must be given space to develop ideas and track downtrends. And that these innovation teams are also involved again in order to implement innovations. Here—as at VW in Wolfsburg with the innovators in Berlin—it could make sense not to push the creative people too far away. 2. Time for creative phases and not only for routine tasks Time pressure must not be an excuse. Rather, the management level must create free space to break away from routine tasks on certain days and to think creatively. This is valuable for the employee and the overall project. Especially in editorial offices and local radio stations, employees are driven by the daily routine due to staff shortages, and there is no time to be creatively involved beyond that. Through New Work processes, traditional working models will increasingly dissolve. This also includes the spatial situation: Multi Spaces, formerly open-plan offices, increase productive work in a creative atmosphere. Companies like Amazon or the tech company Treehouse have already moved to this and advocate a 4-day week. The idea here is to give employees freedom regarding their work (see https://www.businessinsider.de/tech/amazon© Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7_4

29

30

4 What the Communications Industry Still Needs to Internalise

30-stunden-woche-2016-8/, [Accessed 12.06.2020]). In a change process, one should be aware that free space must be created for creative developments and approaches. This must not be lost in the day-to-day business. 3. Breaking down boundaries between departments Breaking down departmental thinking, acting together as a whole company and breaking through old thinking and working patterns: this must be the motto for tackling change. Innovation comes about primarily through heterogeneous teams. Today, a change process rarely involves only the individual editorial manager but requires a unity of editorial, advertising and marketing departments as well as sales. The boundaries must be broken down more towards agile teams that work together individually depending on the innovation or change. The strict separation between publishing house, editorial office and advertising department, which continues to be absolutely justified for the day-to-day business with the independence of advertising customers for editorial contributions and is also laid down in the German Press Code, must not lead to a situation where change projects do not lead to working together on change. With regard to the classic distribution of roles, it should also be considered that this will have to be redefined in the future. One sentence by Julia Bönisch, the former online editorial director of sueddeutsche.de, particularly struck a chord with the print editors of the Süddeutsche Zeitung: “Instead, a new generation is stepping into the front row, one that defines itself much more as a manager and product head, one that no longer thinks only in terms of formats and texts, but in terms of workflows and processes” (https://www. journalist.de/startseite/meldungen/detail/article/wir-brauchen-gute-manageran-der-spitze-von-redaktionen.html, [Retrieved 13.06.2020]). Bönisch sees editorial directors as more managers than writers in the future. She is alluding to the fact that editorial teams will also have to think strategically and work on revenue models. One recommended way to promote cooperation between different teams and to learn from other areas is an away day with a focus on content: teams leave the office for one or two days and work on a content-related focus at a different location (see Vahs and Weinand 2013, p. 307). A brown-bag lunch can also be organized for cross-departmental work: This format takes place around lunchtime and combines food with informal exchange and knowledge transfer (see Stolzenberg and Heberle 2013, p. 118 ff.). 4. The user is part of the innovation team The reader, listener or viewer should be actively involved in the process; after all, the changes are being made primarily for them. In product development

4 What the Communications Industry Still Needs to Internalise

31

workshops according to the Design Thinking method, they play a central role. It is not a question of the new media product pleasing above all the culture manager or the editor-in-chief, but it must be used by the user. Only then can a media company remain economically successful in the long term. There is another reason why the user should be more involved in the future and no longer be acted upon according to the typical sender-receiver model: The user is active and wants to have a say, participate in discussions and make decisions. This has fundamentally changed in this direction due to the digital transformation. The user should be seen as a team member in order to be able to guarantee user-centric development. 5. The best competition is within your own company Creating innovations together and working across departments—these are the two key points for a successful change process (see also point 3). The innovation is usually already in the company, just in another department. This knowledge should not be seen as competition, but profitable for all. The Schwäbische Zeitung in Ravensburg, for example, has set up a Business Development department to develop new business models and prototypes (see https://www.bdzv.de/fileadmin/bdzv_hauptseite/aktuell/bdzv_branchendienste/ bdzv_intern/2019/36_2019/Teaser-Ausgabe_BDZV_Magazin_2019.pdf, p. 14, [Retrieved 12.06.2020]). First of all, therefore, the situation in the company must be closely examined to find out where there are synergies that could be exploited. This also means learning from the rookie mistakes of the Internet age: back then, media companies were very hesitant to bet on the Internet and therefore squandered the opportunity to continue to play a dominant role themselves in classified ads, such as cars or real estate. The initial strategy of offering editorial content online-only tentatively and often very late in order not to become a competitor to the print product also did not work out. 6. Only the second look is for monetization There are plenty of ideas for digital journalistic products, especially among the younger editorial staff. However, when it comes to monetizing digital content, publishers and media companies often face major problems if they were to implement the ideas. That’s why many good ideas are left in the drawer. Because the question of how to earn money with digital content is often unresolved. Before this question is answered, the first phase should be dedicated to trying things out and collecting ideas. For some products, it takes staying power. It would be wrong not to tackle innovations because they do not promise an immediate return. 7. The only constant is change

32

4 What the Communications Industry Still Needs to Internalise

The insight “The only constant in the universe is change” by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus is still relevant today. The complexity of circumstances is increasing, requirements of employees and also customers are changing and must be constantly queried and adapted. Technological innovations come along and change the product range. The world will continue to change towards a digital Ferris wheel that never stops. It is important that media companies get on a gondola in the Ferris wheel and continuously move with it. Change will always remain and never come to a standstill. Outdated patterns of thinking and doing need to be discarded, creating space for a culture that is shaped and supported by change. This requires not just one fighter in the company, but a unit that generates the ideas pushes them through and then implements them in the overall process. One thing remains to be mentioned: The Ferris wheel doesn’t turn by itself. It needs people who run it and push it, with energy, with innovations and with a lot of curiosity, so that it never comes to a standstill and the change is not stopped.

5

Change Communication

Communication during a change process should be given high importance because it is crucial for the course and success of the change. In the literature, employees are often referred to as the “affected parties” when it comes to change. When it comes to communication in general, change communication must not only follow the sender model. On the contrary, it is important to involve the recipient in its entirety in order to provide room for questions and comments from the sender and also to be able to react to them. In change communication, in particular, arguments are often based on facts. This is correct in the first place, but the emotional side of the employees should not be disregarded, because change is always an emotional topic that touches and can be very painful for the individual. It can make sense to prepare two versions of a message to be sent: one that appeals to rational employees and one that reaches more emotional employees. Before and also during the process, sufficient space should also be given to communication. This can be supported by regular events (such as workshops) and discussion platforms. Depending on the size of the change project, it must be planned that many questions may arise that need to be answered. To ensure that these questions do not end up in nirvana and can be answered satisfactorily, resources must be available to absorb this. In general, it can be said that change communication always relates to the respective change process and therefore always has a beginning and an end (see Deutinger 2017, p. 5). The following points provide an overview of what to consider and adhere to when communicating with employees and stakeholders: 1. Consistent communication on all channels

© Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7_5

33

34

5

Change Communication

Once the process has been established and the goal of the change has been defined, a unit should be identified within the company to create a communication concept. This should primarily be accompanied by the person responsible for the change process. Cooperation with the communications department or the marketing department is also conceivable. Communication should be strategically planned and coordinated so that a uniform line is followed. A suitable instrument for this is the creation of a communication concept in which the goals, target groups and implementation of the communication are clearly defined. The communication plan determines which measures are necessary to inform about the change. This also ensures that communication is consistent. The communication concept specifies: • Who is the target group that the change affects? • What is to be achieved by the respective communication? • Which media can be used to achieve the communication goals? • When will which message be communicated (it is advisable to create an additional schedule)? In the case of media companies, equal attention should be paid to employees and other stakeholders. Here, the communication concept should also be structured in several parts and include all target groups (an example of a communication plan can be found in Stolzenberg/Heberle 2013, p. 78). Media companies usually have several internal communication tools. This can be done via mail, newsletter, corporate blog or website. In the change process, it is important to clarify at the beginning which media will be used for which purpose. In addition, at the beginning of communication, an overview should be made of where which information is communicated and published. It is also important to consider by whom the message will be communicated. For this purpose, the term change communicator is usually used in the literature, who communicates the measures and changes. 2. The same information for every employee Once the communication concept has been created, it is possible to check which information was sent to which target group and when. Through the clear and uniform communication that is defined in the concept, it can be traced which information has gone out to the employees and other stakeholders and when. This is important because all employees should be provided with the same information at the same time. If this is not the case, rumors will quickly arise. 3. Proactive transparent communication prevents rumours

5

4.

5.

6.

7.

Change Communication

35

In the hallway, in the kitchenette or front of the building: networking among employees should not be underestimated. Rumors spread in an instant. To prevent this from happening, proactive communication is the best solution. Employees need to feel that they are always in the loop and informed of all developments and news that affect the change. Proactive communication is also a way to avoid rumors and false statements. If employees feel well informed, there will be no rumor-mongering. Transparency has already been mentioned under point 2. It is important to be open with regard to communication because employees must not have the feeling that something is being kept from them. Even if there is nothing new, this communicate A news item does not always have to be the starting point for communication. In change processes, in particular, it is often necessary to provide a general update on the goals and measures that have been achieved. This can be an interim report as well as a new message. It is not absolutely necessary to publish only success stories. The other way around: If you don’t hear anything for too long, rumors will also arise because it has not been communicated transparently that the project has simply not progressed any further. Communicate not only what but also why Even if the goal is clear to those responsible for the change process, it must also be communicated. Why are the changes on the agenda? What will change as a result? Why can the change also be positive for the employees? All these questions must be clarified. It is not enough just to communicate that a change is being implemented, the motives must also be comprehensible. Only then can employees identify with the change and support it. Communicating the way to the goal Assuming that an employee is aware of and has the desire for change and would like to actively contribute, then he must know how he can do this in the first place. What can each individual contribute to the change process should therefore be answered. Otherwise, you will lose motivated comrades-in-arms relatively quickly. Do not underestimate non-verbal communication The change communicator sets the drive in the change process. Therefore, he or she must also convince with his or her body language. Nonverbally, not only motivation and confidence can be conveyed, but above all the conviction and the advantage of the change, which must be transferred to the employees.

36

5

Change Communication

A communicator who does not stand behind the change and carries all its consequences with him cannot appear convincing. 8. Employees first instead of in the blog or the press There is nothing more unfortunate than employees reading about change projects in their own company in the press. This must be prevented at all costs, as employees should always hear the latest developments first. The information must be communicated internally in the first place before it is disseminated externally. 9. Multifaceted emotional situations that need to be addressed A change process is accompanied by different emotions: These can be astonishment and uncertainty in the first moment, states of shock up to moments of breathing a sigh of relief and tackling. The emotions can change abruptly, and it is therefore particularly important to act at the right time. According to Deutinger, a form of emotion management is also needed here: “Emotions as companions in change are—especially at the beginning—not directed against the change per se. They are an outlet that indicates how the individual or a group confronts uncertainty” (Deutinger 2017, p. 49). It is important to note that emerging feelings and emotional outbursts need to be addressed so that the process does not stall. Good change communication recognizes the phases in which employees are moving emotionally and picks up on them. 10. Participation creates acceptance Changes have to be talked about. Nowadays, we experience a majority of employees who want to participate and who, above all, want to help shape the process. Employees who speak and shape must also be given the space to talk about their experiences and emotions that they experience in the process. Participation works best through interactive formats such as world cafés or workshops. This also depends on the number of participants and the needs that are the focus of such a round.

6

Training Paths to Becoming a Change Manager

Academies, colleges and universities offer courses or degree programmes in change management. The FH Burgenland and the Austrian Institute of Management, for example, offer an MBA in Change Management & Leadership (www.fer nstudium.study). The course can be completed entirely online within 14 months. The E-Learning-Group, which organises the MBA, also has a shorter, four-month part-time diploma course variant “Change Management” in its programme. Private universities, in particular, have specific Master’s programmes, such as the Euro-FH in Hamburg with its distance learning programme “Business Coaching and Change Management” (www.euro-fh.de). The Fresenius University of Applied Sciences has the Master “Change Management and Decision Making” (www.hs-fresenius.de). The Steinbeis School of Management and Innovation combines the two areas of human resources management and change management in an MBA (www.steinbeis-smi.de). Unlike state colleges and universities, private providers charge tuition fees. Change management is more frequently integrated as a module in business administration courses in particular. Here, it is worth taking a look at the respective module handbook to see whether it is a focus or rather just a fig leaf. The subject can also be taken in part in media degree programmes. For example, the Nuremberg Institute of Technology regularly offers the elective course “Change Management in Editorial Offices and Corporate Communications” (www.th-nuernberg.de/technikjournalismus) in the Bachelor’s degree program in Technical Journalism/Technical PR, the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg offers the seminar “Change Processes in Media and Public Relations: Change Management, New Corporate Structures and Digital Product Development” (www.medien-ethik-religion.de) in the Master’s degree

© Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7_6

37

38

6 Training Paths to Becoming a Change Manager

program in Media-Ethics-Religion, and the Ansbach University of Applied Sciences also offers the seminars “Organization and Management” (www.hs-ansbac h.de) in the Master’s degree program in PR and Corporate Communications. Some universities also organise certificate courses for change managers through their further education institutes, for example, the University of Augsburg offers a ten-day certificate course for “Change Manager”, including the modules “Conflict Management for Change Managers” and “Project Management for Change Managers” (http://www.zww.uni-augsburg.de/). According to the Center for Continuing Education and Knowledge Transfer in Augsburg, the course is aimed at managing directors, HR staff, project managers, insolvency administrators and consultants. The prices of these advanced trainings vary strongly. In the high-priced segment are, among others, the St. Gallen Business School in Switzerland with a four-day change management seminar (https://sgbs.ch) or the Frankfurt School of Management and Finance (www.frankfurt-school.de). As a change manager certification, Prosci is recognized in the industry. The exam can be taken at various business schools around the world. In Germanspeaking countries, the TiBa Management School in Munich is licensed for this (www.tiba-business-school.de/change-management). Seminars are also offered in Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Essen, Frankfurt, Hanover and completely digitally. The three-day seminar, which concludes with a certification examination, focuses on the ADKAR model described in Sect. 3.4. Various tools are presented in a practice-oriented manner and discussed, for example, how to set up a communication plan, a coaching plan or a resistance management plan. Another certification for change managers is offered by the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP). Here you can acquire the socalled CCMP certificate (http://www.acmpgermany.de/). This stands for Certified Change Management Professionals. There are also other providers of seminars: From the academies of the chambers of industry and commerce to private academies or freelance trainers, there is a wide range of offers, which also vary in quality, duration and intensity. The Hamburg Media School has designed the seminar “Change Management in Editorial Offices” specifically for media professionals (www.hamburgmedia school.com/weiterbildung/digitaler-journalismus/changemanagement). However, it is only offered sporadically. The VDZ Academy also had a seminar of the same name in its programme. However, demand has not been very high so far (https:// vdz-akademie.de/). In Bavaria, the Academy of the Bavarian Press (Akademie der Bayerischen Presse) offers a course for journalists (www.abp.de), the Academy of the German Media (Akademie der Deutschen Medien) (formerly: Akademie des Deutschen Buchhandels) for media managers (www.medien-akademie.de).

6 Training Paths to Becoming a Change Manager

39

The Stuttgart Media University has established a further training course “Change Management and Organisational Development: Successfully Managing Change between Digitalisation and Agility” (www.hdm-weiterbildung.de). In order to network and share experiences, the German Institute for Change Processes and Digital Business Models organizes regular meetups as well as change breakfasts for digital transformation and lecture series (www.change-pro zesse.org). The headquarters of the non-profit association is Munich. However, the events take place nationwide and partly digitally. A large number of training and continuing education programs shows that the field of change management is becoming more professional. Just as traineeships, trainee programs and courses of study have been structured and established in journalism and corporate communications over the past decades, change management is becoming increasingly important, not least due to digitalization. Change management is establishing itself as an equal part alongside innovation management and project management.

What You Learned from This essential

• Change management makes a decisive contribution to the successful implementation of change projects in the media and communications industry. • With any change, in addition to project management, detailed planning must be done on how employees will be brought along and involved through change management. This is just as important as the planning of milestones, delivery items and work packages. • The introduction of a newsroom, new social media channels, increased corporate publishing or new paid content models are complex change processes. It is important to consider what this means for individual journalists and corporate communications staff. • Before a change is made, awareness of it should first be created and the desire of employees to participate in it should be awakened. Only then is training efficient and implementation promising. According to Prosci’s ADKAR model, the last step is anchoring. According to the 7 + 3 Change Management Model by Kaiser//Schwertner, storytelling and emotion can support the change process. • The first step in change communication is to identify stakeholders and draw up a communication plan. It is advisable to communicate as transparently as possible in order to avoid rumours.

© Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7

41

References

Deutinger, G. (2017). Kommunikation im Change. Erfolgreich kommunizieren in Veränderungsprozessen (2nd ed.). SpringerGabler. Doppler, K. & Lauterburg, C. (2014): Change Management. Den Unternehmenswandel gestalten (13. Aufl.). Frankfurt a. M.: Campus-Verlag. Grannemann, U., & Seele, H. (2016). Führungsaufgabe Change. Eine Roadmap für Führungskräfte in Veränderungsprozessen. SpringerGabler. Hiatt, J. (2013). Employee’s Survival Guide to change (3rd ed.). Prosci Research. Hiatt, J., & Creasey, T. (2012). Change Management. The People Side of Change (2nd ed.). Prosci Research. Hiatt, J. (2006): ADKAR: a model for change in business, government and our community. Fort Collins/USA: Prosci Research. Kaiser, M., Rückert, T., & Schwertner, N. (Eds.). (2019). Change in der Medien- und Kommunikationsbranche. Ein Leitfaden für Veränderungsprozesse und die digitale Zukunft. Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung. Kaiser, M. (2018): Newsroom und Newsdesk im Journalismus und in der Unternehmenskommunikation, in: Otto, K. & Köhler, A.: Crossmedialität im Journalismus und in der Unternehmenskommunikation. Wiesbaden: SpringerVS. Kaiser, M., & Sutor, S. (Eds.). (2017). Transforming Media. Neue Geschäftsmodelle in der digitalen Welt. Verlag Dr. Gabriele Hooffacker. Kaiser, M. (Ed.). (2015). Innovation in den Medien. Crossmedia, Storywelten, Change Management (2nd ed.). Verlag Dr. Gabriele Hooffacker. Kosta, C. (2016). Change Management. Das Praxisbuch für Führungskräfte. Carl Hanser Verlag. Kotter, J., & Rathgeber, H. (2017). Das Pinguin Prinzip. Wie Veränderung zum Erfolg führt. Droemer-Verlag. Kotter, J. (2011). Leading Change: Wie Sie Ihr Unternehmen in acht Schritten erfolgreich verändern. Verlag Franz Vahlen. Kotter, J. (1995): Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. In: Harvard Business Review. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Lauer, T. (2014). Change Management. Grundlagen und Erfolgsfaktoren (2nd ed.). Springer Gabler. Rohm, A. (Hrsg.) (2015): Change-Tools. Erfahrene Prozessberater präsentieren wirksame Workshop-Interventionen (6. Aufl.). Bonn: managerSeminare Verlag. © Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature 2022 M. Kaiser and N. Schwertner, Change Management In The Communications Industry, Springer essentials https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35960-7

43

44

References

Stolzenberg, K., & Heberle, K. (2013). Change Management. Veränderungsprozesse erfolgreich gestalten – Mitarbeiter mobilisieren. Vision, Kommunikation, Beteiligung, Qualifizierung (3rd ed.). Springer-Verlag. Vahs, D., & Weiand, A. (2013). Workbook Change Management. Methoden und Techniken (2nd ed.). Schäffer-Poeschel-Verlag. Von Hehn, S., Cornelissen, N., & Braun, C. (2016). Kulturwandel in Organisationen. Ein Baukasten für angewandte Psychologie im Change-Management. Springer-Verlag. Weiand, A. (2016): Toolbox Change Management. 44 Instrumente für Vorbereitung, Analyse, Planung, Umsetzung und Kontrolle. Stuttgart: Schäffer-Poeschel-Verlag.