Tips for leading change as a higher education communicator. Presented to the PRSA International Conference in Oct. 2008.

1. “The Transformation of Public
Relations in Higher Education”
PRSA International Conference
Joseph Brennan, Ph.D., APR
Associate Vice President for University
Communications
University at Buffalo
October 27, 2008

2. Transformation of HE-PR
• What are we becoming?
1. Less tactical, more strategic
2. New organizational structures
3. New communications realities

3. What is Public Relations?
What it seems to be:
Sending out press releases, writing speeches,
producing brochures, publishing web sites,
organizing events …
What it really is:
A management function that seeks to
identify, build and maintain mutually
beneficial relationships between an
organization and all of the publics on whom
its success or failure depends.
- Cutlip, Center and Broom

4. Leading the HE-PR Function
• The old challenge:
getting your boss to understand the new way.
• The new challenge:
getting your staff to understand –
and practice – the new way.

5. Tools for Leaders
• A network of support and mentoring
– PRSA Counselors to Higher Education
• Advanced education
– MBA, or Master’s in Communications Mgmt
• Ability to manage change
– John Kotter’s 8-step model

6. Change Management
• Some definitions:
1. The task of managing change
• Making changes in a planned, managed,
systematic way
• Responding to changes in a proactive,
anticipative way
2. A professional practice
3. A body of knowledge
4. A means for controlling change
- Fred Nickols

7. The Main Problem
• “The central issue is never strategy, structure,
culture or systems…
The core of the matter is about changing the
behavior of people …and that happens mostly
by speaking to people’s feelings.”
- John P. Kotter
See – Feel - Change

8. Kotter’s 8 Steps
1. Increase urgency
2. Build the guiding team
3. Get the vision right
4. Communicate for buy-in
5. Empower action
6. Create short-term wins
7. Don’t let up
8. Make change stick

9. 1. Increasing Urgency
• SHOW the need for change.
• Appeal to emotions – not just reason.
• You don’t need a burning platform.
• You don’t need to be the head person.

10. 2. Build the guiding team
• Show your enthusiasm and commitment to
recruit the right people.
• Work on building trust and teamwork.
• Run good meetings.
• Avoid complex governance structures – or
reliance on one charismatic individual.

11. 3. Get the vision right
• Good visions are:
– Clear
– Moving
– Bold
• Stay positive
• Watch out for overly linear, purely rational or
financial approaches

12. 4. Communicate for buy-in
• Talk about your vision and strategies.
• Help people visualize the desired state.
• Pay attention to emotions.
• Acknowledge fear, anxiety, distrust – and work
to overcome them.
• Over-communicate.
• Walk the talk.

13. 5. Empower action
• Identify and remove obstacles, such as:
– Disempowering bosses
– Lack of information
– Measurement and reward systems that reinforce
the wrong behaviors
– Lack of self-confidence

14. 6. Create short-term wins
• Go for some small victories, quickly.
• Try to find short-term wins that are:
– Unambiguous
– Meaningful
– Attractive to those who are skeptical
– Relatively cheap and easy
• You are building momentum – don’t worry
about achieving everything all at once.

15. 7. Don’t let up
• Keep the waves of change coming until the
vision is a reality.
• Keep the urgency up (show-feel-change).
• Eliminate tasks that don’t help the vision.
• Take on the embedded behaviors (and people)
who are holding you back.
• Be patient and persistent.

16. 8. Make change stick
• Embed the new behaviors in the culture of the
organization.
• Keep telling stories about how and why the
new way is working.
• Use employee orientations and performance
management to shape behaviors.
• Keep reinforcing the culture.

17. Kotter’s 8 Steps
1. Increase urgency.
2. Build the guiding team.
3. Get the vision right.
4. Communicate for buy-in.
5. Empower action.
6. Create short-term wins.
7. Don’t let up.
8. Make change stick.

18. Conversation-starters
• What do you think about “See-Feel-Change”?
• How might you use the 8-step model?
• Which steps seem easiest? Hardest?
• Has anyone applied this model – and how did
it work out?

19. Thanks for your attention.
Joseph Brennan, Ph.D., APR
Associate Vice President for University
Communications, University at Buffalo
October 27, 2008