The three golden rules of acceptance communication

Everything’s above board. That’s enough, isn’t it?! 

Legitimacy is not enough. Just because a managing director is formally authorised to order an internal reorganisation, or because a construction project has been legally approved, this is by no means a guarantee of the project’s success. Even if decisions are legitimate and formally binding, change processes must at the very least be accepted by all those affected and all stakeholders if they are not to fail. It is even better if those involved actually agree to the change and support it. This applies both to internal company processes and to high-profile projects.

Acceptance requires participation

Public engagement or change communication can significantly promote acceptance of change processes and new projects. It is successful when it enables genuine participation by the people affected and stakeholders in the process. If checklists of measures are merely ticked off mechanically and project communication is treated as a necessary chore, genuine participation cannot be achieved. Communication is not an end in itself. It is successful when people feel well-informed and involved, not when a project organiser thinks they have communicated well.

Thinking and feeling from a human perspective 

“When we develop a communication strategy, we therefore do not merely determine how affected stakeholders should be appropriately involved. We also ask: what needs to be done to make people feel that they are genuinely involved?”, explains Schrott.

Three golden rules for communication that gets through

1. Communicate on an equal footing!
   Fundamental, but by no means trivial: people need to feel understood and taken seriously. This requires communication on an equal footing – in the language people actually use (keyword: dialect!), in a suitable setting and with a sincere attitude. Otherwise, a sense of helplessness can quickly take hold, based on the perception that ‘the man in the street’ is no match for ‘those at the top’.
    

2. 
   Create more transparency! Providing information in a timely, understandable and honest manner builds trust. Project organisers and decision-makers would do well to keep stakeholders continuously updated on a project’s progress and to provide them with the information they need and can understand. We know from experience that when it comes to complex issues, such as digitalisation or the energy transition, people need very comprehensive and reliable information. By sharing knowledge and disclosing information about a project, people are given the chance to form their own opinions.

    

3. Allow participation!
   When those affected can help shape and support a process themselves, it is more likely to gain acceptance. Participation can mean contributing to the content and having a say in the process’s direction, or it can involve financial participation in a project, such as in community-owned wind farms. The project sponsor or a company’s management board must be prepared to genuinely allow those involved to bring about changes to the project.
   But be careful! Project sponsors must not make the mistake of giving stakeholders the false impression that they have a say. Anyone who first seeks people’s opinions, surveys them and identifies their wishes, but then fails to take these findings into account in the process, forfeits their credibility. “Well-intentioned participation that is not transparently incorporated into the process comes back like a boomerang and undermines people’s trust in the project developer,” warns Dr Karin Schrott.