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RUSHMORE
UNIVERSITY
Organizational Change: Communication
Plan
By: Joseph Petschl

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Step 1:
Preapproving the Change

Change Agents would explain why the change needs to

occur.
1.

Rushmore needs to generate more money

2.

Distance learning in trending upward

3.

The president has a lot of IT background.

4.

Rushmore already has an extensive Tech Department.

5.

Expand their programs globally.

6.

Increase the amount of programs offered.

7.

Could hire teachers from around the world.

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Step 1:
Preapproving the Change

Since Rushmore is looking to really expand its network

of people to provide education too, it will need to
recruit new, retain, replace, and remove employees in
order to have the change be successful.

The technology it will take to accomplish the change

could already be handled internally.

Rushmore encourages upward education and distance

learning is becoming the new learning norm.

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Step 2:
Developing the Need for
Change
Employees will be receiving emails dictating what kind
of change will be needed in order to progress into the
ultimate goal.
1.

Training sessions to learn new technologies that will

make it possible to teach distance courses.

2.

Language barriers, Rushmore faculty will take classes

to learn to deal with other languages.

3.

Being positive via technology to energize students in

very key.

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Step 2:
Developing the Need for
Change
The company will have an online blog that employees
can view to see the details of the organizational
change. They will be able to comment and give
feedback on a daily basis.

The company can at this time give the updates on the

change process and keep them informed on the gap
analysis.

Employee participation is very crucial to ensure they

are staying up to date on the changes. Rushmore will
be checking employee participation on the blogs to
make sure they are commenting either positively or
negatively to what is happening.

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Step 2:
Developing the Need for
Change
Telephone calls will also be made to answer employee
questions and better explain the change process.

This is where employees can ask questions directly to

eliminate confusion.

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Step 2:
Developing the Need for
Change
Through the Blog, Emails, and Telephone Calls the
need for change will be clearly identified and show a
strong rationale for the idea of change.

A sense of urgency to grow as a company and show

awareness for needing to change will keep the
employees from resisting the change process.

Being open to questions and suggestions makes the

employees feel involved and gives them less reasons to
combat the change.

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Step 3:
Midstream Phase

Every Tuesday and Friday management will be meeting

to discuss employee participation on the blog. They will
determine if employees are trying to change.

On those days they can decide if any alterations in the

process need fixing based off the progress of the
employees.

Personal follow up calls and emails can inform

employees of their progress and the company progress.

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Step 3:
Midstream Phase
GAP ANALYSIS

Showing the present state of success to the desired

state of success. Employees should know the
expectations to continue improving reach their full
potentials as individuals and as a group.

This analysis will be very detailed and show all parties

where the organization can improve in the change
process. It is meant to be educational to ultimately
show progress.

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Step 3:
Midstream Phase
FEEDBACK

Throughout the process, management needs to hear directly

from the employees what they think of the change and how it is
currently going. Even if management believes it to be going
good or bad, by knowing how current employees feel can be a
good success indicator.

Feedback can be seen on the blogs, email replies, the telephone

calls, in the GAP analysis, and in person.

Clarify any questions employees might have through the process

to keep improving.

Gathering opinions helps management in future change

opportunities down the road.

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Step 4:
Celebration Phase

Leaders of the change process will have to communicate the successes

and failures of the current process.

As successes are being made, it is important that the managers

freeze those successes into the employees to continue on their
improvements.

Measure failures and successes through

1.

Student satsfaction surveys

2.

Instructor satisfaction surveys

3.

Number of distance learning students enrolled

4.

Increase in school revenues

All of these will show that change is necessary

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Step 4:
Celebration Phase

Communicating the accomplishments and showing

thanks for the efforts is very key.

These need to be communicated on a group and

individual level through the same communication
strategies

1.

Blogs

2.

Email

3.

Telephone

4.

And in person

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How This Communication Plan
Can Effect Change

This communication plan is very effective because it

shows the employees why the organization is changing.

They are showing genuine care and concern for the

employees by keeping them up to date on the changes
through email, blogs, phone calls, and in person.

Rushmore wants their employees involved and

participating in the process and consistently providing
feedback.

The willingness Rushmore is showing to work with

employees will make it less likely for employees to
resist the change.

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References
Cawsey, T., Deszca, G. & Ingols, C. (2012). Organizational change. Retrieved from The University of
Phoenix eBook Collection database.
Image of change metaphor.(2015).Retrieved from http://www.slidegeeks.com/powerpointtemplates/8811-change_metaphor_powerpoint_templates_and_powerpoint_backgrounds_0511/?
SESSID=7kb5or25kgc37iee46jrvv87n4
Hanover Research. (2011, February). www.hanoverresearch.com.
Retrieved from http://www.hanoverresearch.com
Spector, B. (2013). Implementing organizational change: Theory and practice. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education Inc.