We're making waves

If you asked most people where Tunisia is, they probably couldn’t find it on a map. A few months ago, I raised my hand when presented with the opportunity to venture there to help with an economic development project. At Pivot, we believe in helping others. It’s a part of who we are.

Tunisia is a predominantly Muslim country located in the very northern part of Africa, tucked between Libya and Algeria. Relatively new to democracy, transitioning from a dictatorship nine years ago, the country has been focused on growing its economy. I traveled to Tunisia to support that effort by helping 18 business centers improve communications and with a goal of supporting entrepreneurs, helping them find funding, and sustaining growth over time.

It’s that time of year – whether it’s because we’re watching the weather forecasts and bracing for the worst or digging into budgets and annual planning – many of our clients are dusting off their crisis management plans and are looking to upgrade or start fresh. 

There’s been no shortage of high-profile corporate incidents and executive mishaps this year (I won’t name names). Crises happen to even the most prepared and well-meaning organizations. However, it’s still surprising to see the number of Fortune 500 companies that experience a crisis and respond in a less than favorable way. When a highly public crisis hits, it becomes easy to spot which companies were caught completely unprepared. Whether it’s an inability to identify what happened, talk about the crisis or take quick actions to make things right, or simply a misguided or flubbed media response (cringe!).

As school begins, it’s a good reminder for all of us grown-up kids to get back to the basics. Clear and effective communications are critical to helping people through a change. As we manage change, we should not expect people to do things differently if they were not aware of new expectations in the first place. I know I’m stating the obvious here, but sometimes we need a reminder of the immense importance of communications in managing change. We do everything we can to deliver the best communications possible to our stakeholders, though at times, we miss the mark.

What does it mean to work in Organizational Change Management (OCM)? It is a question that comes up weekly if not daily for those in our field. The easy answer: we help with the people side of change. Navigating through changes successfully happens when we are able to help individuals make a personal transition from a current to a future state.

Like many change professionals, I practiced organizational change management before I knew that it was a profession in itself. After leading change initiatives in the education industry, I began looking for tools that would help me more effectively plan these messy, large-scale organizational change efforts. Through connections, I learned of the Minnesota Change Management Network and subsequently, the well-regarded Prosci certification.

Hi, my name is Stacia Nelson, Founder and CEO of Pivot Strategies. In 2015, my husband Dan had just quit his communications job to pursue a career in nursing. With an 11-month old daughter, our plan was for me to hold down the fort with my corporate communications job until Dan finished school. Much to our surprise, a month later I was included in the major layoffs at Target. I shared the news on social media, and was fortunate to receive interest from past coworkers to consult on a couple of projects with them. At first I was apprehensive…but opted to try it. I lucked out with three amazing first clients: Nike, American Express and Cargill. I found that I LOVE consulting. And, it was mutual, because the clients were happy with the work.