As people in the US await the inauguration of Barack Obama as their new President, there's a strong sense (and feeling of great excitement for many) that a new era is just around the corner.

But the change that a new leader brings can also result in tension and anxiety. Especially in a small business community where the impact is likely to be great.

"The role of communicators is key to help ensure this transition is as smooth as it can be and to help quash the inevitable rumor mill," says Sally Hinder, consultant and new trainer for Melcrum's Black Belt internal communication program.

Below are Hinder's 9 best-practice tips, from an article on the Internal Comms Hub, about how communicators can facilitate a smooth introduction of a new leader into their organization.

1. Ensure the new leader is visible early on, both face to face and via other channels, such as the intranet and newsletters. People want to see the new leader early on.
   
   
2. Find out the new leader's preferred communication style as soon as you can, so you can work with them on it.
   
   
3. Plan a schedule for them to include face-to-face meetings with staff, interviews in magazines, an online presence and so on. Depending on the size of the organization this may include lunch meetings, large-scale roadshows, newsletters, intranet site and television interviews.
   
   
4. Be their eyes and ears. People can be reluctant to be candid with a new leader and leaders may not feel they're getting a true sense of what’s really going on in an organization. They need someone who can be their trusted advisor.
   
   
5. Coach the leader to be careful about not criticizing the old way of doing things. People will expect change to happen but may be quite protective about the old way of doing things, so caution the leader to tread carefully in this regard. Think about how gracious the US Presidential candidates were towards each other and try to incorporate that into any communication regarding old ways of doing things.
   
   
6. Manage people's expectations in terms of what they can expect to hear and when.
   
   
7. Provide briefing notes for the new leader – again, something a new President can expect to receive from the existing administration.
   
   
8. Enable employees to get to know the new leader's personality – publicize what they like to do in their spare time, and information about their background.
   
   
9. One new CEO held many meetings with staff and asked key questions at each one including – "What should we preserve?", "What do you most hope I change?", and "What are you most worried I might do?" This encouraged open conversation and helped form the plan for his changes.

Until next time,

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The Source for Communicators is a free resource for corporate communicators from Melcrum Publishing.
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