By Mark Woods, Chartered PR professional and Director of Confident Communications
In organisations, we often talk about change as if it happens on a particular day. The new system goes live. The new structure is announced. The project team ticks a box.
For the people doing the work, that’s often when the change starts.
They’re the ones opening a new system on Monday morning with a job to do. They want to know why things are changing, what they need to do differently and who can help when they get stuck.
In my experience, a lot of change communications problems start right there. The project team has spent months getting ready for launch. Everyone else is trying to work out what it means for them.
Bring communications in while there’s still time to listen
There’s a line I’ve heard plenty of times on change programmes. “We just need to tell people.”
By that point, the decisions are made, the timetable is set and someone wants an all-staff email by Friday.
Bring your comms team in earlier and they can ask the questions your people will ask. Why are we doing this now? What will be harder at first? What happens if the new process gets in the way of doing my job?
Those questions can improve the plan itself. If you’re rolling out a new digital tool and a team tells you they’ll struggle to find time for training, you’ve learned something that could change how you roll it out. That’s a useful conversation to have while there’s still time to act on it.
I’ve written more about what an experienced change communicator can bring to that work. Why your change project needs a change communicator
Explain what will change on Monday morning
People want to know why the organisation is making a change. They also want to know what to do when they sit down at their desk or start their shift.
Take a move from shared drives to SharePoint. The project team might talk about modernising the way the organisation works. Fair enough. But if I’m trying to find the document I need for a meeting in ten minutes, I’ve got three questions. Where’s my file? Can I still use the old drive? Who can help if I can’t find it?
That’s where a good change communication plan earns its keep. Give people the reason for the change, then show them what it means for the work they do every day. A short demo or a team briefing can answer questions an all-staff announcement will never get to.
Keep talking when you’re still working things out
It’s tempting to wait until you have all the answers. Meanwhile, people are already talking about what they think is going to happen.
Say what you know. Be clear about what’s still being decided. Tell people when they’ll hear from you again. Then make sure they do.
Give line managers time to ask their own questions before they brief their teams. And when people raise a concern, go back to them with an answer or tell them what you’re doing to get one. If their feedback changes the plan, say so. That’s how people know it was worth speaking up.
What should a change communication plan include?
If I’m putting a plan together, these are the five things I want it to cover.
Why the change is happening. Give people a reason they can explain in their own words.
What it means for each team. Spell out what colleagues need to do differently, when and where they can get help.
Who people will hear from. Senior leaders can explain the decision. Line managers can talk through what it means for their team.
How you’ll listen and respond. Give people a way to ask questions and make sure someone follows up.
What happens after launch. Keep sharing updates and use the questions people ask to see where they need more support.
You’ll know the communication is helping when the questions start to change. People go from “Why are we doing this?” to “How do I make this work for my team?” That tells you where to spend your time next.
So if you’re planning a change, bring comms in while there’s still room to shape it. Keep talking after launch and make time to listen when people start doing things differently. That’s when you find out what’s working.
At Confident Communications, we help organisations across the UK plan and deliver change communications, from digital transformation to new ways of working. If you’ve got a change coming up and want to talk through how to bring your people with you, get in touch with Confident Communications.
