The internal comms pro’s guide to equipping their companies for change

In an uncertain economic and political environment, the gentle breeze preceding the winds of change is always in the back of a communicator’s mind. Whether it’s a reorganization announcement, a leadership change or a merger, communicators need to be ready to create messaging about the implications of these types of moves. By determining what messages employees need to know most and equipping managers with the tools to discuss changes on a more granular, team-based level, internal communicators can confront major changes with poise.

Steph Lund, CEO of M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment, said that when handling internal changes, she takes special care to ensure that there’s always a focus on the company’s larger aspirations.

“In my experience with these types of transitions, the leadership team and managers need to maintain focus on the core work during these milestones,” Lund said. “While internal changes must be carefully considered and strategically planned, it is crucial to avoid becoming overly distracted by internal discussions that could cloud or compromise the integrity of the work itself.”

Elements in the change communications toolbox

Like any great craftsperson, a top-flight communicator knows what tools and strategies are at their disposal. More importantly, they know which ones to use at the right moment.

Megan Weekes, chief marketing officer at Speekes, told Ragan that there are three major tools that every change comms expert needs to have at their disposal.

• A detailed timeline of the changes. Weekes said that every person who’s part of a company’s larger comms matrix needs to be briefed about upcoming changes and given materials outlining what is going to happen and when. For many companies, that means meeting with managers and equipping them to customize talking points for their teams. “Respect those closest to the change with your strategy,” she said. “Employees should never find out about a change at their organization from anyone other than their colleagues. Your timeline needs a precise method of delivery, a communicator to break the news and a target group well in advance of sharing anything.”
• A key message document. When change does happen, it can be a whirlwind for both those announcing and receiving the news. Weekes said that an easily referenced document clearly outlining the changes should be distributed to managers in concert with any announcement. “This allows everyone to have the same information from the outset,” she said. “Allowing for variance and style can work, but getting details wrong even unintentionally can be damaging to the culture. You need everyone singing from the same songbook.” This means standardizing the larger message with managers and providing guidance on what needs to be shared and what parts of the message can be customized. Communicators should meet with managers to go over this process for clarity and explicitly state this in any guidance sheets.
• A Q&A document. Major changes are bound to bring about a lot of questions from employees. Weekes said every company should provide those charged with sharing the information with a question-and-answer sheet to help guide their responses. “Your leaders and managers will benefit from a playbook to help them answer questions both quickly and effectively,” she said.

Empowering leaders and managers

While comms pros are often the originators of a company’s change messaging, they’re not always the ones ultimately sharing it with employees. Christy Noland, vice president of executive and business communications at Elevance Health, has worked on communications through many change events, including mergers and acquisitions. She said that hands-on training and walking through materials with managers and leaders ahead of time will make transitional talking points smoother.

“Give your managers and leaders discussion guides, email templates and walk-around decks to make sure that messaging is consistent,” Noland said. “Training sessions, briefing calls and manager toolkits will help leaders anticipate tough questions and address concerns. Importantly, it’ll also help them engage their teams.”

She added that the time to distribute these materials is as far in advance as possible to ensure that everyone is on the same page. She recommends setting up partnerships with key departments including legal and HR so each function of the business can interpret and distribute the news to their teams.

“By engaging early, communications can assess cultural differences, identify potential friction points and craft messaging that unifies employees under a shared vision,” Noland said.

Keep all eyes on the prize

No matter the change being announced, communicators need to take special care to ensure that the focus remains on the ultimate business goals of the organization.

Lund added that communicators should engage in two-way dialogue with managers to help them customize communication to their teams. With managers as the closest touchpoint for many employees, this can help ground communication and avoid uncertainty.

“Employees need to feel they’re part of the change,” she said. “If the communication around it is lofty and feels dissociated from the functional health of the company, employees are bound to feel unsettled.”

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.