Internal communicators are the next wave of change leaders

Alyssa Towns is a freelance writer.

The next generation of change leaders will not be highly specialized management consultants that organizations hire to lead episodic change transformations — they will come from internal communications. 

Ready or not, a foundational understanding of change management and applying its concepts to company communications are becoming core skills for internal communications professionals. 

As more companies face constant disruption, they rely on communicators to share essential business changes with internal audiences. This isn’t easy for comms pros, but it is necessary. The good news is that they’re uniquely positioned to become the next wave of change leaders. 

The shift from change initiative to constant change

Gone are the days of siloed and highly structured change initiatives in organizations. The accelerated rate of change is disrupting businesses globally, highlighting the need to shift away from viewing change activities as occasional large-scale transformations in favor of preparing for a state of constant evolution. 

In 2024, Accenture reported that the rate of change had risen sharply since 2019, up 183% over the previous four years and 33% alone during the last year, based on findings from their Pulse of Change: 2024 Index.  

Nadya Zhexembayeva suggests that supporting a constant state of reinvention and ongoing transformation requires rewriting “psychological contracts” between employees and organizations to thrive in perpetually turbulent times. 

This shift involves reshaping cultural behaviors and attitudes to build employee trust. And it also opens the door for internal communicators to become the next wave of change managers to support these ongoing efforts. 

Why internal communicators are the change agents 

Internal communication alone isn’t enough to lead to the successful adoption and sustainment of change, as a proper change management plan includes more than communication tactics. However, with constant change at the forefront of daily operations, internal communicators are inherently becoming change communicators, with or without the formal support of a change management plan. They simply don’t have a choice.

From endless layoff announcements to evolving government regulations, including DEI changes, astonishing declines in employee engagement, and RTO mandates, there’s a lot to communicate about, and an unrivaled level of change occurs nearly daily. 

Internal communicators are uniquely positioned to address this constant change and its challenges. Their expertise in crafting compelling narratives and deep understanding of their organization’s inner workings and culture enables them to translate complexity. They’re equipped to transform planned and unplanned changes into relatable, empathetic stories that resonate across communication channels that they already know work. 

To do this, leaders must view them as strategic partners and trusted experts at humanizing change for employees and driving business results.

Practical strategies for internal communicators rising to the occasion

Whether ready or not, many internal communicators find themselves in the midst of supporting change and taking the lead on invaluable communications efforts. Below are practical strategies you can adopt in these high-stakes environments:

• Support cascading communications with an emphasis on manager preparation. Prosci’s research suggests that most people have preferences about who they want to hear from during change, and in most cases, they want to hear about change-related impacts on their work from their direct manager. In addition to optimizing all staff messaging, internal communicators have an opportunity to create cascading communication systems that equip the right people with the necessary information they need to succeed. For example, that might include creating manager FAQ guides with in-depth information for every change and distributing them days before the all-staff message. Ensuring managers have the opportunity to adjust to the change and ask questions they have about it before they have to answer to their team members can help build trust between senior leaders and managers and between managers and their reports.

• Establish employee-driven feedback loops and hold leaders accountable. More than ever, creating continuous feedback mechanisms and space for transparent dialogue is critical. Employee-driven feedback loops allow team members to voice their concerns, share insights and feel heard. Internal communicators can be the bridge between these groups. Consider leading partially structured listening sessions with small groups of employees. Capture employee feedback and conversations, and then work with leaders to hold them accountable for responding to or, at minimum, acknowledging receipt of feedback.
• Use your voice to foster a culture of transparency. One significant advantage in-house internal communications professionals have during change is the delicate balancing act of being inside and outside the change. Internal communicators are often “in it” because they feel impacted and outside because they may have a helping hand in communicating the change. If you’re helping communicate a change and have questions, spot dependencies or anticipate how others might feel upon receiving the message, use your voice to bring these concerns and considerations forward. It can relieve your discomfort and better prepare leaders for scenarios they may not be able to spot.  

As organizations continue to face rapid changes, the role of internal communicators has become mission-critical. Their ability to craft compelling narratives, facilitate open communication, and serve as the bridge between leadership and employees positions them as the next wave of essential change leaders across workplaces.