Post-Change Communication Effectiveness

Every time I write up an org-wide communication related to major changes, I consistently apply the lessons that I learned from Annie Christiansen and Kathy Gowell during my time working with them at MuleSoft/Salesforce. Spending most of my early and middle career in more technical roles, my communication style had a tendency lean towards the technical (and wordy). Annie and Kathy did an amazing job helping me step back and reframe my communications to be focused, prioritize the crucial information first, and apply empathy (we're not all engineers in the tech world). I've templated, to a large degree, the key messaging points I picked up from them • What's happening? (𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵) • What does this mean for me? (𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥? 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰?)  • Why is this happening? (𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵!) • I still have questions, where should I bring them to? (𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘴, 𝘦𝘵𝘤) These four stanzas are present in nearly 99% of my major comms. They work when updating the staff about major security threats (such as vishing/smishing campaigns), changes to org-wide systems (such SSO/MFA improvements), and so much more. Most importantly, bring empathy to all comms. Try, as best as you can, to put yourself on the receiving end of the communication you're sending and challenge yourself with the question "is the information framed in a way that I and my peers would feel informed & engaged if we were the recipients"

We communicated the change. Why isn’t it sticking? Or worse, why is there so much resistance? One of the most common and costly mistakes I see in change initiatives is this: → A big decision is made → It’s announced confidently at a town hall → Then… silence. For weeks and sometimes months. Eventually, it’s time to deliver. Urgency kicks in, and leaders start pushing for progress but the team is still operating on different assumptions. Sound familiar? It wasn’t because the decision was poorly communicated. It was a false finish line. The belief that once something is said once or twice, clarity is created and the job is done. But in reality, that silence gets between the announcement and action gets filled with second-guessing, fear and politics. High-performing teams treat communication differently. They accept that clarity doesn’t emerge on its own. It’s a leadership behaviour, a habit and a system. Here’s what they do instead: → Revisit and reaffirm direction more often than they update decks → Create space for questions, not just announcements → Build clarity into team rhythms, not just rely on “good messaging” → Never assume the message was interpreted the same way by everyone And sometimes, it’s as simple as asking: “Before we move on, what assumptions are we each making right now? Here’s what I heard. Is that what you meant?” That kind of check-in has prevented potentially months of misalignment for leadership teams I’ve worked with. Clarity is never a one-off event. It’s something leadership teams create together, repeatedly, and visibly. Have you seen this play out before? Let me know what worked and what didn’t. #clarity #changemanagement #communications #leadership #performance #success Lily Woi Coaching Limited

Too often, I see organizations treat change management like a box to check. A big announcement, a training session, and then done. But real change doesn’t work that way. True transformation requires: – Ongoing assessment – Adaptation – Reinforcement Without continuous effort, old habits creep back in, resistance builds, and the change fades. Here’s what effective change management looks like: ✅ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → People need clarity, not just at the start but throughout the process. ✅ 𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 → Training once isn’t enough. Reinforcement helps teams adapt and sustain new behaviors. ✅ 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 → Success isn’t set in stone. Organizations must listen, measure progress, and adjust as needed. ✅ 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → Real change becomes part of how a company operates, not just a project with an end date. If you want change to last, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭. The best organizations don’t just manage change. They embrace it as a way of working.

In change communications, empathy is king! Change is everywhere. It always has been. But I don't remember a time where it seemed so rampant, so ever-present. I've led, supported, and fixed a lot of communications during times of change. I've been on the developing end, the sending end, the receiving end, and the reacting end. Communications is key through all change. Only the most bone-headed don't realize that. (Remember - change communications and change management are NOT the same thing. That's a post for another day.) Change is hard, even "positive" change. But when it's negative (or perceived to be negative) change can be practically debilitating. The best messages, the best communications, the best leaders acknowledge this and respect this. They have and show empathy. What don't they do? ❌ Confess that this is the hardest thing they've had to do (Really? Are you losing your job?) ❌Refer to the company as family (Thanks Keith Berman for the reminder of how icky that feels) ❌Insist that "we're all in this together (Really? Planning to pay everyone's bills?) ❌Say that they know how you feel (No, they don't, and they know it) Here's what the good ones do: ✔️ Thank people for all they did, do, and will continue to do. ✔️Update regularly with information. ✔️Admit to not knowing everything and committing to sharing when they do have information. They follow through. ✔️Commit to being accessible to answer questions. Provide resources with information. ✔️Offer help and mean it. Change is hard. Real empathy in change communications and from leaders makes it a little more bearable.

If you're leading a multi-store retail business, one thing is certain: execution is only as strong as the clarity of communication. The challenge? Messages don’t always travel cleanly from HQ to the field. Strategy may be well thought out at the top, but if it’s not translated effectively—or if front-line teams aren’t allowed to raise concerns—it won’t hold up where it matters most: on the sales floor, with customers. The best-run multi-store organizations don’t just push communication down; they build feedback into the system. Store teams are on the front lines every day. They see problems before reports do. They know what’s getting in the way of execution. The smartest leaders don’t just dictate—they listen. When store managers, district leaders, and regional heads all feel empowered to flag issues and share insights, execution improves. ➡️ How to Make Communication Drive Execution It’s not just about being heard—it’s about closing the loop so the field knows their feedback changes outcomes. Here’s how to make communication work: -Regular, structured store manager calls with an open Q&A built in. These shouldn’t just be corporate updates—allow time for discussion and problem-solving. -Post-initiative reviews. What worked? What didn’t? What needs fixing before scaling? No rollout should be “one and done.” -Visit recaps that include field-raised issues and the follow-up plan. Acknowledge the feedback and communicate what’s happening next. -Anonymous feedback channels for teams who may hesitate to speak up in a meeting. -Recognition for those who surface problems and offer solutions. People need to see that speaking up makes an impact. ➡️ Know Your Audience: Does Communication Change Based on Generations? Yes, but not in the way most people assume. It’s less about what you say and more about how you deliver it. Younger workers want short, clear, visual communication. Overly corporate emails are often ignored. Quick videos or task-based platforms like Slack or Teams work better. If you ask for their feedback and do nothing with it, they’ll disengage quickly. Older workers may be more comfortable with traditional formats—emails, meetings, calls—but they also expect direct, clear communication and appreciation for their experience. ➡️ The Bottom Line Multi-store retail doesn’t break because of bad ideas. It breaks when execution is blocked by unclear direction, assumptions, and a lack of feedback loops. If you want better performance, better customer experiences, and stronger results, create communication that moves in both directions. Because in the multi-store world, if the message doesn’t land—or if concerns go unheard—execution suffers. Multi-store leaders—what are the best communication habits you’ve seen? Let’s build a list of what works out in the field. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁. And it’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they can’t see the gap between what they say and what people hear. I’ve watched this play out in dozens of organizations. Big transformation. Clear strategy. And still—silence in the room. Blank faces. Confused teams. The leader walks away thinking it went well. The team walks away wondering what just happened. That gap? It’s dangerous. It’s what happens when leaders overestimate their clarity. They believe they’re being understood, when they’re actually just being heard. This isn’t about intelligence. It’s about the Dunning-Kruger effect, alive and well in the boardroom. The less aware we are of our communication gaps, the more confident we feel about them. And during change, this 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲. Leaders talk too much, explain too little, and confuse everyone in the process. They answer questions no one asked. They skip the ones that matter. They speak in strategy to people who live in execution. They explain tools to people who wanted to hear about purpose. And then they wonder why the change isn’t landing. Here’s the truth. When people are confused, it’s usually not because they don’t understand the change. It’s because the change wasn’t explained well. They never heard the why. They never saw themselves in the story. They never felt invited in. And that’s not on the team. That’s on us. Great change leaders know this. They do three things differently. ✅ They start with what the audience needs to know. ✅ They speak with empathy, not ego. ✅ They ask for feedback and actually listen to it. One of the best tools I’ve seen is the 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗼 framework. ✅ What do you want them to know. ✅ How do you want them to feel. ✅ What do you want them to do. Simple. Effective. Another is to ask this before you speak: Why am I talking? It’s humbling. It helps. Because the goal isn’t to sound smart. The goal is to be clear. Especially during change. When the ground is already shaky. When people are already tired. When one well-placed sentence can calm a room or spark momentum. That’s what real leadership communication looks like. Not more words. Just the right ones. ----- 👋 I’m Lars – delivering transformation that sticks. 🔔 Follow me for more on 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 and 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. ✉️ DM 'READY' for insights.

How can we improve communications about organizational change 🤔 📣 Communications play a pivotal role in people-centric change. High quality communications about what the transformation means for individuals and teams can help to address questions such as: Why is the transformation necessary? Who will the transformation affect? What is going to change and When? How will I be affected by the change? Some of the practical ways to ensure high quality communication about organizational transformations include (but are not limited to): ▶️ Engage in dialogue throughout the transformation process.  Creating a safe space for conversations about change can help people to rasie their concerns, hopes and fears. ▶️ Know your audience Have a firm understanding of the audience’s perspective and what information they already know and what questions or concerns they have.    ▶️ Focus on Visualization Things that people see are more likely to evoke emotions than things they hear or read. Use a variety of communication channels include videos, pictures and images. ▶️ Deliver the message with the appropriate tone and style using: ✴️ Compassion: Show the audience that you care about their perspectives and inform employees as soon as possible about the transformation including: Why, When and How the process will evolve and within what expected time span. ✴️ Clarity: Communicate clearly and repeat key messages. Just because you have communicated the message once does not mean that individuals will have heard it, internalised it or made sense of it. ✴️ Conciseness: Ensure that the message is short enough to internalize. Long, complicated sentences make written ideas hard to understand because they demand more concentration. Keep communications short, clear and concise. ✴️ Connection: Connect emotionally with the audience and provide opportunities for employees to give feedback by: ensuring appropriate channels for employee voice  and that different groups feel able to access them; actively seeking people’s ideas; and take action on feedback. ✴️ Candor. Admit what you don’t know, for instance, if an employee asks you whether there will be redundancies, and you are not sure whether they will happen or not. Your response might be: “I wish I could tell you exactly what is going to happen. We will give you updates as soon as we know them.” ▶️ Avoid overcommunicating A word of caution is required because most organizations overcommunicate about change which can lead to confusion and disengagement. Rather than overloading people with formal communications especially email build in time for conversations. Source: Hodges, J. (2024) People-centric change: engaging employees with business transformations. Kogan Page Publishing, London - Chapter 5 Joe Ferner-Reeves Lucy Carter Emma Dodworth Laura de Ruiter, PhD Lisa Cardow Inga Grigaliunaite Durham University Business School

Clear strategy. Solid plan. Adequate resources. Yet your transformation is still struggling. The missing ingredient? Effective communication. I've learned that communication can make or break your change efforts. Here are the critical dos and don'ts that separate success from failure: 1. DO start with why before what DON'T jump straight to implementation details 2. DO tailor messages to different stakeholder groups DON'T use one-size-fits-all communication 3. DO address the "What's in it for me?" question DON'T assume people automatically see personal relevance 4. DO communicate regularly and consistently DON'T go silent during difficult phases 5. DO create two-way dialogue channels DON'T rely solely on top-down messaging 6. DO acknowledge concerns and resistance openly DON'T dismiss or minimize people's fears 7. DO use visual communication tools DON'T depend only on verbal or written messages 8. DO prepare leaders at all levels to communicate effectively DON'T expect executives alone to carry the message 9. DO celebrate early wins and progress DON'T wait until the end to recognize achievements 10. DO communicate honestly about challenges DON'T sugarcoat difficulties or overpromise results Communication isn't just part of change strategy — It IS your change strategy. Which do you find most challenging to implement in your organization?

There's change coming. You've heard the whispers, and while change might be positive, generally change is confusion and often accompanied by worse before better. Change. For many, security activities require change. Often that's adding a behavior that seems unnecessary to the doer. After all, everything we're doing now seems to work - why do more? For organizations looking to make a behavioral change - especially in an area that includes technology - clarity's essential. Speak truth to your people in a way they understand. And don't forget the why, and relate that why to the work of the person and the work of the organization. A few things to consider: Your incumbent system - even where it's broken - is comfortable. People are already working around the things that vex them, sometimes to the benefit of the organization, sometimes to its detriment. (And you need to evaluate whether those workaround are changes to the how (which can be fine) versus the what (more troubling). When you evaluate the effectiveness of changes you make, keep in mind that you're disrupting a system, even if it wasn't a named system. If people aren't accepting the change (or you're about to embark on some changes), consider these things: ⚡Explain what's changing clearly and why the change is necessary. Acknowledge that it is a change and emphasize the benefit. ⚡Evaluate the trust in your organization and the leader who's implementing the change. Do the people who have to make the change trust the leader and the person's explanation? If not, the rejection may be built from rejecting the source of the change. ⚡Re-emphasize, what, when, and why, and take input on how, where appropriate, on follow-up. Sometimes a very small adjustment to the change will result in acceptance. ⚡Work to be intentional. Start with a plan and how to measure success. None of these is easy. We have to facilitate changes and not force them as fiat or mandate. If your staff members didn't ask for the change, successfully adopting the change requires more than just information sharing. Facilitation is an exceptional skill rooted in leadership and governance. You'll see me writing more and more about it. It enables teams to go faster, be stronger, run leaner, and work with clarity. To be better.

That sounds good… and like utter BS at the same time. I’ve seen beautifully crafted change messages fall flat—not because they weren’t creative, but because they weren’t convincing. In moments of change, people crave clarity—not just creativity. They’re looking for evidence. Stability. Proof they won’t be left behind or this "and another" thing won't fall flat. Yes, analogies can help. They soften the message. They make things click. But if all you’re offering is metaphor? You’re not building trust—you’re borrowing time. Here’s what actually moves people: 🔺 Show the data behind the decision 🔺 Show how others are already making it work 🔺 Share real voices—not just polished messaging Only then are they ready to hear the story of what’s changing. One of the most effective tools I’ve used to make that story clear: From → To → Because 🔺 From – Where we are now (or were) 🔺 To – Where we’re headed (or have arrived) 🔺 Because – Why it matters Example: “We’re moving from reactive support to proactive service because our customers are asking for faster answers.” “It’s clear. It’s human. And it builds trust—especially when repeated consistently. Plus, it’s a powerful foundation for reinforcement once the change is in place: ‘We moved from reactive support to proactive service last quarter—and customers have reported a 30% improvement in response time.’” Pro tip: Limit yourself to three “from-to”s per message. The brain remembers best in threes. Want your change comms to stick? Start with receipts—not riddles.