Successful change needs good communication

Regardless of a company’s current communication setup, there is often a preconceived notion of what competent and targeted communication can and should achieve. In reality, when change is underway – just as in ‘traditional’ corporate communication – a strategy is required, along with a precise understanding of the target audiences, appropriate messages and effective communication channels. However, particularly in times of change, there is often an overestimation of what corporate communications can achieve beyond its day-to-day operations. Furthermore, employees – and managers in particular – are expected to simply go along with the change. And that everyone will get on board as long as the facts and benefits are communicated clearly.

Take fears seriously and harness resistance

Every change triggers fears and resistance in people. And these are justified, as they follow a personal logic: the loss of one’s own position or carefully built networks, or the fear of not being good enough. Added to this is the fact that middle managers in particular are often themselves inadequately informed about changes or are even affected by them themselves, and are therefore unable to fulfil their communicative role to the required extent.

This is where change communicators come in: they support and empower ‘traditional’ communication experts by analysing fears and resistance and using them strategically to help changes succeed. After all, only those who understand the needs, motivations and capabilities of employees and managers can develop the right strategies to take everyone along for the journey and, ideally, even generate ‘enthusiasm’ for the change. In most cases, however, the first goal is for the colleagues affected to understand why the change is necessary, what it means for them personally, what contributions they can make, and what the next steps are on the path to the vision.

To foster this understanding, change communicators translate the corporate or change strategy into a change story that employees can understand. For this story to sustain the change over the long term, it should be rooted in the company’s history, consistent and authentic. This also means that, in order for the change story to be formulated in a way that is as understandable as possible for employees and told in a way that inspires action, it must be aligned with the company’s cultural characteristics and closely tailored to the target audience.

Resonance and authenticity

Change communicators therefore look deep into the ‘engine room’ of an organisation. They ‘take the pulse’ and pick up on the grapevine to find ways and means – such as more dialogue, networking and participation – to create a connection between employees and the change and make them an active part of the transformation: as strategic ambassadors, protagonists in storytelling or as providers of feedback. The development and implementation of communication measures also take place in close consultation with the change team or a sounding board comprising selected employees – because anyone who strikes the wrong note, glosses over changes or provides insufficient information on project progress has already lost.

To communicate the change as effectively and successfully as possible, the individual measures should be harmoniously embedded within the context of corporate communications, and their design and implementation should be based on specific experience, utilising the channels and expertise of corporate communications. After all, sometimes change simply requires a long-awaited message from the CEO or a sympathetic ear from management.

Change requires trust and collaboration

For change communicators to fulfil their role, they must not only be close to the employees but also be able to address uncomfortable feedback from the workforce directly. Otherwise, the project quickly runs the risk of losing its credibility. To do this, they need, on the one hand, a close line of communication with change project management and senior management. They also need reliable and trusting links to the other key drivers of change: corporate communications, organisational development, the HR department and the works council.

Whether the change communicators are based in-house or brought in as external consultants, the combination of traditional communication skills and sound change management expertise enables corporate communications to win the long-term trust of employees for change.