Maintaining trust during times of change – five essentials for internal comms

‘The only constant in life is change.’  For many in the business world that quote from the ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, will feel apt. According to the Harvard Business Review, at any one time, a third of large organisations have some sort of change programme underway – and nearly every major corporation has had at least one in the last five years. Yet it’s thought only 12% of major transformation programmes have any lasting positive impact. And, to us, that begs the question - if people are so set on regularly changing things, why aren’t they learning from their mistakes and doing it better the next time round?

There are lots of arguments out there about why so many change programmes fail, but the one thing most people agree on is that if you fail to communicate, you are guaranteed to fail.

The importance of good internal communication during the uncertainty of a transformation programme feels so obvious we shouldn’t even need to spell it out. But we’re going to, because, clearly, a lot of people aren’t doing it as well as they should be. This blog is all about the five internal communications essentials you need to follow in times of change.

1.       Maintaining trust: Whatever you’re changing in your business, the most important thing to remember is that people are going to have an emotional response when they first hear about it. A few might be excited. A lot more are likely to be worried, angry or disillusioned, particularly if they’re far removed from the decision-making. If you don’t do anything to support these people, to answer their questions and, where possible, allay their fears, they’re going to resist your changes. Why? Because they don’t have the full picture and therefore can’t trust that the organisation has their best interests at heart. In times of change, always remember that your internal comms is there to provide clarity, openness and support. 

2.       Clear, consistent messaging: This is vital for ensuring you maintain trust. Make sure your messaging gets across the following:

·       Why the organisation is making changes and what its goals are.

·       What things will look like when those goals have been reached.

·       How everyone is going to get from the status quo to this new future.

·       What people can do to help make it a success.

Plan your communications so that people get regular updates – you can’t just communicate once and expect people to take everything in and be satisfied they’ve got all the answers. Try not to do too many updates when there’s no new information. Instead, set the expectation that you will update whenever there is something to tell people. Just don’t leave it too long between messages!

You should also make sure managers are well briefed in advance and supported throughout, as they are the people most employees will turn to with questions.

3.       Visible leaders: In any change programme, it’s important the CEO and senior leadership take responsibility for communicating with employees. They also need to be honest. People can understand that not all information will be available immediately – as long as management is open about that. And honesty is particularly appreciated when news is bad. So don’t withhold information about any negative impacts and don’t try to sugar-coat bad news – it’ll be dismissed as spin and you’ll lose people’s trust.  

4.       Change champions: If you work for a large organisation, try to build a community of early adopters who can then act as a champions for the new way of working. This is particularly important if you’re based in the corporate centre and they’re on other sites, working on the ground, in the store or the warehouse, for example. Your champions will also be a valuable means of getting feedback from colleagues. They can let you know how communications are landing and if there are any potential issues on the horizon. They’re also a great source of local insight and can help ensure your messages are tailored so they resonate with staff.

5.       Actively listen: This is very different from saying you’re listening, then simply responding with whatever you were going to say anyway. Active listening is about taking the time and effort to understand the meaning behind what people are saying. It’s listening without judgment and it’s asking questions which probe their intent.  For internal comms, where you’re looking to reduce resistance to change, how you actively listen will depend on the set up of your company, but you could conduct surveys or focus groups or get the CEO to host a town hall, where they do genuinely just listen. You want to create a safe space for people to voice their thoughts and concerns. Then you can go on to can address any miscommunications or misunderstandings before they escalate.

Clear internal communication is the backbone of any change programme. Take the time to get it right and you might just find that your organisation is one of the fortunate few that do manage to do create long-term positive change. 

Need a hand? You can see some of the type of work we do here: https://www.cosymeerkat.co.uk/work - get in touch if you’d like to know more!