How to help leaders communicate change

When it comes to change communication, internal communication leaders cash in all the trust we’ve built up inside our organisations. Working strategically as an IC pro means speaking truth to power and not letting hierarchy inhibit honesty.

This currency of trust is hard won and worth investing in. It pays dividends when the organisation is experiencing change and we are informing, involving and inspiring employees.
 

Communicating bad news 

Do you have a senior leader in your company who is excellent at communicating bad news?

If someone sprang to mind, the chances are they have been overused.

Imagine a leader who can display empathy, communicate genuinely and show appropriate concern or excitement during times of change. As a communication professional, it makes change communication a lot easier because you know you can rely on them.

However, an unintended consequence of them showing up on all employee calls or appearing on the agenda of a company meeting could be fear. If employees associate that leader with communicating difficult news or upcoming change, the unintended consequence of them appearing in those forums may be concern.

Note the word “appropriate” there – listen to how employees are feeling (sentiment) and determine the suitable response from leaders. Their instinct to give a rallying cry or outline a shiny new future may come at the worst possible time.

Listen constantly, plan appropriately and measure to see what is resonating or what needs adjusting.

Top tip: As part of business-as-usual internal communication, create leadership communication plans for each leader. Determine what they’re known for, what they want to be known for and where their strengths and weaknesses are.

Do this work before you start communicating change, so you have these insights to hand. Revise and refresh them if required against change projects. Your future self will thank you!

 
Leaders as communicators
 

All leaders should be trained to help them be better communicators. You can’t be a great leader without being a great communicator.

Successful change communication requires acknowledging what is failing in the organisation and needs attention. If people managers struggle with communication and active listening, these issues must be resolved, before relying on them to communicate change well.

When employees are promoted to leadership, are they told what is expected of them from a communication perspective? If not, could this be introduced? If you are relying on people leaders to communicate effectively with their team, make it clear what that expectation looks and sounds like.



Consider media training your leaders, not for external speaking engagements, but internal. How senior leaders, leaders and people managers communicate directly correlates to how employees feel about change.

Investing effort in how leaders show up and speak inside an organisation is as important as the external media opportunities. The reputational risk of creating a poor experience and resulting fallout could be avoided by devoting time to train them. Keep the skills fresh; if it has been a while since their last training, run a refresher.

My final thought to leave you with is that naming a poorly considered change will not improve its effectiveness. Neither will a logo. Resist the pressure from leaders to go down those paths.

This currency of trust is hard won and worth investing in. It pays dividends when the organisation is experiencing change and we are informing, involving and inspiring employees.

• Create personalised comms plans for each member of your executive team
   
• Give your senior leaders time to practice having difficult conversations
   
• Specify what excellent leadership communication means in your company and communicate this when leaders join or are promoted
   
• Media train your leaders, to build their confidence speaking with employees
   
• Create a network of peers inside your organisation, which could include practice sessions for leaders to try out difficult conversations with each other
   
• Teach your leaders how to create relevancy through their internal communication, to address "what it means for you"
   
• Ensure leaders at all levels are clear that communicating well during change is not just down to the comms team
   
• Outline the importance of listening, not just talking.

My final thought to leave you with is that naming a poorly considered change will not improve its effectiveness. Neither will a logo. Resist the pressure from leaders to go down those paths.
 

Rachel Miller is an internationally recognised authority on Internal Communication (IC). A former journalist, with more than 20 years' IC experience and advises many of the world's best-known companies through her consulting business, All Things IC. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Internal Communicationand is on the IoIC’s Skills and Standards Board.

Rachel is the author of two books, Internal Communication Strategy and Successful Change Communication, which have both been published by Konan Page.

Successful Change Communication is out this week with Konan Page and Rachel has set up a discount for IoIC readers. The code IOIC will remove 25% at the checkout on the Konan Page website.