8 tips for effective communication during changes

Change has become a continuous process in many organizations. The customer's demand is constantly changing, just like the environment in which you operate. As an organization you cannot stand still. It is important that you include your employees in the changes that are taking place. For effective communication during change, you can use different strategies: from baby steps to the bulldozer strategy. As long as everyone in the company is finished soon. In this article we give eight tips for effective communication during changes.

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What is communication during change?
This is the communication you use when you are going through important changes as an organization. Some examples of these kinds of changes are mergers, acquisitions, a new brand positioning, a new house style, a reorganization or the appointment of a new management. It is important to think ahead and to apply the communication strategically and systematically, with attention to the various parties involved and their interests.
1. Take your time
You cannot change your organization in one day. You continue to deal with people, and they naturally have a hard time with change. Certainly if it is not clear what the purpose of the change is, or if the changes continue to follow each other at a rapid pace. That's why it's important to take the time to implement a change and give people time to let something sink in.
It is also important to explain to employees why a change is being implemented and what the organization wants to achieve with it. Also listen carefully to the objections and counterarguments. It should be a dialogue, not a monologue.
2. Map the impact per group
What is a huge change for one person may be small for another. A small adjustment in a work process will not lose sleep over management, but it can have a significant impact on their daily routine for the employees involved. While a major change at the top of the company has very little impact on day-to-day work in the workplace. So analyze the impact of the change per group of employees and adjust the communication accordingly.
3. What's in it for me
Explain clearly what the change means for the employees. Also adjust the message based on the impact for different departments and levels in the organization.
By thinking carefully about what the change means for employees, you can align your story well with what is going on within a team. In some cases you can also offer training and courses to prepare people for the change.
4. Change is something you do together
No one can bring about an important change in the organization completely independently. For example, as a communication consultant you do not have an overview of all the factors that determine what is needed to change. You can achieve an end together with colleagues, but above all ask yourself which people from other disciplines are needed to make people change. Think, for example, of HRM or IT, but certainly also less obvious disciplines.
5. Provide change ambassadors
If you're dealing with strong peer pressure within teams, have some prominent people in the coalition. They can encourage change by leading by example. They are, as it were, 'influencers' within your organization. Moreover, such a connecting coalition can simplify the exchange of insights about the change.
6. Combine physical meetings with digital communication
By communicating in multiple ways, the message sticks better. Repeat the highlights of physical meetings, for example via narrowcasting . Or share knowledge articles and opinion pieces about the theme via the mail or employee app . The power of repetition is very important to get a message right in your head. Do teams or employees need clarification? Then organize one-on-one sessions with people or organize small-scale team meetings.
7. Provide regular updates
Don't wait until you have a complete and well-founded story. In the case of communication with changes, it is better to inform people immediately as soon as you know something. You'll cut yourself if speculation starts buzzing in the well-known corridors. Make short updates and share them on a regular basis, for example by means of narrowcasting . Also dare to admit it honestly if you don't know things yet.
8. View the change from the perspective of the organisation, the group and the individual
Factors that influence the success of a change are often difficult to grasp. This concerns matters such as culture, motivations and areas of tension. Or the way our brains function. You should therefore always view a change from three perspectives: from the individual, the group and the organization. It means that you must include insights from the brain, personal characteristics, group dynamics and group differences, urgency and context when developing and realizing the change approach.

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