How to write a change communication plan

As we mentioned in our blog post on ‘Questions to ask to inform your change comms plan’, developing a communication strategy and plan for change is a different experience to a plan to support a campaign or to engage employees. Usually the subject matter isn’t as ‘fun’, and people become very invested and emotional, so you need to be very thoughtful in your approach.

Here’s our top tips on the elements you need to consider when formulating your change communications strategy.

Start with ‘who’

Change always starts with people. So understand who the different audience groups are, and the impact of the change on each group. It helps to segment the audiences by the impact of the change, and how much control they have over it. This allows you to work out who will need more focus, and who will simply need to be kept informed.

Establish your ‘why’ and your ‘what’

This is about positioning! Drafting your key messages means creating a compelling case for the change, and also what that means for the business, stakeholders, employees, customers… everyone who is impacted in some way. See our article on how to draft great key messages for change. Remember that you’ll need to tailor your messages for the different audiences, taking into account the different impacts.

Now establish your ‘how’

Once you know who you’re talking to, and the level of comms effort that will be required for each group, you can establish your how - this is about the channels and the voices you’ll use. You need a voice that people will respect and listen to, delivered in a channel that makes sense for the message. For example, if someone’s role is impacted, you wouldn’t send them an email! Rather, you’d equip their team leader to have the conversation in person, providing a two-way, personalised comms channel.

When will you communicate?

Timing is key. If it’s a significant change, communicating last thing on a Friday is not ok! It doesn’t give time for people to ask questions, and if people are anxious, they might work themselves up over the weekend. Think about timing that works for your audience, rather than for you or senior leaders. You might also know of an event coming up - like a team meeting or a town hall - that is an opportunity to communicate, and you can factor that timing into your comms plan.

How will you measure?

As change is implemented, it’s really important to keep an eye on how well your comms are being received. That way, you can tweak and pivot as you go - whether that’s messaging, channels, or voice. You want to find out early on if something’s not working, mitigate the risk of the ‘snowball effect’, and to give your comms the best chance of success. Our blog article on measurement includes tips on how to measure the effectiveness of your internal comms.

Need help with your change project or to build your change communication skills?

Check out our training offerings, or inquire about support for your change project with a free, no-obligation call!