Top ideas for communicating change
Change is inescapable in a world of innovation, and with it comes the need to communicate. As our worlds evolve, and our organisations adapt, it’s important to take our employees on the journey too.
However, employees coming on the journey is only one part of setting a change up for success. It’s also about ensuring those employees are understanding, collaborative and positively placed about the change ahead and what it means for them.
That’s why we’ve got our top five ideas below to communicate your change in a way that does all of the above.
Town halls and fireside chats
If you’ve ever worked in a big corporate, these words may give you triggering flashbacks. However, town halls and fireside chats remain one of the most effective ways to communicate across a geographically diverse business, and especially in the digital day and age. Though, it’s worth noting these events can also change - for the better!
Try to move beyond your traditional town hall meetings, where it’s simply executive folk talking at the audience, and capitalise on themed concepts that align with your change while using your tech to host interactive participation from anywhere in the world. Do this by incorporating features like live polls, Q&A sessions, and real-time feedback mechanisms. This not only enhances engagement but allows for immediate interaction, where employees can ask about the change, note any concerns, and feel they are involved and invested in the project.Let’s get visual (visual)!
Conveying complex messages is hard. Especially when a lot of change communications are based around technical changes to programs, processes and more. That’s why visuals like infographics and videos can be really helpful in making sure your messaging gets across the way you intend it to.
You can do this by personalising your visuals of choice for each audience to convey the reasons behind the change, the expected outcomes, and the role each employee plays.Get your employees on board
Employees are your most powerful advocates. If you’ve heard of the term “change champion”, then you’d know this first-hand! Encourage your employees to not only become advocates for the change, but to create and share their own content.
The kind of content that powers the most successful change could include personal testimonials, success stories, or even challenges faced during the change process. Employee-generated content adds authenticity to the communication strategy, fostering a sense of community and solidarity among team members. Plus, you could use channels like Yammer to get the ball rolling!
4. Have you heard of gamification?
The ‘game-changer’ for every change process is introducing elements of gamification to change communication.
You could increase your engagement and change advocacy through interactive games or quizzes that educate employees about the upcoming changes, while making the learning process enjoyable. It creates a sense of competition and collaboration, while driving knowledge and retention. Sounds like a win-win to us!
5. Internal podcasting
For many reasons, we all love a good podcast. But, have you ever heard of an internal podcast? Would you listen in? Try to leverage the popularity of podcasts to provide leadership insights on the change initiative through a series where leaders share their perspectives, experiences, and vision for the future.
Podcasts offer a convenient and accessible way for employees to stay informed, and the conversational tone adds a personal touch to the communication strategy.
In the ever-evolving landscape of change, you’ll need to embrace innovative communication strategies to effectively navigate big or small organisational change. Luckily, we’ve laid out this dynamic and engaging approach with an effective framework for communicating change in your business.
Would you like to learn more about Change Communication?
Find out all about change communications in Mel’s newest book, right here. You can sign up for the pre-sale an you’ll get notified of when we’re ready to launch. Be the first to get in before it sells!
You can also take our latest quiz to find out your change comms style right here.
