By Lucy Grimwade
July 31, 2025
Not everyone loves or embraces change, especially at work. Whether you’re rolling out a new system, restructuring teams, or exploring the use of AI, the success of any big shift boils down to one thing: communication.
Why Does Communication Matter So Much?
Think back to a time when your company went through a change. Did you feel informed and part of the journey, or were you left confused and wondering what would happen next? If you felt supported, it’s probably because somebody took the time to communicate well. If you felt lost, well that’s because somebody didn’t have comms on their project plan.
Good communication is the glue that holds people together when things are in flux. Here’s why:
- It Builds Trust – When people know what’s going on (and why), they’re much more likely to get behind the change.
- It Reduces Anxiety – Clear updates help people understand what’s happening, easing those nerves and filling in any blanks.
- It Helps People Take Action – If everyone understands what’s expected of them, and why it matters, they’ll know what to do and feel motivated.
- It Opens Up Feedback – Open communication gives people space to share ideas, concerns, and even push back—which can lead to much better outcomes.
Modern Challenges (and How to Get Around Them)
I know that you (still) have endless emails, Teams/Slack chats, and other system notifications. It can often feel that there is too much noise which can often be as bad as too little information.
The trick isn’t to communicate more, but to communicate smarter:
- Mix It Up – Use lots of channels such as emails, meetings, videos, chat, town-halls as people tend to have different learning styled and can prefers something different ways of being communicated to.
- Tailor Your Messages – Leaders need a big-picture overview, but teams want the practical details. Don’t send everyone the same thing.
- Listen Up – Create ways for people to ask questions such as Q&As, quick surveys, team forums and act on what you hear.
- Be Authentic – Share personal stories, celebrate wins, and admit to challenges. People connect much more with real people-driven communication.
Activity: Try the “Message Mapping” Exercise
Here’s something you can do with your team to improve communication on your next change project:
- Write Down the Change – At the top of a board, sum up the main change or project you’re working on.
- Gather Input – Invite everyone to write their top three questions or concerns about what’s happening. Ask what’s unclear, or what they think hasn’t been explained well yet.
- Group and Discuss – Cluster similar points together. Talk about what’s causing confusion. Are some teams better informed than others? Where could you be clearer?
- Make an Action Plan – Decide as a team the following: who needs to hear what, by when, and in what way?
Often, it’s eye-opening to see where gaps exist, and just talking it through helps everyone feel more included and less anxious.
Remember, communication in change and transformation programmes isn’t just an item to tick off your list—it’s the support system that keeps everything on track. Be open, be clear, and above all, be human. Your team—and your project—will thank you for it.
Lucy Grimwade leans into the future of work, positioning herself with a diverse portfolio career across the theme of Change and Transformation. She is a consultant, qualified coach, mentor, author as well as an experienced trainer and public speaker — providing guidance and skills for groups and individuals on subjects that include (but not limited to) change management, career development and personal &/ business transformation. Lucy’s passion and purpose in life is to help other people to reimagine their possibilities.
Connect with Lucy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucygrimwade/
