This post is by Niamh Farren, Knowledge and Communications Specialist, Centre for Effective Services (CES)

  • The problem: When introducing a new initiative, organisations often overlook or neglect how it is communicated internally.

  • Why it matters: Change will be implemented in organisations by people. When something is communicated badly or not at all, it can lead to anxiety, frustration and even derail change.

  • The solution: Communicating change is a two-way process. Plan how you talk to your teams about change, what it means for them and their work, and look for feedback.

We need to resist the temptation to assume that communication will happen organically and put time and processes in place so that it happens in a planned way.

George Bernard Shaw wrote that “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. When things go wrong in organisations, all fingers point to a failure to communicate. Given that we have so many sophisticated communications channels and tools at our fingertips, why do we often overlook this essential part of implementing change?

Research literature from the disciplines of implementation science, change management, and programme management all acknowledge the importance of communications in enabling large-scale change. Implementation or process evaluations look at how particular initiatives have been implemented in the real world and tell us a lot about effective–and ineffective–communications approaches. For example, recent evaluations from Ireland within health and social care services indicate that a programme is more likely to be successfully implemented when staff are involved from an early stage in its design and rollout. While this is not surprising, it does require leaders and managers to step up and invest valuable time and resources in this time intensive activity.

In short, we need to resist the temptation to assume that communication will happen organically and put time and processes in place so that it happens in a planned way.

The following five tips can help your organisation to communicate a new practice, approach or programme.

1. Start by making the case: You need to be able to articulate the rationale behind the change to internal stakeholders. Why is the change being introduced and who will benefit? The initiative must be credible to those involved in implementing it. Help people to see the benefits, which may include better outcomes for service users, to more efficient use of time and resources. How will it be better than before? How does it connect with your mission and values? How compatible is it with the organisational infrastructure that’s in place already?

2. Be clear on what it means for those implementing the change: All good communications start with an audience. In this instance, your audience is internal but has very different needs and will have questions about the implications for their role and day to day work. Does the new initiative involve introducing new roles, responsibilities or reporting procedures? Will new tasks or skills be required–and what resources are there to support them? Filter the essential information about the change specific to roles and teams. Anticipate and plan for any critical or sensitive employment issues before you engage and practice transparent and open communications.

3. Change doesn’t happen over email: Mass dissemination activities, such as email broadcasts and internal newsletters, are convenient and widely used to quickly share information across teams, units and systems. They simply will not be enough if behaviour change or new work practices are required. The sheer volume of information which we circulate through email can mean that an important message is overlooked or misinterpreted. Purposeful approaches such as knowledge translation and knowledge transfer can help to support new ways of working and embed skills and expertise within organisations.

4. Take every opportunity and be consistent with your message: Map out how and when information is shared in your organisation, for example team meetings, newsletters and email broadcasts, and use these channels to reach out and amplify your message. Plan and sequence your communications with both internal and external stakeholders. Informal and peer networks will come into play, but people will expect to receive information from the proper channels. Equip leaders at all levels with the knowledge and tools to engage with teams and staff about change, rather than enforcing a message. The use of virtual meeting platforms was adopted widely and quickly during the pandemic and can facilitate convening large teams across many locations in an efficient way.

5. Listen and look for feedback: Communication is happening within the context of relationships at many different levels–teams, line management, and peers. Listening and responding to feedback is as important as sharing information. Email and newsletters are useful ways of sharing information in a democratic, timely way, but must be accompanied by opportunities for people to engage, ask questions and provide feedback. Practice open communications across all activities–from the tone of voice in an email, to building interaction into a meeting or information session. Offer clear mechanisms for questions and follow up. Think of it as an ongoing process, rather than a one-off activity, which offers opportunities for learning, empowerment and improvement.

Traditional communications functions tend to focus on how a change will be perceived externally, but there is a strong case to be made for getting your own house in order first. Resistance and change fatigue may be the first hurdles you encounter when introducing something new. When change is communicated badly, or not at all, it can lead to misunderstandings, anxiety and frustration, all of which can distract from–and potentially derail–an initiative. Investing time in internal communications can generate buy-in and yield longer term benefits to your organisation–from increased trust to a culture of innovation and good working relationships.

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