Change management

Don’t Just Tell Employees

Organizational Changes Are Coming
— Explain Why
 Morgan Galbraith
October 05, 2018

Executive Summary

From leadership transitions and restructurings to mergers and acquisitions, there

seems to be constant change in the workforce. But surveys show that many
employees don’t understand why these changes are happening. This can be
detrimental for any company trying to implement change. When employees don’t
understand why changes are happening, it can be a barrier to driving ownership and
commitment, and even result in resistance or push back. Executives and those
responsible for leading change cannot assume that employees understand the
reasoning behind them. It’s important to spend time explaining the changes and why
they are important. There are four key aspects to helping employees understand
change, to drive commitment, and to ultimately contribute to your success: 1) Inspire
people by presenting a compelling vision for the future, 2) Keep employees informed
by providing regular communications, 3) Empower leaders and managers to lead
through change, and 4) Find creative ways to involve employees in the change.
Alan Copson/Getty Images
Employees around the world are reporting that big organizational changes are
affecting their jobs. From leadership transitions and restructurings, to mergers and
acquisitions, to regulatory changes, there seems to be constant unrest in the
workforce. But according to one survey of more than half a million U.S. employees,
almost one-third don’t understand why these changes are happening.
This can be detrimental for any company trying to implement change. When
employees don’t understand why changes are happening, it can be a barrier to
driving ownership and commitment and can even result in resistance or push back.
And employees’ resistance to change is a leading factor for why so many change
transformations fail.

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Executives and those responsible for leading change cannot assume that employees
understand the reasoning behind them. You must spend time explaining the changes
and why they are important. Based on my experience supporting organizational
change initiatives, there are four key aspects to helping employees understand
change, to drive commitment, and to ultimately contribute to your success.
Inspire people by presenting a compelling vision for the future. During
times of uncertainty, people experiencing change want a clear view of the path ahead.
It’s important to share what you know – including what’s changing, when, and how.
But for most change initiatives, it is also helpful to start with a narrative or story that
clearly articulates the “big picture” – why change is important and how it will
positively affect the organization long-term. This should serve as the foundation for
how you communicate about the change moving forward.
To be successful, your story needs to start with the company’s core mission and then
offer a compelling and inspiring future vision. You want to answer: How are the
changes you make today helping you achieve your vision for tomorrow?
For example, in 2017 our client FMC Corporation was preparing to acquire a
significant part of DuPont’s Crop Protection business, which would transform FMC
into the fifth-largest crop protection company in the world. As part of their change
story, they developed a unifying internal communications campaign called the
“Nature of Next” that articulated the reasoning and vision for the acquisition.
The campaign explained how FMC would gain a broader product portfolio, an
expanded global footprint, and full-discovery R&D capabilities – all of which helps
them achieve their aspirations of helping customers feed a growing population in a
sustainable way. While the integration is still underway, the campaign generated
excitement for the acquisition among employees, and is still used today to
communicate the promise of the new FMC.
Change events are often uncertain, unstable, stressful, and risky. But having a clear
meaning or purpose behind the change will strengthen your case. If you can clearly
articulate this case, employees will also build a better understanding of the business
strategy.
Keep employees informed by providing regular communications. Change
communications is never a one-and-done event; keeping employees informed is
something that you will have to do throughout every step of the change process.
Studies have found that continual communication is a leading factor in a

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transformation’s success. When thinking about how to communicate, keep the

following in mind:
Be clear and consistent: All of your communications should tie back to the narrative
that you developed, reiterating the case for change and presenting a compelling
future vision.
You will not have all the answers: Often times, you will not have all the answers
employees are looking for, and that breeds anxiety and uncertainty. It’s important to
focus on what you know, and be candid about what you don’t. If you do not have an
answer, say so. When this occurs, it’s important to let employees know you are
committed to communicating openly and transparently, and will follow-up as soon
as you know more.
Don’t forget to articulate “What’s in it for me?”: One of the most important phrases
you may come across in change communications is “what’s in it for me?” If your
employees understand what’s in it for them personally, you’re more likely to see
individuals commit to and own the change. Failing to articulate “what’s in it for me”
will only hinder your efforts.
A few years ago, I supported change communications for the integration of two
leading companies in animal health. A leader at one of the organizations was
exceptionally good at communicating how individual employees would benefit from
the merger. And it wasn’t just about new job opportunities or increased market
share. He reinforced how it would carry out their shared passion for keeping animals
healthy, and how together, the two organizations would be able to offer new
solutions, products, and technologies to customers that would not have been
possible before.
Empower leaders and managers to lead through change. Major changes or
transformations often require asking employees to adopt specific behaviors or
skillsets in order to be successful. And when senior leaders model the behavior
changes, transformations are five times more likely to be successful.
Leaders not only need to be equipped with information and resources, but they need
to feel confident leading through change. This can be especially challenging, as
leaders encounter more pressure to provide better answers and to support their
teams. But how your leadership reacts to change will trickle down and impact your
managers, who then impact your employees and their engagement.

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To empower leaders and managers, executives and change leads should help them
understand the fundamentals of change, including how to be an effective leader
during times of change, how individuals react to and navigate change, and how to
address roadblocks or areas of resistance.
Recently, I attended an offsite meeting for a client that was undergoing a major
transformation of their shared services organization. While a vast majority of the
offsite was focused on why the organization was changing and what would be
happening, they carved out specific time to train and upskill leaders, the individuals
who would ultimately be responsible for driving the change.
Leaders could select from trainings on a range of topics, including how automation
and artificial intelligence are changing their business, how to apply Design Thinking
to solve business problems, and fundamentals of change management. For example,
during Design Thinking sessions, leaders were asked to problem solve and develop
solutions around real-life challenges employees may face during the transformation.
As a result, leaders walked away better equipped to support how they would drive
the transformation forward.
Find creative ways to involve employees in the change. When planning for
major change events, it is important to solicit feedback and engage people in the
process. This helps build ownership in the change, and makes employees more likely
to support the change and even champion it.
In preparation for FMC’s crop protection transaction with DuPont, more than 150
FMC employees were nominated by leaders to be part of the Change Champion
Network. The group was established to engage their peers, answer questions, and
excite employees about the future of the company. The group was an essential
resource for fellow employees, and served as a channel for two-way feedback for
leadership.
Another way to engage employees and drive commitment is to recognize those
individuals who are embracing the change and demonstrating desired behaviors. For
instance, a recent client wanted to drive a culture shift that was more open and
transparent, and engage employees around recently launched corporate values. As
part of the rollout, the company introduced a new award that recognized employees
who were living their corporate values both inside and outside of work. Employees
could nominate their peers, and winners were voted on by the entire organization
and revealed at an all-employee town hall. Not only did this reward those who were

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role models for change, but it allowed the entire organization to become engaged in
the process.
Being able to effectively lead change within your organization is crucial – and
impacts more your culture and your bottom line. Companies who are highly effective
at change management are three and a half times more likely to significantly
outperform industry peers.
Assuming employees understand the changes your company is going through will
jeopardize your change initiative. So the next time you’re approaching a change
project, be sure to think about how you can inspire, inform, empower, and
engage your most powerful ambassadors – and successfully lead your company into
the future.