You have spent weeks planning a change. You understand why it is needed, what it should achieve and how it fits into the business.

Your team hears about it for the first time on Monday morning.

That gap matters. While you are thinking about the next steps, employees may be wondering whether their roles will change, whether they will need new skills or whether their jobs are secure.

Explaining a change starts with understanding what people need to know.

Listen before you announce

Before presenting the plan, speak with the managers and employees closest to the work that will change. Ask what is already difficult, what concerns them and what support they would need.

Suppose you are introducing a new system for handling customer requests. Leaders may see faster service and better reporting. Employees may worry about learning the system while keeping up with their existing workload.

Knowing that concern gives you something concrete to address. It may also reveal a problem in the plan that needs attention before the announcement.

Explain the reason in everyday language

“We are improving operational efficiency” gives people very little to work with.

A clearer explanation would be: “Customer requests currently move between three systems. Information gets lost, and your team spends time chasing updates. We are bringing those requests into one place.”

Explain the problem, why it needs attention and what you expect the change to improve. Use examples your team recognises from daily work.

Tell people what it means for them

Once the reason is clear, explain what will happen in practice.

Who will be affected? When will the change begin? What will people need to do differently? What training or support will be available?

For the new customer system, that might mean explaining the training schedule, who will answer questions and how work will be handled during the transition.

Be clear about what is decided and what remains open. If a question has no answer yet, say so and explain when you expect to provide an update. Avoid making promises you cannot support.

Make room for questions

Leave time for questions during the announcement and provide a way to raise concerns afterwards. Some employees will need time to think. Others may prefer a smaller conversation with their manager.

Brief managers beforehand so they can explain the change accurately and recognise questions that need a leadership response.

Pay attention to repeated concerns. If several people ask the same thing, your explanation may need to be clearer, or the plan may need more work.

Keep communicating as the change happens

An announcement begins the conversation. As the plan moves forward, share progress, explain adjustments and check how people are managing.

If training is delayed or the system creates unexpected difficulties, acknowledge it and explain the response. Give your team a reliable place to find current information.

At Wave Advisory, we bring together strategic advice and communications expertise to support leaders through organisational change. We work with leaders to connect the plan with the people who need to carry it forward.

Explore Wave Advisory to discuss a change your business is preparing to make.