Meet Change Communication Coach Janie Doe

Company Change: Last year, our company was acquired by another corporation. This was a significant change that affected our management structure. We also knew it would have a real impact on our corporate culture and operational processes. 

Communication Approach: These kinds of transitions can cause many anxieties among teams. Knowing that, we prioritized transparent and frequent communication. We announced the change through a series of town halls that addressed what the new ownership meant for the company’s future and our employees.  

We set up a dedicated intranet page with FAQs and employees could submit questions anonymously. The leadership team addressed the questions in weekly video messages. We used our social media platforms to build community.  

We also created a manager toolkit to help our leadership reinforce our messages with their individual teams.  

Lessons Learned: One key lesson was the need to always proceed with empathy. People need emotional reassurance as much as factual updates. We also knew we needed to ensure there was two-way communication. Addressing employees’ concerns meant they felt heard and valued.  

Quote: “Internal communication isn’t just about sharing information. It’s about building trust. To do that, you need to consider what your employees really need to hear, feel and understand.