How To Handle Miscommunication During Change

Layoffs, closures, restructuring... there’s no easy way to deliver hard news — but how you do it matters. I recently watched a video of Gary Vaynerchuk getting fired up (and I mean fired up) over a question from someone whose company announced they would be relocating their headquarters in 3 years. Yes — 3 years’ notice. They also announced that employees who chose not to relocate could keep their jobs and work remotely, but they wouldn’t be eligible for future promotions or increases. This employee was upset. She loves her job and the company, but feels management is ruining it. She asked Gary if she should cut her losses or stay, and he told her (with many trademark f-bombs) that her reaction reeked of entitlement, not injustice. He praised the company for communicating early, offering options, and giving ample time to prepare. (I’ll drop the link to the IG video in the comments if you want to see Gary go full Gary.) And this week, a coaching client called me. Their company recently announced that thousands of jobs will be eliminated by year-end, with a promise to notify impacted employees by the end of the month. No one knows who’s safe. Anxiety is high. Focus is low. We talked through how he, as a leader, could show up during this time: to keep his team informed, build trust, and support them — even while he’s in the dark himself. Here’s the thing: Companies can rarely “win” when change is coming. - If you give no notice — you’re heartless. - If you give months (or 3 years!) notice — you’re cruel for making people wait and wonder. But here’s what I know: ✳️ Transparency, even when imperfect, builds trust. So what can leaders do when change is coming, and people’s jobs — and lives — are on the line? * Communicate in person, with empathy. Even if the company made an official announcement, you need to have the conversation with your team. Meet with your team members one-on-one. Listen. Acknowledge their concerns without defensiveness. Don’t argue with feelings — they’re valid, even if the facts are off. * Be honest and transparent about what you can’t say yet. Answer questions when you can. And when you can’t, be clear about why, and when more information will be shared. People don’t expect certainty, but they do expect integrity. * Relate without centering yourself. If you’re potentially affected too, it’s okay to briefly acknowledge that. But don’t make it about you. Your role is to steady the ship, not captain a therapy circle. * Help them prepare — without feeding panic. Encourage your team to be mindful and proactive (talk with family, reach out to their network). But also remind them of the importance of staying focused and connected to the mission. Their work still matters. Their contributions still count. The truth is — if you haven’t built trust with your team before disruption hits, these conversations will be harder. But it’s never too late to start. You can’t make hard news easy. But you can make it human.

Stop nodding and start clarifying. Every vague answer is a new risk waiting to explode. I learned this the hard way. Earlier in my career I was quick to move on when someone said “this looks alright.” I thought being a good PM meant moving things along. Eventually, I saw what 'looked alright' grow into big problems that cost time, energy and money. Projects don’t go off track because people lack skills, but because of our habit of filling gaps in understanding with assumptions. It’s easy to think everyone is on the same page. We assume stakeholders understand risks, that team members know what their priorities are, and that clients agree with our approach. But every time we assume, we set ourselves up for confusion and wasted effort down the road. Now, I take three steps to avoid these hidden problems: (1) I repeat back what I hear, in my own words. I wait for confirmation. (2) I ask clear follow-up questions, even if it’s uncomfortable. A little discomfort now saves a ton of energy later. "When you say ASAP, what's the latest date you need this delivered?" "What specifically doesn't look right to you?" (3) I pause and dig deeper. I keep the conversation focused until the gap has been addressed. An underappreciated aspect of the PM job is to build trust between the functional and technical teams. Doing that means being willing to surface the awkward gaps in understanding. That’s how we keep projects healthy. #projectmanagement #changemanagement #culture ___________ If this post resonated, you learned something, found it interesting, or I challenged your perspective and you'd like to keep the conversation going, feel free to follow or connect. I welcome new connections and perspectives. I write about the messy, human side of project and change management 2-3x a week, and occasionally share my thoughts on AI.

What happens when “change management” seems to be making things worse?   Recently, a friend shared frustrations they had with change communications in their organization. Townhall Q&As, visits from leadership at team meetings…on the surface this sounded like textbook change management.   But for my friend, and reportedly most of their immediate team, these efforts were making a tough time that much worse. Why? They felt the change efforts, especially from leaders, were disingenuous.   Certainly, things don't work well if we're just going through the motions – or if people perceive us to be. But is that all that’s going on here? We can't know for sure, but I challenged myself to identify what my next steps would be if I were part of this change effort.   Here’s what I came up with – I’m keen to hear your ideas too.   In the short-term: 💡Use feedback as the guide — Actively gather diverse feedback. Analyze to identify root causes — is this about the change itself, the change process, something else entirely? Prioritize actionable insights, remembering that for some things, giving it time is the best response. 💡Check-in with change messengers — Remember that decision-makers are also impacted by change. Offer support or find others who can, as exhaustion isn't conducive to engaging with staff effectively. 💡Uncover authentic voice — Help leaders find and convey their genuine passion for aspects of the change. Not everyone is a gifted communicator, but most speak well to the things they most care about. 💡Diversify the team— I’ve written before that leading change is a team effort. Consider who is best equipped for different roles – adding an executive to a meeting isn't always the most productive play. 💡 Expand the tools — Change communication is essential, but not sufficient. Identify additional change interventions that could complement current efforts. 💡 Know when to hold and when to fold — If change communications aren't resonating, adjust methods, messaging, messengers, or frequency. Be open to the possibility that stopping, reducing, or simplifying efforts may be the best route.   For the long-term, remember that change happens within the organization we have, not the one we wish for. If feedback indicates trust, know-how, or willingness to engage during change is lacking, invest in strengthening these areas over time to better position the organization for the next change.      Finally, this discussion with my friend highlighted an important fact: change interventions are tools, not magic wands. Depending on just one method, such as communication, is rarely effective. Mastery involves a nuanced understanding of a variety of interventions, each with its strengths and limitations (see comments for more). Perhaps the greatest challenge, though, is accepting that change is not ours to command, but to navigate. #changemanagement #changeleadership #changecommunications #transformation #leadership

A common communications problem I see in organizations with low-trust cultures: 🔺 Executive team makes a major decision that will change the company's direction or structure, a key employee experience, or a core process/tool. 🚨 All employees are notified at the same time - including people leaders and managers (because "this is HIGHLY sensitive and we can't risk a leak!") ⁉️ Employees instantly turn to their managers: "What does this mean for me?" 🤷♀️ Managers have NO idea because they just found out too. 😣 Employees are anxious, managers are anxious AND frustrated (not to mentioned embarrassed for feeling out of the loop). 👎 Productivity drops, morale suffers, and intent to leave rises. Managers are either your culture's biggest pain point or biggest success factor. The difference is you - not them. The difference is how well you empower them to actively advocate for the company's direction and goals and set them up to successfully lead their teams through these moments. The difference is trust. Here's an alternative way that scenario can play out in a high-trust, high-functioning culture: 🔺 Executive team makes a major decision that will change the company's direction or structure, a key employee experience, or a core process/tool. 💡 Executive team meets with all people leaders and managers a day before the internal company announcement. They inform them of the decision; provide background context that may not be appropriate for a broader audience; share resources to help managers support employees and answer anticipated questions; and give them time to absorb the change themselves and prepare for their team's response. 🚨 All employees are notified and are immediately invited to a team meeting by their manager. ⁉️ Employees instantly turn to their managers: "What does this mean for me?" 🤷♀️ Managers reiterate key company talking points plus add context unique to the team that helps put the change in perspective. They share links and points of contact for additional questions. They provide clear next steps for the team on how they are going to implement the change. 😣 Employees are processing the change, but feel in control. Managers feel prepared and valuable and a part of the broader leadership team. They are invested in a successful outcome. 👍 Productivity holds steady. Trust and morale increase because people feel respected. Empowered managers are sturdy leaders. Better yet, by bringing your managers into the 'room', you increase their self-confidence and deepen their commitment to the company by enabling them to be good at their jobs. Win-win. Again and again. #Culture #LeadershipDevelopment #InternalCommunications #ManagerDevelopment #Trust #Transparency