Ensuring Clarity in Change Management Communication

CISOs: You must choose clarity over certainty. It requires honesty and risk taking. But you have to do it. For example, last year I was working with a CISO. 👇 We had to be clear with the security team without a lot of certainty. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: → The What: We are achieving ISO 27001 and SOC 2. → The Why: Because we are contractually required to do so. Our clients care about security and will not do business with us unless we can evidence our security posture. Not having these certifications slow down the sales cycle and are deal breakers big clients. Millions of dollars of revenue are on the line. And that means we are protecting jobs. → The When: By December 31 this year. → What We Need: We need your support and commitment to make this happen. We need your effort, your flexibility, your positive attitude, and for you to relay this message to your peers on our behalf. We need you to be okay with this being clunky and imperfect. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: → The How: We are uncertain about how much work needs to be done to achieve these certifications. We don't know how far off we are. We are getting a gap assessment now. We will have the results in 30 days. Once it is complete, we will have more certainty on what needs to be done. We will present the results and suggested roadmap to this full team in 45 days. → The Impact on the Team: We know that everyone is busy and this is an additional duty. We do not know if this is something we can take on with our existing team or if we will need more resources. The gap assessment will provide more clarity. We will have weekly status meetings to monitor progress and ensure continuous communication. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁: Clarity made us feel vulnerable, but the team appreciated the honesty. The whole team knew what needed to happen and why. They felt that was the most important thing. We earned credibility and trust. In return, the team gave us their support. And yes - we met both the ISO 27001 and SOC 2 goals by December 31. --- It's scary, but when given the option choose clarity over certainty. I got "clarity over certainty" from Patrick Lencioni's book "5 Temptations of a CEO". Well worth a read. #cybersecurity #leadership #business

The Hidden Rules of Change Communication: Why Most Organizations Get It Wrong After observing dozens of transformations, I've discovered a hard truth: Great strategy with poor communication, Is the perfect formula for failure. Here are the 5 Golden Rules that separate Successful transformations from the failures: 1. Start With WHY Begin all change communication with purpose, not process. ✅ Create a compelling story that connects to both organizational mission and personal growth. 2. Maintain Message Consistency Ensure core messages remain consistent across all channels and leaders. ✅ Develop a central message platform and create communication toolkits that keep everyone aligned. 3. Create Two-Way Dialogue Make listening as important as telling. ✅ Establish multiple feedback channels and visibly respond to input received. 4. Visualize the Journey Make change visible and tangible through visual communication. ✅ Create visual roadmaps and progress dashboards that make the abstract concrete. 5. Communicate With Radical Honesty Build trust through transparent communication, even when challenging. ✅ Address concerns directly and create safe environments for difficult conversations. Communication isn't just about transferring information. It's the operating system for successful transformations. Which rule do you find most challenging to implement?

If someone is surprised by the feedback they receive, this is a management failure. After witnessing multiple instances of this failure at Amazon, we realized our feedback mechanism was deeply flawed. So, we fixed it. In order for the organization to perform at its highest, employees need to know not only what is expected of them, but also how those expectations will be measured. Too often, managers assume that capable people will simply “figure things out,” but this is difficult and destined to fail without explicit expectations and continuous feedback. I remember the experience of an employee we can call “Melinda.” She had been a strong performer for two years before she transitioned into a new role on another team. She attacked the new opportunity with enthusiasm, working long hours and believing she was on the right track. Then, her manager expressed concerns about her performance and the criticism came as a shock. The feedback was vague, and there had been no regular check-ins or early signs to help her course-correct. This caused her motivation to suffer and her performance declined significantly. Eventually, she left the company. Afterward, we conducted a full review and we discovered that Melinda’s manager had never clearly articulated the expectations of the new role. Worse, her previous achievements had been disregarded in her evaluation. The system had failed her. This incident was not isolated. It illustrated a pattern. It revealed broader gaps in how we managed performance transitions and feedback loops. So, in response, we developed and deployed new mechanisms to ensure clarity from day one. We began requiring managers to explicitly define role expectations and conduct structured check-ins during an employee’s first 90 days in a new position. We also reinforced the cultural norm that feedback must be timely, specific, and actionable. These changes were rooted in a core principle of leadership: you have to make others successful too. Good management does not involve catching people off guard or putting them in “sink or swim” situations. When employees fail because expectations were unclear, that failure belongs to the manager. The best thing to do when you see those failures is to treat them as systems to improve. That’s how you build a culture of high performance.

Nonprofit executives - I've spent 20+ years working in transformational change environments & crisis moments. Here are 3 things that can help you and your team right now: 1 >> Keep Communications at the Table Your heads of external AND internal communications are vital members of any crisis or critical strategy conversations. Often, decisions are made without these leaders in the room and they are brought in too late to contribute their expertise about how best to position challenging information, share meaningful updates, and respond to tough questions. This will make it harder for everyone in the long run. Do yourself the favor and keep communications at the table - as a contributing, strategic member - from the beginning. 2 >> Provide a Proactive Channel for Questions Your team is probably pretty shaken right now. They have questions. And while you may not be able to answer them all right now, it's important to acknowledge them and work toward answers where possible. Provide a proactive way for folks to submit questions (e.g., an email address they can reach out to, a form on your intranet, designated team members throughout the org) and then find a consistent way to provide meaningful responses (e.g., all-staff meetings + a standing document on the intranet that is routinely updated). 3 >> Help Everyone Understand Their Role You and your executive team may be working through scenario planning, major donor outreach, and many other emergent needs. Your team needs to hear how they can play an important role, too. Is there specialized support or research that can be gathered? Should they focus on continuing to provide great service to your community and donors? Help them know how and where to focus their energy - and when that may need to change. Don't assume that they will know to keep following the playbook that was laid out prior to the crisis or big change. What other practical tips do you have for nonprofit executives operating in transformational change or crisis environments? Share in the comments. #nonprofit #leadership #management #ChangeLeadership --- I'm Veronica - I help CEOs and Department Heads at established nonprofits create strategic clarity and lead change well. On LinkedIn, I write about practical approaches to improving the ways we think, plan, and work.

I just wrapped up a call with a new client in the education space, and one thing became crystal clear: no matter how innovative the technology, adoption hinges on people, communication, and alignment. The district is rolling out Promethean boards, moving away from Smart Boards to enhance the classroom experience. But here's the challenge: faculty and staff weren’t looped into the "why" behind the shift, the broader technology strategy, or even how this change benefits them. No wonder the training sessions are going unattended! In less than an hour, we tackled the root issues: 👥 People First: Ensuring faculty and staff feel seen, heard, and valued. 📢 Clarity in Communication: Why the change? How does it fit into the district’s vision? 🤝 Alignment Through Engagement: Involving faculty and staff in the conversation to understand their concerns and needs. And then we established actionable next steps: A clear plan to identify impacted employees, what their needs are and ideas to engage them in the change; and of course, how they're going to communicate the strategy, including what, when, why, and how it's happening to ensure training feels meaningful and accessible. Promethean boards have incredible potential to transform the classroom, and as with any innovation, success depends on how well people are brought along for the journey. Technology is a tool, but it’s the people who make transformation happen. When leadership takes the time to connect the dots, change starts to feel less like something done to employees and more like something built with them. Have you ever seen a promising change falter because people weren’t on board? How did you turn things around? #Leadership #Change #EmployeeEngagement #Technology #TrainingIsNotChangeManagement