Crafting Messages That Resonate During Change

Some executives inspire action. Others get ignored. Why? Because facts fade. Stories stick. After a 1-minute pitch, Stanford research found: ⟶ 5% recalled a statistic ⟶ 63% remembered the stories Here’s how storytelling can reshape your career: Too often, leaders default to data dumps: ⟶ Dense board decks ⟶ Endless bullet points in team updates ⟶ Info overload in all-hands meetings The result? Information is shared—impact is lost. After a career in corporate communications, I know firsthand how storytelling makes the message stick. Here are four ways to bring your messages to life with narrative: 🟡 Board Meetings ⟶ Don’t just share quarterly results—frame them as a journey: What challenge did you overcome? What shifted? ⟶ When outlining strategy, position it as the next chapter in a larger story. People engage with progress they can visualize. 🟡 Team Communications ⟶ Go beyond status updates—share moments of resilience, creativity, or lessons learned. ⟶ Instead of reciting company values, illustrate them with real team examples that people remember. 🟡 Customer Presentations ⟶ Open with a real customer journey: their pain point, your partnership, and the change they experienced. ⟶ Before/after stories make transformation tangible—more than any stat ever could. 🟡 Change Management ⟶ Paint a picture of the future state so people see themselves in it—not just the steps to get there. ⟶ Share your own experience navigating change to build empathy and trust. ↓ ↓ Want to start? 1/ Look for the human impact inside your metrics 2/ Use a simple structure: beginning, conflict, resolution 3/ Practice with small stories—in meetings, Slack, or 1:1s 4/ Always end with a clear shift or takeaway Facts inform, but stories move people. Try adding one story to your next presentation using these ideas—then watch what changes. P.S. Have you used any of these approaches already? I’d love to hear what worked. ♻ Repost to help your network lead with more story. (Research: Jennifer Aaker, Stanford GSB)

Last month, I was facilitating a workshop for a group of leaders on how to navigate and lead through change. At one point, someone posed an important question: “Where do you think leading change efforts usually go wrong?” It was asked with genuine curiosity and what was unique was that everyone in the room was a people leader, but just as importantly, they had all been on the receiving end of change themselves, as individual contributors, team members, and participants in past transformations, both good and bad. To harness all that insight, we ran a “pre-mortem” exercise asking: If this change were to fail, what would have caused it? What surfaced was a revealing list of frustrations and patterns ➡ ️ Formulaic Approaches That Ignore the Human Side: There was a general agreement that change frameworks and models can be useful, especially at scale and for organization. But when change becomes a checklist rather than a conversation, it feels mechanical. Because change is personal. People don’t experience it in uniform ways. If we don’t make space for the human reaction, we lose the heart of the effort. ➡️  The WIIFM Trap (“What’s In It for Me”)We’ve all been told to lead with benefits, but several leaders called out how this can backfire. When the “what’s in it for me” message is tacked on as an afterthought, or worse, spun in an obviously false way, it erodes trust. Authenticity matters. If the benefit isn’t real, or if it’s only framed from the organization’s perspective, people will feel it. ➡️ Compliance > Commitment: While it’s true that you can mandate behavior, you can’t mandate belief or commitment.  Many leaders described being in environments where the focus was solely on  compliance, mandates, policies, new systems rolled out with minimal dialogue.  The result? Surface-level adoption at best, quiet resistance at worst. Commitment takes longer, but it leads to energy, ownership, and sustained effort. ➡️The Say-Do Gap: This one came up a lot. When leaders say one thing but act differently, when behaviors, priorities, or incentives don’t align with the stated change,that sends a loud signal. People don’t just listen to what leaders say. They watch what they do. Have you experienced one of these failure points during a change effort? Or figured out a way to avoid them altogether? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you.

Change is hard. Change across multiple time zones, locations, and cultures? That’s next-level chaos if not handled well. Rolling out change in a remote/hybrid world isn’t just about announcing it—it’s about making sure it actually lands. Because let’s be real, if employees don’t understand the change, they won’t buy into it. And without buy-in? Expect a delightful mix of confusion, resistance, and disengagement. So what makes change comms actually work? ✅ Clarity – No corporate jargon, no fluff. Tell people why this change matters and how it affects them. If you can’t explain it simply, you’re not ready to roll it out. ✅ Consistency – One email won’t cut it. Hit multiple touchpoints—video, intranet, Slack/Teams, live Q&As. People need to hear it more than once, in different formats, to absorb it. ✅ Feedback loops – Change to employees feels like a burden. Change with employees builds trust. Give them a voice—surveys, town halls, manager-led discussions. The more involved they are, the smoother the transition. Yet, so many companies get this wrong. They communicate the “what” but forget the “why.” Or they announce the change once and assume it stuck. Spoiler alert: It didn’t. #ChangeManagement #InternalComms #Leadership #HybridWork

We often assume that once we’ve shared a message, employees will remember it. But the reality? They don’t. It’s not because they’re not paying attention. It’s because they’re busy. They’re juggling projects, deadlines, and countless other priorities. That’s why we can’t treat organizational goals as a “one-and-done” message. Instead of only providing updates on progress, we need to reinforce why these goals matter throughout the year. Think of it like marketing: Companies don’t run an ad once and expect customers to remember. They repeat the message in different ways to make it stick. We can do the same by mixing up our delivery: 🔹Town halls to bring leadership’s voice into the conversation 🔹Videos for storytelling and emotional connection 🔹Digital signage for quick reinforcement in high-traffic areas 🔹Employee spotlights to show how teams are contributing to success 🔹Newsletters, intranet posts, and Slack updates for ongoing touchpoints Repetition isn’t redundancy. It's reinforcement. When we consistently connect employees to the bigger picture, we turn abstract goals into everyday actions. #InternalComms #EmployeeEngagement #ChangeManagement

Storytelling is a change agent’s secret weapon. When it comes to driving change, a compelling narrative is more powerful than any policy or procedure. 📜 Employees don't just need to know what's changing - they need to understand why. They need to feel emotionally connected to the vision. That's where storytelling comes in. Craft a narrative that: - Anchors the change in a shared purpose - Paints a vivid picture of success - Connects the dots between the past, present, and future Use metaphors, analogies, and examples to make the abstract concrete. Put a human face on the data. Most importantly, make the story about them. Cast employees as the heroes of the transformation. People may forget the specifics of the plan. But they'll always remember how the story made them feel. Change starts with the heart. Capture it with a story that inspires. #ChangeManagement #Storytelling #CommunicationSkills

Organizational Transformations can be confusing. If they are not backed up with the right messaging. And if leaders don’t guide the meaning-making, people fill the silence with fear or frustration. That’s why communication isn’t a “soft skill” during transformation— It is the most important skill. Here’s how high-impact leaders communicate to help people move forward: 🔹 1. Frame the Change With Context and Purpose → Explain why it matters—and what’s at stake. 🔹 2. Connect Emotionally Through Storytelling → Use real, human-centered examples to build meaning and connection. 🔹 3. Challenge Assumptions—Together → Create space for honest conversations about fears, doubts, and resistance. 🔹 4. Anchor Communication to Organizational Values → Show how the shift supports integrity, growth, or innovation. 🔹 5. Encourage Ongoing Dialogue and Reflection → Ask: “What does this change mean for you?” → Invite clarity—not compliance. 🔹 6. Repeat, Reinforce, Reframe → Leaders must echo key ideas, adapt messaging, and evolve the narrative as the journey unfolds. Transformation doesn’t just need a plan. It needs a message that moves people. If you’re navigating transformation and want your communication to land, lead, and lift— Let’s talk. A fractional transformation executive can help you guide that shift, from insight to execution.

Did you know that during times of change, even the most articulate adults start reading at a 4th-grade level? 🤯 Stress can wreak havoc on our cognitive functions, making clear communication more critical than ever. Effective change management starts with simplifying our messages. But what if we take this a step further? Here are some simple ways to shift how you can help your folks better understand the change(s) coming their way: 1️⃣ Ditch the Jargon: Forget the corporate lingo. Speak in plain, simple language that everyone can understand. It’s not about dumbing it down; it’s about making it accessible. 2️⃣ Visual Communication: Use more visuals—infographics, videos, and diagrams can convey complex ideas quickly and clearly. This doesn't just make things look prettier, folks are 6x more likely to remember information when there's a relevant picture associated with it! #neat 3️⃣ Shorten Meetings: Cut down meeting times and focus on concise, impactful communication. This isn't just a fad, attention spans are shorter under stress. Bonus points that this also helps level the playing field for your neurodivergent workforce! 4️⃣ Regular Check-Ins: Increase the frequency of one-on-one check-ins to provide continuous support and address concerns promptly. 5️⃣ Empower Through Storytelling: Share stories that resonate emotionally. Personal anecdotes can be more impactful than dry data. How are you adjusting your communication strategies to meet your team's needs during change? Let's discuss the human side of change and share insights on effective transformation strategies! www.3-kc.com #ChangeManagement #NeuroscienceOfChange #KeysToSuccess #Neurodiversity #Transformation #EffectiveCommunication #Leadership #3KeysConsulting

A common theme echoed by the HR professionals I connected with during the #SHRM25 conference was this: Change and uncertainty are taking a toll. Whether it’s layoffs, digital transformation, or navigating a merger or acquisition, many HR leaders shared how these shifts are draining morale, motivation, and engagement across their organizations. If change and uncertainty are your reality right now, here are three things I recommend you do: ✅ Communicate early and often. Silence breeds anxiety. Even if you don’t have all the answers, be transparent about what you know, what you’re still working through, and when people can expect updates. Consistent communication builds trust and calms uncertainty. ✅ Acknowledge the emotional impact. Don’t gloss over how difficult change can feel. Create space for employees to process, ask questions, and share concerns. A simple check-in or an open forum can go a long way toward reducing isolation and fear. ✅ Reinforce purpose and connection. People must be reminded why their work matters when everything feels in flux. Reconnect teams to shared goals, values, and the bigger picture. A sense of purpose is an antidote to disengagement. Change is inevitable. However, how you lead through it determines whether your culture fractures or emerges stronger. What strategies have you found most effective in supporting employees through uncertain times? Share your thoughts below. —— 💡Follow me for more insights on leadership and culture ♻️ Share this post with your network. #Leadership #ChangeManagement #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture