Internal communication: essential for change management

Internal communication is essential for change management in your company. More agile, participative and results-oriented, it contributes significantly to the successful management of organizational change.

▎Communication in a critical situation

“Houston, we have a problem”. This phrase -popularized in the mythical 1995 film Apollo 13, which recreated a NASA mission- could be applied in large part to communication failures, according to statistics that indicate the difficulties faced by teams in companies.

On the other hand, global organizations and companies increasingly have to adapt to constant changes that impact not only culture but also productivity, structures and processes.

▎Numbers to consider

In a recent Forbes Advisor study, 54% of remote employees reported that poor communication affects trust in leadership and 52% reported that it affects trust in the team.

Meanwhile, for office workers,

“poor communication did not affect trust to the same extent, although it still had a big impact: 43% reported that trust in leadership was affected and so was 38% said trust in their team.”

▎Meaningful connections

In this context, internal communication emerges as a crucial factor in managing change effectively and successfully. It also facilitates the understanding, acceptance and adoption of changes within the company.

Internal communication acts as a bridge between management and employees, providing clear, transparent and timely information about planned changes. It also encourages active participation by involving them in the change process. This helps to reduce resistance and improve collaboration.

▎Challenges and transformations during change

Undoubtedly, the challenges faced by internal communication, especially in processes of organizational change, must be addressed from a 360-degree vision. Team composition, leadership, and local and global contexts must be taken into account.

These challenges must be addressed strategically. In this sense, technologies that can be incorporated both to make the appropriation of culture messages more efficient and to maximize time and processes are essential.

▎Technological tools for change management

Companies are adopting advanced technological tools to strengthen their internal communication during change processes. Some of these technologies may include:

• Corporate mobile apps: some of them customized, allowing employees to easily access relevant information, communicate with colleagues and leaders, participate in surveys, and receive real-time updates on organizational events and changes.
• Cloud collaboration platforms: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Workplace and Google Workspace are being used to facilitate collaboration and communication in globally distributed teams.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics: AI is being integrated into internal communication systems to automate routine tasks, personalize content, analyze communication patterns and provide intelligent recommendations. Data analytics helps to measure the impact of internal communication and adjust strategies based on the results obtained.

▎Focus on two-way communication

Today, successful organizations during change processes prioritize two-way communication, which involves actively listening to the ideas and concerns of everyone in the organization. Some leading practices include:

? Live question and answer (Q&A) sessions.

Hosting interactive sessions where leaders answer real-time questions from employees, either face-to-face or virtually.

? Surveys and continuous feedback

Use periodic surveys and feedback platforms to gather opinions and assess the level of satisfaction and engagement regarding internal communication and organizational changes.

? Focus groups and communication committees

Dedicated to internal communication to collaborate on creating strategies, identify areas for improvement and promote a culture of transparency and participation.

▎Personalization of messages and content

Personalization tailors messages and content to the individual needs, interests and preferences of employees, which is crucial during stages of organizational change. Some key strategies include:

• Audience segmentation: divide employees into groups according to criteria such as roles, geographic locations, hierarchical levels or areas of interest to send relevant and specific messages to each group.
• Multimedia content and storytelling: use videos, infographics, podcasts and other multimedia formats to transmit information in a more attractive and memorable way, emotionally involving employees in the company’s history and ongoing changes.
• Automation of communication campaigns: use automation tools to schedule and send personalized messages in a staggered manner, ensuring consistent and effective communication over time.

At Oxean we specialize in strategic and effective internal communication to accompany change processes. Together we can achieve a successful communication that achieves the objectives set.