How did you find out about your organisation’s latest change initiative? A quick meeting? An intranet post? A generic company newsletter? An email?
And what was your reaction? Interest? A shoulder shrug? A heavy sigh?
More importantly, after reading the announcement, did you actually understand what you needed to do or what was expected of you?
The Cost of Poor Change Leadership
I once worked with a CEO who, despite explicit advice from a senior change consultant, wrote a five-page email explaining an organisation-wide restructure. I reviewed it line-by-line looking for a clear statement of expectations for staff. I didn't find one until the final page—and even then, it was just high-level rhetoric about patience, resilience, and vision. Speaking with managers afterwards, the frustration was palpable. The overriding sentiment? The CEO had no understanding of staff impact and was failing to show true leadership.
On another project, a project director insisted on writing the change communications personally, refusing advice despite having zero communications or change training. When the first few updates went out, the response was overwhelmingly negative. The communication was top down - the classic mistake. Team leaders and managers were left confused without clear calls to action or a transparent timeline. While I eventually persuaded the project director to include actionable steps, every meeting was tense and eroded trust.
Change managers know this pain well: being brought in as an expert, only to watch a leader with limited change experience park sound advice and try to wing it.
As a former change manager, I want to equip you with the information you need not just to survive change, but to feel empowered through it to achieve the best outcomes for you and your colleagues.
8 Things Every Change Communication Must Tell You
As an employee, you have a right to clear information. Effective change communication should answer these eight questions directly:
- What is changing? (What is the scope?)
- Who is leading the change?
- Who does the change impact?
- How will those impacted be consulted and engaged?*
- What system, process, or service is being replaced, and when is the phase-out date?
- How does this change impact day-to-day operations?
- What training and support will impacted staff receive?
- How can staff provide feedback?
*Note: Consultation is now a legal requirement under recent Work Health & Safety (WHS) legislation in Australia, as organisational change is recognised as a potential psychosocial hazard. (For more details, see my previous article: Psychosocial Safety Is Now Law — And Poor Organisational Change Is a Recognised Hazard).
What ADKAR Means for You
If your change management team uses the PROSCI ADKAR model, here is what you need to know about how each phase impacts you:
- Awareness: Leaders must provide detailed information—not just tell you change is happening—so you can accurately assess the impact on your work. Vague communications only fuel workplace anxiety.
- Desire: You can only decide whether to support a change if you understand how it affects your job and career. My advice? Engage early, ask questions, and make an informed choice rather than parking it for later.
- Knowledge: This is the detailed phase involving info sessions and training. Pay close attention here. Leaders often assume that attending training equals tacit acceptance of the new direction. Speak up early if you have unanswered questions.
- Ability: In my experience, this is the phase leaders rush most. Attending a single training session rarely translates into instant skill execution. You need time, practical support, and clarity on how your job description and compensation may be impacted.
- Reinforcement: Without measuring adoption or listening to staff concerns, leaders are often surprised six months later when teams revert to old ways of working. Skip this phase, and the change initiative risks total failure.
Moving Forward
A July 2026 Fortune survey of 6,000 leaders revealed that 70% of organisational change initiatives still fail. This is clear evidence that leaders are failing to give staff what they need to adopt change effectively, relying instead on top-down directives.
Times have changed. With psychosocial hazards increasingly subject to regulatory enforcement, poorly planned change is no longer just ineffective—it's a liability. To thrive, everyone in an organisation must understand their role in the change process. Know your rights, equip yourself with the right language, and don't hesitate to negotiate effectively.
4 Steps to Empower Yourself and Your Team:
- Review Communications Together: Convene a meeting with your colleagues to review the change announcement. Check if it answers the 8 questions above, and list any unanswered questions.
- Assess Workflow Impacts: Discuss the real-world impact on your daily operations. What are the advantages? What are the risks? Are there critical operational dates where the proposed timeline creates conflicts?
- Draft a Shared Summary: Reach alignment across your team and prepare a clear summary memo for your line manager. Give them adequate time to review your collective insights before meeting.
- Move into Engagement Mode: Meet with your manager to align on impacts, clarify unanswered questions, and discuss how they will advocate for the team. Consider pitching a joint team presentation to the change management team highlighting opportunities and risks. Review Communications Together: Convene a meeting with your colleagues to review the change announcement. Check if it answers the 8 questions above, and list any unanswered questions.
Need guidance on a change initiative in your workplace? Feel free to reach out to me at liz@changecoach.net.au—I’m always happy to connect online for an initial no-cost discussion.