Change Communication Strategies (19+ Cs)
Introduction
A practical checklist for an effective change communication strategy.
The 19+ Cs of Change Communications
1. Clear
- Messages must be simple, jargon-free and easy to understand.
- If people can’t explain the change in their own words, it’s too complex.
2. Consistent
- Deliver the same core messages across all leaders, channels and touchpoints.
- Prevent “mixed messages” that fuel confusion or resistance.
3. Credible
- Communication must align with leadership behaviour (no say–do gap).
- Facts, evidence and honesty build trust.
4. Compelling
- Focus on the “why” of the change.
- Use stories, metaphors or real-life examples to inspire emotional connection.
5. Concise
- Avoid overload; being short, sharp and relevant beats long and detailed.
- People retain key points better when not drowned in detail.
6. Continuous
- Communication isn’t “one-and-done.”
- Needs to be ongoing, repeated and reinforced through multiple phases of change.
7. Conversational
- Two-way, not broadcast-only.
- Encourage dialogue through Q&A sessions, team huddles, digital forums, etc.
8. Customised
- Tailor messaging to different audiences (executives, managers, frontline staff, customers, etc).
- Show people what the change means for them.
9. Contextual
- Anchor messages in the broader business and cultural context.
- Explain not just the “what” but “why now?” and “what if we don’t change?”
- Personalise communications so that is meaningful to different stakeholders; reduces uncertainty
- Need to be flexible as there is no one-size-fits all
- Need to use tangible, relevant examples to help both understanding and buy-in from different stakeholders, ie to target different roles and responsibilities
“…Whatever the change is, contextualising and personalising it needs to be granular and specific. By doing this, we can really help people see the change impact clearly…”
Mel Loy, 2024
10. Collaborative
- Involve employees in shaping the message and the change journey.
- Co-designing solutions or testing pilots builds ownership.
- Initially ask stakeholders what the perfect future looks like, ie ideal world or Utopia
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the knowledge base)
11. Co-create
- People value what they create (it is a type of cognitive bias that is sometimes called the IKEA effect or endowment effect; this bias leads us to value items, ideas, etc we own more highly than if the same item, idea didn't belong to us.)
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the knowledge base)
- Need to start to co-creating at the very beginning of the change initiative to encourage buy-in.
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the knowledge base)
12. Compare and Contrast
- Demonstrate comparisons between the current situation and the expected future
- Show what the change will look like and feel in practice: encourage people to build on the status quo
- Emphasise the benefits of the change while handing its challenges
- Explain what doesn't change; this will reduce the feeling of uncertainty and of being overwhelmed
- Compare with past favourable, beneficial experiences of change to support the case for the ‘why’ now
13. Characterise
- Use storytelling and creating characters like avatars
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the knowledge base)
- People remember the stories, rather than dot-points on the PowerPoint
“…Storytelling has been shown to improve information processes, increasing recall of, and interest in, the story……Character-driven stories with emotional content result in a better understanding of the key points of the speakers wishes to make and enable better recall of these points weeks later, because they release oxytocin in the brain, a happy hormone which also promotes empathy…… If you can create characters that tell a story that people can see themselves in, you'll automatically have their attention, and build their engagement and understanding in the process, Win-win!…”
Mel Loy, 2024
14. Chunk it Down (micro-learning)
- Breaking the change into smaller and more palatable portions can help people understand and become engaged
“… By reducing the number of variables in a message, audience members were able to accurately remember more information. It works by not only breaking down of the pieces of information into smaller messages, then also demonstrates how they all worked together…”
Mel Loy, 2024
This reduces the cognitive load on people's brains.
- Our working memory capacity works best retains fewer than 5 meaningful items; this enables better long-term learning and retention. Furthermore, 3 is ideal, so have 3 key points in your presentation.
- Reframing is another way of chunking down.
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)
15. Converse Confidently
- Be careful of hedging (using words and phrases to soften the message; it is used to intentionally keep things flexible, vague and distance yourselves from the decision-making.)
- Use priming language (involves setting the scene, ie
“…If we use language upfront that is more positive about the change, then people will tend to think more positively about the message that follows, and vice versa if we start with negative messaging…”
Mel Loy, 2024)
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)
16. Champion Change
- Identify and support those who have influential voices in the organisation and actively recruit their support
- Aim to have a wide organisational network of contacts everywhere!!!
- Cultivate great relationships with your colleagues to establish trust and respect.
“…They are not seen as authoritative figures, but as helpful and supportive colleagues. They are less likely to trigger reactance than a higher authority figure like CEO…… They are your ears and eyes on the ground, and can give you plenty of warning of any red flags popping up…”
Mel Loy, 2024
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)
17. Consider Culture
- Any country’s culture has a great impact on workplaces. For example, people of Anglo-Saxon, European background generally value clarity:
“…Clear, precise site communications and we say what we mean. There is very little room for nuance, and these poeple often repeat information to ensure it is clearly understood…”
Mel Loy, 2024
However, there are cultures found in Japan, China, Asia, etc which require ‘reading between the lines’; meaning is more indirect and implied.
If you communicate in an Anglo-Saxon approach or style with somebody from China, you will appear rude or patronising.
Some other differences include being individualistic (from focus on self; being independent and self-sufficient is considered a strength) or collectivistic (prioritise contribution to the group, rather than self).
The more individualistic, the greater the amount of reactance.
“…You want to get your message heard, delivered in a way that aligns with the cultural context of your audience…”
Mel Loy, 2024
(for more detail, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)
18. Create Competition and Compensation (rewards)
- Healthy competition can encourage better performance, especially if a suitable reward is attached; however, while unhealthy competition can spark anxiety, create bad behaviour (including unethical behaviour), etc
- Design something that creates excitement about a reward or an opportunity
- Need to incentivise the right achievements, not the measurement; if the measurement is incentivised, it will increase the chance of manipulation of the measure which can be counter-productive for the project
- Focus on the outcomes: achieving the change you want to see, rather than mere outputs (quantifiable deliverables)
19. Celebrate Milestones
- Achieving milestones demonstrates that progress is being made and can encourage enhance performance
- Milestone recognition is a way of maintaining awareness of change
- Reward those who are performing
- Recognition helps to motivate people and maintain engagement, trust, etc
“… Employees are 2.7 times more likely to be wholly engaged if they believe they'll be recognised for their work and contribution…”
Mel Loy, 2024
Why These Cs Matter
- They act as a checklist for leaders and change practitioners to evaluate whether their communications strategy is robust.
- If any of the Cs are missing (e.g., messages aren’t credible or continuous), trust and adoption are at risk.
- Together, they balance rational clarity (head), emotional resonance (heart), and engagement (hands-on involvement).
Summary:
The 19 Cs show that successful change communication isn’t just about sending messages. it’s about building trust, relevance, and ownership through thoughtful strategy.
(main source: Mel Loy, 2024)