How to say everything that can—and must—be said during reorganisations

How to say everything that can—and must—be said during reorganisations

Organisational change in companies should be well prepared and accompanied by carefully considered communication.

A three-stage communication approach helps prepare people affected by organisational change, to a greater or lesser extent, step by step. Particularly in organisations with employee participation, this approach is advisable to avoid conflicts with participation obligations.

Stage 1: communicating the process
In this step, you announce the upcoming organisational change for the first time and explain WHY. Crucially, make the reorganisation PROCESS transparent and share dates and milestones when decisions will be made and communicated.

Stage 2: communicating the structure

At this stage, communicate the new organisational design and operating model. Make clear which structural changes have been decided, where scope for shaping the design remains, and when and by whom those choices will be made. Again, make the process transparent and share dates and milestones for decisions and the associated communications.

Stage 3: communicating personnel decisions

At this point, announce all personnel decisions. Naturally, those directly affected will already have been informed in one-to-one conversations and, where applicable, employee representatives will also have been involved beforehand. Announcing personnel decisions also means setting out the complete implementation plan, showing every necessary step until the new organisation takes effect.

These three stages should be understood as important communication milestones. Of course, many individual conversations, consultations and decisions take place before, between and after them. A stakeholder analysis at the beginning makes the interest groups visible and anticipates how they will be involved and informed.

As with all business changes, being united and determined works! Leadership teams should therefore appear together wherever possible and share active communication roles among themselves.

All of this shows that organisational change is much more than moving boxes around on a drawing board. It should be established carefully as a project from the outset.

And incidentally, trust is earned by keeping the previously promised decision and communication dates, and by speaking with maximum openness on those dates: saying everything employee participation rules allow and everything respect for people requires.