Leading Through Change with Clarity: How to Keep Your Team Informed and Engaged
- Graeme Colville
- Aug 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 19
When you’re leading through change, communication is either your biggest advantage or your biggest risk. If your team is confused or left in the dark, they’ll fill in the blanks with their own assumptions. That’s how trust erodes, resistance builds, and momentum slows.
Clear, consistent updates keep people focused and grounded. This post walks you through how to share information - even when you don’t have all the answers—so your team feels included, prepared, and able to move forward.
Why Communication Matters in Leading Through Change
Change creates uncertainty, and uncertainty makes people anxious. When leaders stay silent or vague, that anxiety grows.
Harvard Business Review’s research on communication during change found that employees are far more likely to support change when they understand both the “why” and the “what’s next.”
Your role isn’t just to pass on updates - it’s to frame them in a way that builds trust, keeps work moving, and encourages your team to speak up.
Practical Strategies for Clear Communication
Share What You Know (and What You Don’t)
Trying to hide uncertainty rarely works. Be upfront about what’s decided and what’s still in progress. Example: “Here’s what’s confirmed, here’s what’s still being discussed, and here’s when I expect to have an update.”
Repeat Key Points
You might feel like you’ve said something too many times. In reality, people often need to hear important details several times - and in different formats - before they sink in.
Create Space for Questions
Don’t end with “Any questions?” It puts the burden on your team to speak up. Instead, try prompts like:
“What feels unclear right now?”
“What’s one thing you need from me to make this change easier?”
SHRM’s toolkit on managing organizational change emphasizes the value of structured check-ins to uncover issues early.
Common Communication Traps to Avoid
Overloading in one meeting – Too much information at once leads to confusion.
Using too much jargon – Keep language clear and accessible.
Skipping follow-up – One announcement isn’t enough; reinforce the message later.
Assuming silence means agreement – It often means uncertainty or discomfort.
Tools That Help You Communicate Clearly
Core Change Conversation Path – Structure your updates for maximum clarity.
Change Conversation Timeline – Plan your before/during/after communication.
Awareness & Desire Conversation Planner – Address both understanding and motivation.
Your Next Step
If you want to make communication your strongest leadership skill during change, start building your own repeatable update rhythm. Keep it clear, keep it consistent, and keep it two-way.
Download the Leadership Toolkit for Navigating Change for ready-to-use scripts, conversation prompts, and templates that make leading through change simpler and less stressful.
If you want a deeper dive into specific situations, check out the other posts in this series:
