Why Change Comms Fall Flat, and How Communication Can Turn It Around

This article is sponsored by Appspace.

Whether it’s a reorg, a strategy shift, or a new tool rollout, change is familiar territory. Still, well-planned initiatives often stall because employees don’t understand the “why,” can’t find the “how,” or don’t trust what they’re hearing from leaders. The problem isn’t usually the change itself; it’s how we communicate it. Change is constant, but the way we talk about it still hasn’t caught up.

The Tactical Trap

As internal communications leaders, we’re often brought in late and expected to “get the word out” after leaders have made decisions. But to make change stick, communication can’t be an afterthought. It has to lead.

Too often, leaders mistake tactics for strategy. An email or town hall script isn’t change management. They’re individual pieces of collateral that should support a broader framework. When organizations focus on tactics, they rarely get the intended outcome.

Why does this happen?

• Leadership and employees are out of sync. When employees feel like change is happening to them instead of with them, they disengage. Leaders may believe they’re being clear, but emotions and anxiety can run high during times of change, and it’s easy for a message to become diluted or distorted as it travels through the organization. Without consistent, human-centered communication, trust erodes fast.
• Messages are spread too thin or too thick. It’s easy for change updates to get lost in the noise or become the noise. One moment it’s an email, the next a call, or it’s three days of constant updates in every channel. People don’t know where to go for reliable updates or guidance, or they feel overwhelmed and tune out altogether.
• Communication is reactive, not intentional. Going straight to tactics prioritizes crossing action items off a checklist over anticipating and speaking to experience. When we don’t slow down to consider questions, feelings, challenges, and resources, we end up scrambling to answer questions after the rollout happens. That creates a cycle where comms is always catching up, never leading the way.

A Communication-First Approach to Change

How do we shift from reporting change to guiding it? Here are three strategies that work well across industries:

• Create dedicated channels, hubs, or communities for change. Give change a home — not a drive folder or a one-off newsletter — a visible, purpose-built space where people know they can go to learn, ask, and share. It could be a dedicated hub on your intranet, a digital community, or pre-scheduled office hours for rollout support. The key is consistency. When the source of truth is always changing, people stop looking. When you create a single place where information is timely, accessible, and easy to navigate, you build trust and momentum.
• Make communication a two-way street. Feedback shouldn’t be a formality, and it shouldn’t be something you ask for after you’ve finished your comms to-do list. Feedback should shape the journey before, during, and after change. Set up structured ways for employees to ask questions, raise concerns, and share what they’re hearing on the ground. It could be as simple as an open Q&A forum or as dynamic as live listening sessions with leaders. What matters is that you’re listening and responding. Two-way communication also means bringing in your people early. When they see their input reflected in the plan, they’re more likely to support it. Even if you can’t act on every piece of feedback, acknowledging it goes a long way.
• Communicate early, consistently, and authentically. Sometimes leaders worry they’re overcommunicating, but the real problem is waiting too long to start or being all-or-nothing. When employees don’t receive consistent information, rumors or assumptions fill the gaps. Shift from reactive updates to a proactive communication rhythm. Think: weekly pulses, regular leadership check-ins, bite-sized explainer videos, even internal “change diaries” from those closest to the work. It’s not more noise; it’s about meeting people where they are and showing your commitment to keeping them in the know, even if the update is “no update.”

The Role of Comms Leaders and Technology

Appspace works with organizations navigating all kinds of transformation. The ones who do it best are the ones who treat communication as infrastructure, not decoration. This means creating communication ecosystems that are flexible and scalable to meet changing needs.

Comms leaders must ensure the tools and strategies they choose make information easier to access, act on, and contribute to. Whether it’s through dedicated comms hubs, consistent messaging across teams, or simple ways to gather feedback, the goal is the same: to keep employees informed, connected, and confident in what’s next.

Appspace helps internal comms professionals and business leaders to bridge the gap between digital and physical touchpoints, helping teams connect with employees wherever they are. With centralized publishing, built-in feedback tools, and tailored experiences by role or location, Appspace enables a more intentional, strategic approach to change that goes beyond tactics and supports employees at every step.

As comms leaders, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to shape how change is experienced, not just announced.