Hint: It’s not what they think.
Organizations are constantly navigating waves of change—technological disruption, competitive pressures, economic volatility, political shifts. The instinct when facing transformation is often to sound the alarm. Change is coming! Everything is different! We must adapt—now!
And while urgency has its place, the biggest mistake many leaders and communication professionals make during transformational change is putting too much energy into what’s changing—and not nearly enough into what’s staying the same.
That imbalance creates unnecessary fear, confusion, and resistance. Because when everything feels like it’s up for grabs, people naturally cling to what they know—or worse, they get scared and disengage completely.
But here’s the truth: in most organizational transformations, the majority of things don’t change.
Let’s say that again: most things don’t change.
What often remains steady—the foundation that holds everything together—is exactly what employees need to hear, feel, and see reinforced. Not only to weather the change, but to actively participate in shaping what comes next.
Start with what’s staying the same
Whether it’s a merger, a rebrand, a restructuring, or a shift in strategy, here are just a few elements that tend to remain stable—even in turbulent times:
- Values: Your organizational values—if they’re authentic—don’t change with the wind. They’re your moral compass. Whether you’re expanding markets or tightening budgets, values like integrity, collaboration, or customer commitment should remain constant.
- Purpose: Why you exist as an organization—your deeper “why”—likely isn’t changing. Even if how you operate evolves, the core reason you do what you do often stays the same. Reminding people of this purpose helps them reorient.
- People: Most of your people will still be there the next day. Their relationships, team dynamics, and internal culture may be your strongest assets during change. Celebrating continuity helps retain engagement and morale.
- Products or Services: Not every transformation means a reinvention. Often, the products or services customers love will remain in place, perhaps improved or delivered differently.
- Customers: Your customer base and their expectations may shift, but many of their core needs remain. Understanding and serving those needs doesn’t go away—it may even become more focused.
- Leadership Principles: While leaders may come and go, the leadership behaviours you expect—transparency, accountability, empathy—should remain consistent.
- Commitment to Employees: If you’ve always prided yourself on being a supportive employer, change should reinforce that—not erode it. Reminding employees of your commitment to their development and wellbeing is key.
- Legal and Ethical Standards: Amidst change, your obligations remain. Ethics, compliance, and safety are anchors in the storm.
- Cultural Norms and Rituals: Even small things—how you celebrate wins, how you kick off meetings, how teams recognize each other—can offer a sense of stability and community.
- Brand Legacy: While the brand may evolve, the story and reputation you’ve built over time is still there. Honouring that legacy gives context and credibility to the path forward.
The comfort of continuity
When leaders ignore these anchors and focus solely on the disruption, they create a narrative of chaos. But when they focus on the foundations that remain, they build trust.
Change doesn’t have to mean a loss of identity. In fact, the most successful transformations are rooted in clarity about what’s worth protecting, carrying forward, and amplifying.
The communicator’s role
As internal communication and change practitioners, we’re not just storytellers—we’re sense-makers. Our job is to help people see both the delta (what’s changing) and the constant (what’s not).
By anchoring transformation in what’s staying the same, we give people solid ground to stand on while they reach for something new.
And that? That’s how you turn change from something that happens to people into something they help create.
