Internal Change Communications Toolkit

When to use this toolkit

Use the Internal Change Communications Toolkit when you’re preparing to announce:

Organisational restructures — team changes, reporting lines, role eliminations
Strategic pivots — new direction, changed priorities, market repositioning
Policy changes — new ways of working, benefits changes, operational updates
Technology implementations — new systems, process changes, digital transformation
Mergers and acquisitions — integration announcements, cultural alignment
Leadership transitions — new executives, departures, succession

The toolkit is designed for changes that affect how people work, who they report to, or what the organisation stands for.

How the workflow fits together

Phase 1: Planning the Communications Arc

Start with the Change Communications Plan. This maps the entire journey from announcement to embedding. Change doesn’t land in one message—it takes repeated, consistent communication over weeks or months.

Use the Stakeholder Mapping Matrix to identify your internal audiences. Not everyone needs the same message at the same time. Executives hear first, then managers, then all-staff. Some teams are more affected than others.

Phase 2: The Announcement

The All-Staff Update Format structures your initial announcement. This is the moment people will remember—get it right. The template ensures you cover the what, why, and what happens next.

Key principle: Employees should never hear about changes affecting them from external sources first.

Phase 3: Manager Enablement

Managers are your force multipliers. The Manager Cascade Notes brief them to have conversations with their teams. They shouldn’t read from a script—they should understand the message well enough to put it in their own words.

This phase often determines success. If managers aren’t confident, employees won’t be either.

Phase 4: Interactive Engagement

The Town Hall Q&A Preparation template gets you ready for live sessions. Employees need the chance to ask questions and hear from leadership directly. Prepare for the tough questions—they will come.

The FAQ Builder captures written answers that can be shared after the town hall and updated as new questions emerge.

Tips for success

Announce, don’t consult — If the decision is made, don’t pretend it’s a discussion. Be clear about what’s fixed and what’s flexible.
Silence is not neutral — When you don’t communicate, people fill the void with speculation. Over-communicate during change.
Managers need lead time — Brief them 24-48 hours before all-staff so they can prepare for their team conversations.
Repeat the core message — People need to hear things multiple times before they sink in. Say it again.
Track questions — Questions that keep coming up signal gaps in your communication.

What’s not included

This toolkit focuses on internal communications. For change initiatives that also involve external stakeholders, you may need:

Press Release Structure if media is involved
Key Messages Grid for consistent external messaging
Crisis Content Pre-Approval Pack if the change has reputational risk

Estimated time

Phase	Time
Change comms planning	3-4 hours
Stakeholder mapping	2 hours
Announcement drafting	2-3 hours
Manager cascade materials	2-3 hours
Town hall and FAQ prep	3-4 hours
Total	12-16 hours over 1-2 days

Add significant time for stakeholder reviews and approval cycles—change communications typically require sign-off from HR, legal, and executive sponsors.