It’s 8:15am on a Monday. Somewhere, at a global company with offices across three time zones, a calendar invite pops up: “Org Update – Mandatory Attendance.” Ten minutes later there’s a reorg and a new reporting line delivered as a standard leadership transition email. The words in the memo make sense but half the room is still left thinking, “What does this mean for me?”
Across the country, a different organization is rolling out a new member benefits announcement. The text message technically explains everything, but people still skim, decide they’ll deal with it later until “later” turns into an unexpected bill or an ER visit that could have been prevented.
In another healthcare company, a policy change is about to go live with a new tool everyone is required to adopt but there’s only an attached set of training slides. Still, the same question echoes, “What do I do now?”
That’s the hidden truth of organizational transformation.
The job of communications is not to broadcast harder but to make action feel possible, and action only becomes possible when people encounter the same simple story in more than one place, more than one way, more than one time. That means coordinated touchpoints that reinforce each other: a poster they’ll notice at work, a conversation that puts it in context, or a single webpage they can easily pull up on their phones.
And the stakes are rising, too.
Industry-wide consolidation, workforce strain, burnout. 2025 presented more change than I have seen in our industry in over 20 years, which is exactly why, now in 2026, internal communications are shifting away from one polished message at the top, toward manager and community-led message cascades that protect trust in unstable times. Multichannel communication is the force multiplier here. It gives leaders and organizations the tools to show up consistently, makes it easier to translate important changes into “here’s what this means for you,” and creates enough repetition across environments that people don’t have to hunt for clarity when they’re already stretched thin.
Here are a few things I am keeping in mind while everything else seems to be changing:
Be human. That means listening more than talking and this applies to leaders at all levels. It also means being present and accessible, intentionally checking in with teams and creating a safe space for people to ask questions.
Be accessible. Most people won’t read the fine print but they’ll search when it matters. Design information and use accessible technology so people can find what they need fast, especially in high-stress moments.
Be consistent. Explain the “why” in plain language so employees can understand the bigger picture and repeat it across formats. A message reinforced is a message heard.
Be transparent. “I don’t know” is a complete sentence and an honest response. Being a visible and authentic leader is a great way to demonstrate that you are in this with your teams and you are willing to bring them along on the journey.
Be engaged. Create opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate the work your teams are doing. This will not only create opportunities for high performers to lead and engage in new ways but will empower them to feel ready and confident about what is coming next.
When people feel oriented, they act earlier and avoid unnecessary friction. Trust, comprehension and follow-through all travel together.
