Stop sending information. Start creating understanding.
The Hard Truth
A lot of “change communications” is unreadable.
Not because employees don’t care, but because communicators forget the point.
They chase completion, not comprehension.
They write to update, not to align.
The result? Walls of text, vague subject lines, and audiences drowning in corporate noise.
In a world where attention is currency, clarity is what earns trust.
And if you can’t write a message people actually read, your transformation will fail — no matter how many PowerPoints you produce.
Why Change Messages Fail (and What No One Admits)
Let’s be honest. When leaders say “We need more communication”, what they usually mean is “We’re losing control.”
So they send more.
More updates, more FAQs, more “progress reports.”
But noise doesn’t drive adoption — meaning does.
Here’s what actually kills most change messages:
- No emotional context. You lead with tasks, not “why.”
- No clear structure. The key point is buried halfway down.
- Too much jargon. If employees need a decoder ring, you’ve lost them.
- No story. People can’t see themselves in the change.
- No rhythm. Communication happens when someone remembers, not when you hit send.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone — this is why I built the Clarity Framework™.
The Fix: Write with Clarity, Not Corporate
Your job isn’t to send messages.
It’s to translate transformation — into words that move people to act.
To do that, you need to write from inside the change, not above it.
Here’s how to do it, step by step.
Step 1: Define the “Why” Before the “What”
Before you type a single word, ask:
“Why does this change matter to them — not just to leadership?”
Most communicators skip straight to logistics: dates, timelines, deliverables. But until people understand why the change exists, the “what” won’t land.
Make it human:
- Start with the problem the change solves.
- Acknowledge the disruption honestly.
- Tie every detail to the purpose — not the process.
Example:
❌ “Starting July 15, the new asset management platform goes live.”
✅ “Starting July 15, our teams will have one connected view of every asset — so we can make faster, safer decisions on the ground.”
That one sentence moves your message from information to meaning.
Step 2: Build a Message Architecture
Every change message should follow a predictable flow.
I call this the Change Message Pyramid. It’s simple, and it works:
1️⃣ Anchor the context: What’s happening and why?
2️⃣ State the impact: What does this mean for employees or teams?
3️⃣ Guide the action: What do they need to know or do next?
4️⃣ Offer reassurance: What support exists to help them succeed?
This architecture keeps your message tight, readable, and emotionally grounded.
When you write without structure, your audience spends energy figuring out what matters. When you write with structure, they spend energy taking action.
Step 3: Use Storytelling to Create Understanding
Facts tell. Stories transform.
Humans don’t retain bullet points; they remember narratives.
So if you want someone to care, stop dumping data and start building arcs.
Every story follows three beats:
Here’s where we are → Here’s what’s changing → Here’s how you fit in.
This gives readers cognitive safety. It helps them make sense of where they belong in the story.
Mini example:
- We’ve been managing projects across multiple systems.
- Starting this fall, we’ll unify them into one platform.
- That means you’ll have fewer logins and faster visibility into work orders.
Simple. Visual. Repeatable. That’s clarity in motion.
Step 4: Make Language Do the Heavy Lifting
Corporate writers love to “optimize,” “streamline,” and “implement.”
But nobody talks like that, and if you do, your message dies on arrival.
Swap corporate words for human ones.
| Corporate Word | Clarity Alternative |
|---|---|
| Implement | Start / launch / introduce |
| Optimize | Improve / make easier |
| Stakeholders | Teams / people / partners |
| Rollout | Launch / transition |
| Initiative | Change / effort / project |
When in doubt, read your message out loud.
If it sounds robotic, rewrite it until it doesn’t.
Step 5: Design for How Humans Read
Even the clearest message fails if it’s formatted like a wall of text.
Your audience is skimming between meetings, assignments, and overflowing inboxes. Respect their attention.
Design clarity into every paragraph:
- Use short sentences (under 20 words).
- Break up text with subheads and bullet points.
- Bold the key takeaway once per section.
- Keep paragraphs under 4 lines — mobile readers will thank you.
Clarity isn’t just what you say. It’s how you make it feel easy to read.
Step 6: Build Rhythm, Not Randomness
Change communication shouldn’t feel like an ambush.
Predictability is trust.
Set a consistent cadence — weekly, bi-weekly, whatever suits the scale of your program — and stick to it.
When employees can anticipate updates, they stop bracing for surprises and start trusting your process.
The best communicators aren’t loud. They’re steady.
Step 7: Measure Understanding, Not Output
Most communicators measure success by activity: emails sent, articles published, town halls hosted.
But activity ≠ adoption.
Instead, measure understanding:
- Do people know what’s changing?
- Do they understand why?
- Can they explain it in their own words?
The goal isn’t more communication.
It’s clearer communication that sticks.
The New Rule of Change Writing
Clarity is the new currency of influence.
When your message is clear:
- Leaders look confident.
- Employees feel informed.
- Projects move faster.
When it’s not, confusion costs more than silence ever will.
So before you send your next “update,” stop and ask:
Does this create clarity or just activity?
If it’s the latter, you’re not communicating. You’re adding noise.
Your Next Step
If you’re tired of rewriting the same updates and watching engagement flatline, start here:
Explore the Clarity Framework — a five-part method designed to help communicators turn complex change into messages people actually understand.
It’s not about writing more.
It’s about writing what matters.
FAQs
It’s a writing approach that prioritizes meaning over message volume — so people understand what’s changing, why it matters, and what to do next.
They bury the point, overuse jargon, and lack a clear structure. Clarity fixes that with a repeatable message architecture.
It guides teams to diagnose confusion, define the core story, design a human cadence, deliver with empathy, and measure understanding. See the framework.
Context → Impact → Action → Support. One screen, one ask, one next step.
Ask three people to repeat it in their own words. If they match the intent, you’re clear. If not, simplify and cut.
✦ About Ana Magana
Ana Magana is a strategic communications and change management consultant based in Calgary, Alberta. She helps organizations navigate transformation with clarity and calm through her signature Clarity Framework.
✨ For more insights, visit anamagana.com or connect on LinkedIn.