by Nicola
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by Nicola
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(5 minute read)
Some ideas about communicating during change stubbornly persist. Sometimes they’re said out loud, but more often they’re implied and show up in decisions, timelines and budget.
At first glance they sound sensible, and even responsible. What they have in common is that they are some of the most reliable causes of change starting to wobble.
Here are six myths I still see leaders believing – and what actually happens in practice.
Myth 1: “If it’s good news, we don’t need to overthink the comms.”
When a change is framed as growth, investment or a new system, it is usually seen as positive for the business. From there it is easy to assume it will feel positive to everyone affected, so doesn’t need much thought in how it is communicated.
That’s because there’s a notion that “good” means the same thing for everyone.
In reality, positive change is rarely neutral. A new system may promise efficiency while making someone’s expertise feel less relevant, or an investment in one area could create uncertainty in another.
When leaders assume the benefits are obvious, communication often becomes lighter and less structured. Yet even positive change raises familiar questions: What does this mean for me? When will I know more? What happens next?
Good news still needs clear, deliberate communication.
Myth 2: “We’ll wait until everything is final before we communicate.”
This approach feels careful and responsible. Leaders want to present a complete picture and avoid sharing information that might later change.
The difficulty is that waiting for certainty often creates a vacuum. In the absence of information, people speculate, join the dots themselves and form conclusions long before the official message arrives.
Communicating earlier does not mean having every answer. It means being open about what is known, what is still being worked through and when more detail will follow.
In most situations, early visibility reduces anxiety far more effectively than late perfection.
Myth 3: “We’ve already communicated it.”
An announcement was made, slides were shared and an email went out. On paper, the communication has happened.
The problem is that information, understanding and behavioural change do not move at the same pace. Hearing something once does not mean people have absorbed it, processed it or acted accordingly.
Without reinforcement, space for questions and visible follow-through from leaders, messages pass people by or are interpreted in different ways.
Communication is not a single event, but a combination of activities that needs to keep pace with the change itself.
Research into change management best practice consistently shows that employees prefer to hear about change from their direct manager and that communication needs to be repeated and reinforced throughout the process.
Myth 4: “Managers will just cascade it.”
Managers are often expected to absorb a major change and immediately explain it to their teams, sometimes with little more than a slide deck and a set of key messages.
Without preparation and alignment, that cascade becomes distortion. Messages are simplified, softened or unintentionally reshaped depending on how confident each manager feels about the change.
Preparing leaders properly and giving them time to understand, question and reflect before communicating with their teams significantly improves the consistency and quality of conversations.
Trusting those closest to teams to handle these discussions well is important, and that trust needs to be supported with structure and clarity.
Myth 5: “If people are resisting, they must not understand.”
When resistance appears, it is tempting to assume the message has not been explained clearly enough.
In many cases, people do understand the rationale. Their reaction is not confusion but concern about impact.
Change affects status, workload, identity and security. Those responses are not signs of change failure; they are signals that something meaningful is shifting.
When leaders plan for reaction rather than trying to suppress it, they create space for honest dialogue and reduce the risk of wider disengagement later on.
Myth 6: “Communication is mainly about protecting the organisation from risk.”
Risk management is part of the picture, because poor communication can create legal, reputational and operational problems.
However, communication during change is not only about avoiding damage. It is about shaping how people experience what is happening around them.
The tone, timing and transparency of communication influence whether employees feel informed and involved, or managed and even blindsided. That experience affects engagement, trust and ultimately performance.
Change communication is therefore not just a protective measure – it’s a leadership responsibility that directly influences whether change takes hold.
Why these myths matter
None of these myths are dramatic, which is precisely why they endure.
They feel reasonable, efficient and like common sense. Yet in practice they are often the points where well-intentioned change begins to lose clarity and momentum.
Every organisation and change programme is different, so the right communication approach will always depend on the context. If you would like to discuss how to avoid these pitfalls and shape messaging that works for your particular situation, you can get in touch at: