Step 4 of 8
Communicating it
People haven’t heard about it from a person, or haven’t had a real chance to question it.
What this step is about
Change is communicated through conversations, not documents. This step is about making sure everyone affected hears about the change from a person, and has a real chance to question it.
Staff remember how they heard about a change as much as what they heard.
The questions for this step
- Everyone affected heard about the change from a person, not only by email or in a document.
- People have had a genuine chance to ask questions and raise concerns.
What it looks like when it’s missing
- The new marking policy arrives as a PDF attached to a Friday email. By Monday, the rumours are more detailed than the policy.
- Homework changes are announced to parents before teachers have had a chance to ask questions.
- The timetable briefing is forty slides with five minutes for questions at the end of a long day.
- Support staff find out about the new behaviour system from students.
What to do
- Tell people in person first, in small groups where you can, then follow up in writing.
- Plan the key messages: why, what’s changing, what isn’t, what it means for them, and where to ask.
- Make time for questions, and come back with answers to the ones you couldn’t answer on the day.
- Include everyone affected: support staff, part-time colleagues, new starters, and families where relevant.
- Repeat the message more often than feels necessary, in different settings.
Common mistakes
- Treating an email as communication.
- Answering concerns with more explanation instead of listening.
- Communicating once, at the launch, and then moving on.
Templates
Key messages and conversation planner
Agree the key messages, plan who tells whom and when (in person first), and log questions so none go unanswered.
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