Change Communications - It's Just Internal Comms, Right?

The case for splitting internal and change comms at the strategic level

When I tell people I do change comms, they often say, “Oh, so it’s internal comms.” Or “Right, it’s emails from HR.”

These are fair assumptions. It’s speaking to employees and through similar channels.

It got me thinking about what separates change from internal, or whether we even need to make a distinction.

I think they need to split at a strategic level:

Internal communication builds connection, alignment, and culture. It keeps employees informed, engaged, and anchored in the organisation’s day-to-day.

Change communication helps people transition from old ways of thinking and working to new ones. It helps people process change and choose to move with it. Everything here is connected to the change strategy.

Blurring the two means:

(1) An overload of messages without context

(2) Mixed signals, e.g., “business as usual” and “everything is changing” from the same account on the same day

(3) Change fatigue. Even employees engaged with change get tired if they can’t tell what truly matters

By separating them at a strategic level, organisations can:

·      Let internal comms maintain continuity, belonging and values

·      Allow change comms to guide the emotional and behavioural journey of transformation

Even if the comms team/manager is the same person, the separation in each comms activity should be explicit.