One Thing Recap: Communicating Through Change

Every organisation eventually faces a moment when a major decision has been made, and the next challenge becomes how to communicate it. Whether it is a rebrand, restructure, or a leadership transition, that question is where change communication begins and where many organisations tend to get it wrong. 

That was the focus of the latest edition of One Thing, our X Spaces series exploring the intersection of communications, media, and brand storytelling. Hosted by Oluchukwu Nwabuikwu, the conversation featured Ngozi Okonye, Head of Brand and Communications at Busha; Faith Emmanuel, Founder of HR Clinic; Beverly Ezebuike, Partnerships Manager at Raenest; and Joyce Imiegha, Founder of Reneé PR.

The speakers unpacked why communicating change is often more difficult than organisations anticipate, what companies get wrong, and what effective change communication looks like in practice.

Change is often emotional before it is strategic

One of the core themes from the conversation was that change communication is rarely just about sharing information. More often, it is about managing uncertainty.

“The reason why communicating change is difficult is that people are not comfortable with change,” Faith Emmanuel explained, reflecting on how employees, customers, and stakeholders often respond emotionally before they respond logically.

Joyce Imiegha added that what makes communication different is that “the emotional stakes are higher.” That emotional layer is what many organisations underestimate because people are not just reacting to the announcement itself; they are reacting to what they believe it could mean for them personally.

As Ngozi Okonye pointed out, the first questions people ask are: “How does this affect me? How does this affect my money? Am I losing something? What should I do next?” That uncertainty is where trust is either reinforced or lost.

Who hears it first? 

The conversation also explored the challenge of communicating change to multiple audiences simultaneously, including employees and customers, as well as investors, partners, and the media.

While some speakers agreed that internal communication should come before external announcements, Ngozi emphasised the importance of identifying who is most affected by the change and what they need to hear first. “Start with what is true and think of who is most affected, then communicate with them,” she said.Beverly Ezebuike added that organisations cannot effectively communicate change externally if their teams do not fully understand it. Before any message goes out, there needs to be internal alignment on the change and on the role each team plays in communicating it clearly and consistently.

That process becomes even more complicated in the age of social media, where rumours, leaks, and public speculation can spread long before organisations are ready to speak publicly. In moments like these, the instinct to rush, over-explain, or go silent can often make things worse. Instead, the speakers emphasised the importance of communicating in layers: starting with clear, essential information before expanding as more clarity becomes available.

Faith also noted that transparency does not mean overwhelming people with information. The goal is not to share everything at once, but to communicate enough for people to understand what is happening, what it means for them, and why they should continue to trust the process.

Announcing change versus communicating it

A major part of the discussion centred on the difference between announcing change and actually communicating it.

Announcing is issuing a statement. Communicating is helping people understand what is happening, why it matters, and what it means for them over time.

“Where companies get it wrong is treating communication as a one-off announcement rather than an ongoing process,” Joyce said. “Companies that communicate change well start communicating before the change becomes active, public, or disruptive.”

Beverly brought this to life with her experience rebranding Raenest from a freelancer-focused platform to a global banking product, a change significant enough to fundamentally alter the customer relationship. She noted that the real work was not in the announcement itself, but in making sure that every step of the transition actively supported the people moving through it.

For Ngozi, consistency and empathy are critical in moments of change. Effective change communication requires more than a single announcement; it requires organisations to keep showing up with clarity, reassurance, and consistent messaging throughout the process.“You have to be extra empathetic, you have to repeat yourself a lot, and you have to be consistent in what you are saying.”

Rebuilding trust when communication fails

The discussion closed with reflections on what organisations should do when communication lands badly. 

For Faith, the first step is acknowledgement rather than defensiveness. “Acknowledge the disconnect instead of being defensive, and rebuild trust through complete transparency. In situations where there is a feedback loop, note the concerns and actively address them.”

Other speakers added that rebuilding trust is rarely immediate. It requires consistency, openness, and a willingness to listen to feedback rather than simply pushing out more messaging.

Ultimately, the discussion reinforced that change communication is not simply about controlling narratives. It is about helping people navigate uncertainty with enough clarity and trust to move forward with you. 

Good change communication does not eliminate difficult decisions, but it can shape how those decisions are understood and experienced. 

If you missed the space, you can listen to the recording here.