When a major change like a layoff or leadership change happens in an organization, employee questions don’t usually go to the internal comms team. They land in the lap of managers.
Even the most polished internal comms change announcements won’t land correctly if managers aren’t able to translate them for their teams.
“Even if employees get a message from the tippy top, they’re going to turn to their manager and say, ‘What do you think this means?’” said Mandy Mooney, vice president of internal communications at Prologis.. “‘Is there something more to it? What do you know?’ You trust your manager the most. So we have to make sure managers have access to the right information at the right time.”
But equipping managers isn’t the same as scripting them.
“It comes down to distinguishing between what you need to say and what you can say in your own words,” she said. “If the message doesn’t sound like me, it won’t feel believable to my team.”
Here are three steps internal comms pros can take to build manager messaging templates that hold up under stress.
Step one: Separate the ‘must say’ from the ‘say it your way’
A major mistake internal communicators make is handing managers a script. Manager comms templates should protect the message but not replace the manager’s voice.
“Encouraging managers to share in their own words really comes down to distinguishing between what you need to say and what you can say in your own words,” Mooney said. “There needs to be total clarity on the must-say versus the nice-to-say. For instance, these are the data points we need you to hit as an organization. And here’s where you can add context in a way that feels natural to you.”
Mooney recommends grounding these change templates in three pillars:
- What’s happening
- Why it’s happening
- What it means for the team
“As a comms team, you can give guidance around those contextual pieces, but really let people say it in their own words,” she told Ragan. “If I’m going to avoid being that corporate robot, I need to use the words that would naturally come out of my mouth.”
Here’s what that looks like in action:
- Must say: “Effective March 1, we’re reorganizing our teams as part of a strategic shift.”
- Say it your way: “This is a key time of change. I know these transitions can be tough, but I’m optimistic about the opportunities they’ll create for our team. I’m here to support you and answer any questions I can.”
Mooney also stressed the importance of enabling managers to speak in a way that’s embedded in their team’s culture.
“We are one company, but there are different microcultures within our organization,” she said. “That’s part of what makes us special. We don’t want to get rid of that — especially in the way that we talk.”
Step two: Build the template around questions employees will ask
Managers also need to be prepared to absorb reactions. Mooney said that the strongest manager comms templates anticipate that.
“I am a big fan of adding an FAQ underneath the key messages,” she said. “You have to think about if I were sitting in a team member’s shoes, what would I ask? And if I were a manager, what information would I need to answer that?”
Some key questions can include:
- What were the decisions that led to this change?
- Will there be additional changes?
- What does this mean for our team?
And here’s an example of a Q&A that can live in a manager change comms template
Q: “Will there be additional changes?”
A: “We don’t have additional changes to share right now. If that changes, I’ll communicate it directly and quickly and ensure that you’re in the loop.”
If leaders can anticipate questions using a template, they’ll be better positioned to foster open dialogue with their teams throughout the change.
Mooney also said that these templates should include a reference point in case a manager doesn’t know the answer or can’t provide the requested details.
“There is a lot of power in saying, ‘I don’t know, but I’m going to find out for you,’” she said. “It shows you care enough to get the answers. Managers need a clear point of contact in the template so they can follow through.”
She also recommended that these templates manifest as a living FAQ document in case changes happen rapidly. That way, managers always have the most up-to-date information for their teams. Additionally, the templates can change based on the two-way dialogues that managers open with their teams.
“We send the messaging brief through a link instead of a static document because it’s changeable,” Mooney said. “As we learn from employee feedback — what they’re asking about, what they’re curious about — we can add that in real time so managers are getting the information they need.”
Step 3: Design for speed
On top of running their teams, managers have day-to-day jobs to get done. An internal communicator’s template is competing with the rest of the work they have to attend to.
“Managers are moving 100 miles an hour,” Mooney told Ragan. “Being a people manager is a lot. I’m always thinking about what is the most important information for them to know and how do I make this as easy to get through as possible?”
Mooney said that by focusing the templates on three standards, comms pros can make them easier to use.
“If it looks like every other email or document, it could get passed over,” she said. “I’m a big believer in smart brevity. You need to be able to answer three questions.”
- What’s the one big thing?
- What can be bullet points?
- What can be bolded so it’s more skimmable?
Internal communicators should consider adding the following to their templates to reduce friction for busy managers:
- The “need to know” header
- The “say it your way” section
- A living FAQ
- Links to share with teams (when applicable)
- Contact points for more information
When manager templates are done right, they do more than clarify change announcements. Mooney said that they strengthen team relationships, protect the organization and build long-term resilience.
“Relationships are built through authentic interactions,” Mooney said. “Reputation is about making sure people feel informed and inspired. And resilience is about how we stay strong in the face of change. All of that applies to how we communicate with managers.”
To learn more about what a manager change comms template looks like, join Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council.
Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications.
