Why Change Communication Alone Won’t Make Your Restructuring Succeed
Not long ago, I spoke with a VP at a medical device company who’s led multiple restructurings.
We both agreed that communication is the key to success when it comes to implementing and adopting change. But she also said, “Nobody really gets it right. Because everyone receives information differently.”
She’s right. The data backs her up — and so does the sustained success we’ve seen with our clients.
Articulating the why and clear, consistent communication is essential in any change. But on its own, it won’t make your restructuring succeed past the initial rollout.
Here’s why — and what works better.
The Visible Challenge: People Receive Information Differently
Some people want data and charts.
Others need a story to make it real.
Some have to see and try it before they believe it.
On top of that, people process change through the lens of their role and priorities:
Senior leaders are scanning for strategic alignment.
Managers are assessing the impact on team stability and workload.
Employees are focused on what it means for their day-to-day.
Most change communication plans are built to address those needs.
But these are only the visible challenges, and even addressing all of them won’t be enough.
The Hidden Challenge: Our Wiring
Underneath those visible differences lies the deeper, less obvious reason why communication alone only gets so far: our wiring.
When people are faced with change, four powerful human drivers shape their reactions:
Loss aversion — We focus more on what we could lose than on what the organization might gain.
Status quo bias — We instinctively prefer the familiar, even if it’s not perfect.
Procedural justice — If the process feels unfair, even a good outcome will be resisted.
Loss of autonomy — When change feels done to us rather than with us, it triggers the brain’s threat response, making it harder to process information or think creatively.
These aren’t attitudes, they’re hardwired responses. Neuroscience shows they come from the same survival system that once kept us alive in dangerous, unpredictable environments. Today, the “predator” isn’t a wild animal — it’s a restructuring, a new process, or a decision made without our input.
Which is why, in addition to communication, something else is needed to drive sustainable adoption.
The Missing Link: Co-Creation
The best change leaders don’t just talk “at” their people — they involve them in shaping the “how” of the change.
When people participate:
They feel a restored sense of control and autonomy — the solution becomes “ours,” not “theirs.”
They are part of creating the new normal, which builds ownership and accountability.
They see the process as fair, even if they don’t love every decision.
Decades of organizational psychology research — from Kurt Lewin’s WWII experiments to Prosci’s modern benchmarking studies — show that participation reduces resistance, builds trust, and increases adoption rates.
Communication alone won’t overcome how people are wired or how they filter change messages. Co-creation has to sit alongside communication; it’s what turns understanding into adoption.
Universal Principles You Can Leverage
There are a set of universal human needs that can be addressed through communication and co-creation. Leverage them to get your restructuring right.
A clear, credible “why”
Without it, people fill the gap with their own (often worst-case) assumptions. State the rationale simply, link it to shared goals, and tell it as a human story, not a corporate script.Emotion before logic
Acknowledge fears and uncertainties before you push the business case. Addressing the emotional reality opens the door for the facts to be heard.Transparency and honesty
Share the full picture — including bad news — in plain language. People have a built-in BS detector and will spot gaps or spin. Openness builds credibility, even when the message is tough to hear.Trust in the messenger
People believe people, not just plans. Equip middle managers to lead these conversations and model the change. Trust is built over time and broken in an instant.Consistency between words and actions
Alignment matters. When leaders act in ways that match the message, credibility grows. When they don’t, resistance hardens.Autonomy through co-creation
Even small choices in implementation help people feel more in control and reduce the threat response. Involve them early in shaping the “how” — from refining workflows to identifying priorities — so they can see their fingerprints on the outcome.
We use these principles to help clients navigating restructuring to communicate clearly, involve their people meaningfully, set managers up for success, and build leader capacity to guide teams through uncertainty. This combination turns awareness into ownership and makes change far more likely to stick.
Questions for Leaders Driving Restructuring
Before you roll out your next restructuring, ask yourself:
Are we just telling people what’s happening, or giving them a way to shape how it happens?
Will they see this as something imposed, or something they’re part of?
Are we communicating to check a box, or to share what matters most?
Because in the end: Change doesn’t land when people hear it. It lands when they own it.
