Rachael Warner helps organisations around the world improve their communications and writing through tailored coaching and training programmes. I asked her to do a guest post for Strictly Internal, sharing some quick and simple ways to improve change comms that get instant results. Here’s what she said…

When I get asked about my top tips for writing change comms, my answer is always the same and it always annoys people: it depends.

It depends on the change, it depends on the organisation, and it depends on what writing habits have already taken hold. (Which is why my writing training programmes all include a diagnostic at the start, to get to the heart of the issues and WHY they're happening. But I digress...)

The good news is there are a few simple steps you can take to instantly improve your change messages. Here are my top five, with some before-and-after examples so you can see them in action.

1. Don’t start with the backstory.

This is one of the most common mistakes I see in change comms.

❌ “As part of our wider transformation programme…”
❌ “Following a review of our systems…”

Yes, it might matter to you… but your audience’s brain is scanning for one thing: does this affect me? Why should I care? (OK, that’s two things.)

The brain scans for relevance before it processes meaning. So if people can’t immediately see how it impacts them, they’ll zone out or skim past it.

Instead, start with what’s changing for THEM:

✅ “From Monday, you’ll log in a new way.”

✅ “You’ll be able to book leave in under 60 seconds – no more chasing approvals or digging out spreadsheets.”

Only then explain the why. Start with clarity – then earn the detail.

 2. Stop talking about vague benefits.

Another common mistake I see… benefits that are way too vague, with messages like:

❌ "This upgrade will improve efficiency."

❌ "The new platform will streamline collaboration."

❌ "The system will drive innovation."

It sounds positive, but it's not actually saying anything.

As I said before, if people can’t picture what’s different for them, they won’t care. Real people want real, tangible benefits. So make them specific:

✅ "You’ll log in with one click instead of five."

✅ "You’ll be able to update customer records instantly."

✅ "You can upload documents from your phone – no need to wait until you’re back at your desk."

And if you’re not sure what the real benefit is... don't assume. Ask employees who’ve tested or used the new system. What feels different to them? Even better, use their words in your comms:

✅ ✅ “It used to take me hours, now it’s done while I make myself a coffee.”*

(* The double tick is intentional – you get extra points if you use real words from real employees.)

3. Limit the passive voice

It’s vague, it’s cold and it only gives people half the story.

❌ “It has been decided…”
❌ “Changes will be implemented…”

Politicians love it – “mistakes were made” – because it avoids blame. (No dissing to my ex-boss politicians, obviously.)

But in your comms, it generally just slows things down, it’s harder to read and understand and it makes people feel disconnected and confused.

And yes, before you all start coming for me, sometimes, occasionally, passive voice has its place when the doer is unknown, irrelevant or sensitive. But most of the time, it’s not a strategic choice. It’s just habit.

My test: if there’s no who, your sentence probably needs fixing.

✅ “We’re launching…”
✅ “You’ll see this change from Monday…”

Less fog. More clarity. And a big bonus: it sounds like an actual human wrote it. HURRAH!

4. Swap your nouns for verbs.

Change comms are often RIDDLED with nouns.... because change is messy. Nouns feel neat and official. They sound like progress. But nouns don’t tell people what the hell’s actually happening.

Verbs do, though. They create mental pictures, they’re easier to process and they help people understand what they need to do.

A few examples:

❌ “Please complete the installation of the update...”

✅ “Please install the update...”

❌ “We’ll begin the implementation of the new system next week.”

✅ “We’ll start rolling out the new system next week.”

❌ “Teams must ensure the completion of training before launch on XX.”

✅ “Complete the training before XX.”

5. Stop trying to sound impressive.

If it sounds slick, strategic and soulless… it’s probably a bit crap. Sorry.

In change comms, “impressive” often looks like:

• abstract waffle: “Driving forward the next phase of transformation…”

• jargon overload: “Leveraging synergies to deliver operational excellence…”

• vague fluff: “We’re excited to enhance our digital capabilities…”

It might look great on a slide. But real people, reading real emails, with a headache, don’t care how visionary it sounds – they just want to know what’s changing and what they need to do.

Clear > clever.
Useful > polished.
Straight-talking > strategic-sounding.

Here’s a little test for you:

Write for your least engaged employee. The one skimming their inbox on a Friday afternoon, with a headache, bored and halfway out the door – with three other things on their mind.

If THEY get it, it’s good.

❌ “We’re consolidating multiple platforms to streamline the user experience.”

✅ “You’ll use a single system to log time off, expenses and training.”

It’s not about dumbing things down. It’s about respecting your reader enough to make things easy.

Because easy beats impressive. Every time.

And my bonus tip?

Focus on people, not your project.

Employees don’t care that Phase 3 is kicking off. They care if their login’s changing. Or their job.

Write for them – not for your slide deck.

These tips might sound small, but they’re the difference between: “Ugh, another update” and “Oh, ok – I get it.”

I run bespoke workshops to help teams write like this – adapted to the kind of change you’re going through and the habits your people already have. Come and chat with me on LinkedIn to find out more, and subscribe to my Comms Nerd email if you want practical and powerful comms, writing and storytelling tips like these. — Rachael