Effective Communication Strategies for Navigating Change

During a presentation at the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, veteran games industry communications expert Cat Channon provided guidance on effective communication through change, emphasizing the importance of considering the human impact when sharing information with staff about significant events such as layoffs, mergers and acquisitions, or global crises. With over 30 years of experience in the games industry, including her role as EA's vice president of global corporate communications, Channon highlighted the cultural nuances that affect communication and its impact on the effectiveness of messages. She noted that there are various types of change that can affect the workplace, including management changes, restructuring, policy changes, and real-world events like wars and pandemics. Channon emphasized that with mergers, acquisitions, and closures, a shift in culture can occur, leading to fear of redundancies and job insecurities, making it crucial to communicate clearly and consistently. She also discussed the effects of change on business, including share price, reputational risk, talent retention, employee engagement, business development, and business continuity. Channon urged HR professionals to consider the human impact when planning for change and to prioritize clear communications to mitigate negative effects and promote positive outcomes. She shared her personal experience of being made redundant twice, highlighting the difference that good communication can make. Channon provided five key steps for effective communication through change: testing the thinking, having a plan, getting the story straight, considering the audience's needs, and thinking about the timing of communications. She concluded by recapping the main points, emphasizing the importance of considering the human impact, bringing in communications partners early, testing thinking, making a plan, and considering the audience's needs.