In any biotech change management project, one element consistently determines whether the process succeeds or stalls: how you communicate with your people.
Many leaders put significant energy into designing the change itself: the strategy, the timelines, and the operational details. But when it comes to telling the story of that change, they falter.
Sometimes it’s because they assume everyone is already on board. For example, during periods of biotech growth, leadership may think the company’s upward trajectory speaks for itself. They may believe morale is high enough to carry the change forward without a structured communications plan.
It’s an innocent assumption… and it can be an expensive one.
The Danger of the Information Void
If employees aren’t given a clear, transparent view of what’s happening during a time of change, they will fill in the blanks themselves. And in times of uncertainty, those stories are often negative.
An impactful change management communication plan answers three core questions for employees:
1. The What
Spell out the change with precision. Avoid vague statements like “We’re restructuring” or “We’re improving workflows.” These broad phrases leave too much room for speculation. Specificity creates clarity, and clarity prevents harmful narratives from taking hold.
2. The Why
The rationale behind a change is as important as the change itself. Why this change? Why now? Why in this particular way? People are more motivated when they understand the reasoning and can connect it to a tangible benefit for the organization, their team, or themselves.
3. The How and Impact
Explain the steps that will bring the change to life and outline the effects on both the business and each individual. When people know what to expect, uncertainty fades and trust grows.
Honoring the Individual
Effective change management communication goes beyond processes and timelines. It’s also about acknowledging the human side of change.
When you explain the impact at the individual level: “Here’s how this will affect your role, your day-to-day work, and your opportunities going forward” you show that you’ve thought about them, you understand their contribution, and you value it.
As our experts say, “Be granular when explaining the impact of the change to individuals. This shows that the company has thought about the person, knows what they do and values their contribution. This is about honoring the individual.”
Is your organization facing the complexities of change management?
Danforth Health has supported numerous life science companies through the intricacies and sensitivities of change management. Contact our team today.