Why Internal Communications Must Be Highly Specific When Implementing Uncomfortable and Unpopular Workplace Changes

19 June 2025 Reading Time: 4 minutes

by Lizabeth Wesely-Casella:

Change is inevitable in business, but that doesn’t make it easy—especially when those changes are uncomfortable, unpopular, or met with resistance.  Case in point: the return-to-office initiative.  Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is eager to undergo that activity.

And yet, certain professionals know there is often one thing, one team, that can make this initiative successful; internal communications.

Yes, one of the most critical yet often overlooked components of successful change management is internal communication.

When employees are asked to undergo major workplace shifts—such as a return to office (RTO) mandate, restructuring, new leadership, or workflow overhauls—their level of acceptance and adaptability depends largely on how well the change is communicated. Generic, one-size-fits-all communication often fails to address real employee concerns, leading to confusion, disengagement, and resistance.

Instead, organizations that tailor their internal communications to different levels of chaos tolerance and structure their messaging to meet employees where they are, often see faster adoption rates smoother and shorter transition times, and in some cases, increased job satisfaction.

Research findings from Gallup make it clear: engaged employees are happier, healthier and more profitable than their disengaged counterparts​​.

Understanding Chaos Tolerance and Its Role in Communication

Before diving into why highly specific internal communication matters, we need to understand the concept of chaos tolerance.

Chaos Tolerance vs. Resilience: What’s the Difference?

Chaos tolerance is not the same as resilience. It refers to an individual’s ability to process ambiguity, absorb complex information, and function without rigid structures. Some employees thrive in fast-changing environments, while others need highly structured and detailed guidance to feel comfortable​.

• Chaos-Tolerant Employees: Prefer high-level strategic guidance, autonomy, and adaptability.
• Order-Tolerant Employees: Need structured, step-by-step instructions, clarity, and predictability.

Resilience, on the other hand, is an employee’s capacity to recover and adapt to challenges. While resilience can be developed over time, chaos tolerance is more intrinsic. The key takeaway? If internal communications don’t match an employee’s chaos tolerance, it leads to misalignment, frustration, and disengagement—which are the biggest barriers to successful change adoption​.

How Chaos Tolerance Affects Workplace Changes Like RTO

In 2025, companies are increasingly mandating in-office work—but many organizations are failing to communicate it effectively​.

• Employees with high chaos tolerance can adjust to the shift more easily with broad directives like, “We’re transitioning back to the office for better collaboration and innovation.”
• Employees with low chaos tolerance need clear guidelines such as:
  • What days will I be in the office?
  • What happens if I need flexibility?
  • What will the office environment be like?
  • How will success be measured under this model?

Without clear, structured communication, order-tolerant employees will resist change, feel uncertain, and disengage, while chaos-tolerant employees may feel micromanaged and frustrated if communication is overly detailed​​.

Why Generic Change Communication Fails

Generic messages like “Change is hard, but we’ll get through it together” or “We’re returning to the office because leadership believes it’s best for the company” fail because they:

• Don’t provide actionable details
• Don’t acknowledge different employee concerns
• Sound impersonal and unconvincing
• Lack clarity around expectations and outcomes

When internal communications fail, trust erodes, employees disengage, and resentment builds. Instead, messages need to be tailored to different workforce segments, acknowledging their specific concerns and providing clear pathways for success​.

The Cost of Poor Communication

• Low Engagement: Employees tune out, feeling like their concerns are ignored​.
• Resistance to Change: Without a clear understanding of why change is happening, employees naturally resist.
• Increased Turnover: If employees feel their needs aren’t met, they will leave—especially if flexibility is an option​.
• Reduced Productivity: Confusion over new expectations leads to inefficiency.
• $8.8 Trillion: The global cost of disengaged employees, according to this July 2024 Forbes article.

Bottom Line? Poor communication can turn a necessary business change into a crisis.

Best Practices for Highly Specific Internal Communications

1. Assess Chaos Tolerance First

Before crafting any messaging, organizations must assess the workforce’s chaos tolerance:

• Use employee surveys, focus groups, or Helix Assessment to understand whether teams prefer broad directives or structured step-by-step instructions​.
• Segment the audience: Employees in operations or finance may need more structured guidance than those in creative or sales roles.

2. Align Messaging to the Workforce’s Chaos Tolerance

• For high chaos tolerance employees: Provide a broad vision, strategic priorities, and flexibility.
• For low chaos tolerance employees: Provide step-by-step action plans, FAQs, and clear expectations.

For example, when communicating RTO:

• A broad message for high chaos tolerance teams: “We’re returning to the office to foster collaboration, but flexibility will remain where possible. Expect leadership to outline role-specific guidelines soon.”
• A detailed message for low chaos tolerance teams: “Starting June 1, employees will be expected to be in the office three days per week. Meetings will be held in person on Mondays and Wednesdays. A transition plan will be provided, and feedback sessions will be held weekly to adjust policies as needed.”

3. Use a Multi-Channel Approach

Different employees absorb information in different ways:

• Teams or text for quick, time-sensitive messages.
• Email for reporting and ideating.
• All-hands meetings for big-picture announcements.
• Team meetings for personalized guidance.
• One-on-one conversations for direct concerns.
• Training videos or Q&A documents for detailed instructions​.
• Internal podcasting or digital signage for deskless workers
• Graphics or flow charts for visual learners or those who don’t speak the native language.

4. Frame Change Around Employee Needs

Employees care about how changes impact them personally. Instead of justifying change from a leadership perspective, focus on employee benefits:

• Instead of: “We’re returning to the office because leadership believes it will drive innovation.”
• Try: “In-office days will prioritize team collaboration and mentorship. To support this, we are redesigning meeting structures and offering on-site career development opportunities.”

5. Provide Clear Success Metrics

Employees need clarity about what success looks like under the new change. This includes:

• Clear KPIs for performance under the new model.
• Examples of what “good” looks like.
• Opportunities for feedback so employees feel involved in shaping the change​.

6. Train Leadership to Be Change Communicators

Frontline managers must be trained to communicate change consistently and effectively. Leadership training should focus on:

• Empathy in communication.
• Clear messaging frameworks (such as the AIDA framework: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)​.
• Handling employee pushback gracefully.

Conclusion

In times of unpopular or uncomfortable change, internal communication is the make-or-break factor. Organizations that take the time to understand chaos tolerance, segment their messaging, and communicate with specificity will experience greater acceptance, reduced friction, and a smoother transition.

By tailoring internal communications to different workforce needs, companies can turn resistance into engagement, confusion into clarity, and skepticism into trust—ensuring that change is embraced rather than fought.

Want to make your change communication strategy more effective? Start by assessing your team’s chaos tolerance and refining your messaging strategy today.

+++

Lizabeth Wesely-Casella is CEO of L12 Services, a DC-based business specializing in communication and change with a focus on operational excellence.

Written by: Editor