Change Communications That Drive Adoption
Are your messages aligned with where people actually are on the change curve—or where leaders wish they were? Change does not succeed because messages are sent—it succeeds when people understand the change, accept it, and adopt new ways of working. Michelle W. Davies, CEO and founder of Davies Winyard Associates, LLC, partners with leadership teams to design and deliver change communications that are purposeful, sequenced, and grounded in how people actually experience change.
Not Corporate Communications—Change Communications
Treating change communications like corporate communications is a common—and costly—mistake. Change communications are not about polished announcements or broad updates. They are targeted, dynamic, and focused on helping impacted stakeholders navigate uncertainty, role changes, and new expectations. Michelle helps leaders shift from oneway messaging to intentional change communications that:
- Reduce confusion, anxiety, and resistance.
- Clarify what is changing—and what is not.
- Reinforce new roles, behaviors, and decisions.
- Build trust through transparency over time.
A Campaign Approach: Awareness to Adoption
Effective change communications follow a campaign mindset, not a single rollout. Michelle designs communication strategies that deliberately move stakeholders through (in sequential order):
- Awareness: Understanding why the change is needed.
- Understanding: Knowing what change means for them.
- Acceptance: Acknowledging disruption and building commitment.
- Adoption: Acting differently and sustaining new behaviors.
Each above phase requires different messages, channels, and timing to support real adoption and sustainment.
Stakeholder Analysis Comes First
A Change Communications Strategy and Work Plan cannot be effectively created without first completing a stakeholder analysis. Assumptions about who is impacted and how often they undermine even the most polished communications.
Michelle works with organizations to conduct stakeholder analysis that examines:
- Who is impacted by the change and to what degree.
- Where resistance, uncertainty, or fatigue may exist.
- What different stakeholder groups need to hear to move forward.
- How change impacts roles, responsibilities, and daily work.
This analysis informs not only what is communicated, but how, when, and by whom. The result is a communications strategy rooted in reality—not guesswork.
Two Way Communication That Builds Commitment
Change communications are most effective when they create space for dialogue. Michelle designs communication approaches that include structured feedback loops—allowing leaders to listen, adjust, and respond in real time.
Two-way communication:
- Surface issues early, before they become risks.
- Build trust and engagement.
- Improve message relevance and effectiveness.
- Strengthen stakeholder ownership of the change.
By integrating listening mechanisms into the communication strategy, leaders gain insight while stakeholders feel seen and heard.
Contact Davies Winyard Associates today to start a conversation.
About
Michelle W. Davies
Michelle W. Davies is a business psychologist and organizational change management (OCM) leader with nearly 30 years of experience helping organizations turn strategy into sustained results. She works closely with leadership teams navigating complex, enterprise change— including business and technology transformations, ERP implementations, post acquisition integrations, capability builds, and culture shifts—where success depends on how people execute, adopt, and sustain the change. Known for bringing clarity and structure to uncertainty, Michelle helps leaders align, stakeholders engage, and organizations move decisively from intent to performance.
