Boeing’s Recent Woes Are Prime Learning Examples for Change Management Communications

Byline: Insights from Matt Panichas, SVP, Corporate   

TL;DR: Boeing’s recent woes can help us understand how to design and implement effective change management communications strategies. At the most fundamental level, whenever change management occurs – be it around digital transformation initiatives; leadership changes; mergers and acquisitions – employees want to know how they will be affected, first and foremost, and what these changes mean for the company, more broadly. 

It has not been a good year for Boeing. From constant safety and legal concerns to CEO succession changes, Boeing is operating in a head-spinning state of chaos and change.  

Now, imagine you’re a Boeing employee. There are many questions that could be going through your head, yet it doesn’t take much of a leap to imagine that the most immediate question is: How will these changes impact me?  

At the most fundamental level, whenever change management occurs—be it around digital transformation initiatives; leadership changes; mergers and acquisitions—employees want to know how they will be affected, first and foremost, and what these changes mean for the company, more broadly. 

Change management is an overused term that often lacks context, examples and dimensionality. To better understand the concept of change management within the context of internal communications, there are a few—but by no means exhaustive—scenarios to consider.  

1. A new CEO is coming aboard. Great! What does that mean for me?  

CEO succession planning is an always on activity. The buck stops at the top, so leadership transitions are always top of mind. In these cases, employees, customers, regulators and investors want transparency and accountability. Not openly communicating about corrective actions can have immense ripple effects throughout the organization. 

Whether you’re a manager, work on the quality assurance team or serve as a customer service agent, you want clarity and predictability around how your role will be affected in the short- and medium-terms. Is my position in danger? Who will I be reporting to? Will the scope of my responsibilities change?  

By planning for leadership changes—some, clearly, are more predictable than others—and accounting for the various questions that are likely to arise from employees, you can effectively allay fears, bolster trust and help retain employees.  

2. We’re digitally transforming our customer service function. Hop aboard.  

The only business term more ubiquitous than change management is digital transformation. Few are strangers to it, but many grapple with the planning, implementation, scale and broader change management implications. And, to make matters worse, a lack of proactive, clear and well-coordinated communications adds significantly to the stress and uncertainty, especially during times of crisis.  

At the outset of any digital transformation effort—especially one as critical as customer service —it’s crucial to involve corporate communications, HR and operations teams to ensure that the scope of change, those who will be affected and how is well-understood by all stakeholders—from the head of customer service to those fielding customer inquiries.  

3. Did you hear about this big acquisition? No? I just found out on LinkedIn. 

As an employee at any organization, the last way you want to find out about an M&A deal is through a Wall Street Journal article on LinkedIn. The nature of acquisitions and divestitures are subject to outside parties, such as investment banks, law firms and consulting firms and are highly confidential. While leaks don’t occur often, they are becoming more commonplace in today’s environment and should be planned for.  

Sadly, the communications team tends to be an afterthought in the context of M&A activity—a big mistake. Given the inherent brand reputation and employee risks, it seems wholly obvious to bring in employees who are most adept at communicating with nuance, accuracy and empathy. Being able to communicate the change management clearly will go a long way in engendering employee trust and goodwill. It is critical to have statements and communication sequencing plans at the ready to combat rumors while also ensuring information can be shared as soon as it is legally safe to do so.  

Change without the chaos 

At any given moment, Fortune 1000 organizations are going through a series of significant changes that have pervasive effects across employee stakeholders. Change is hard, but in many cases, it can be worthwhile once you get through it.  

Yet, along the way, you want clarity, empathy, and reassurance. And that comes with clear and consistent communications, including in 1:1 interactions, emails, blogs and Slack messages, to name a few.  

Your employees are your most important assets. Why take the risk of alienating and losing them to competitors when much of it can be managed through preparation and proper communication? Hint: it’s not worth the risk. 

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