It can be unsettling for your staff, customers, and even the surviving leaders when a key leader leaves your organization suddenly.
Unanswered inquiries might fuel stories about the past and raise concerns about the future of your business. Because of this, it’s critical to effectively communicate if there is a sudden change in leadership.
Let’s go over the following whether you’re dealing with this scenario right now or want to be ready for it in the future:
These communication standards will provide you with a sound plan for getting everyone moving ahead together when you speak with colleagues and clients.
You might be wondering who would be the best person to inform your staff and clients of an unexpected leadership change.
Employees should ideally hear from the departing leader’s direct report. Receiving the information from an insider in the circumstance respects the working relationship with the employee.
An unexpected leadership transition can be a significant deal for your clients, especially if they had a close relationship with the previous leader.
Again, bring in someone who is a little more senior than the departing individual to handle the matter when speaking with clients. This demonstrates to your client how much you respect their business and how competently you will help them moving forward.
- Choose your method of communication. …
- Identify your audience. …
- Write a clear subject headline. …
- Address your team. …
- Briefly explain the change. …
- Introduce the new leader. …
- Provide relevant information. …
- Close your message.
Change Management vs. Change Leadership — What’s the Difference?
Why would a change in leadership announcement be made?
You might make a change in leadership announcement if a manager or prominent team leader is leaving your company and you have hired someone new to fill their role. Changes in leadership are also common when an organization restructures, is acquired, implements a large policy change or creates a new position. Notifying employees of a change in leadership can provide them with the information they need to do their jobs successfully, such as contact information for the new leader and their first day of employment.
Introducing a new leader to your team can also make them feel welcomed, provide employees with an opportunity to connect with each other and set a positive tone.
What is a change in leadership announcement?
A change in leadership announcement is a message that notifies employees about a change in management at their company. Managers, company leaders and human resources (HR) professionals often make a change in leadership announcement by emailing an update to their employees. Providing your team with a change in leadership announcement when a new leader is hired, an employee promoted to a higher level or a manager leaves the company can help you set a positive tone and maintain a professional work environment.
How to make a change in leadership announcement
Here are some steps you can follow to develop a professional change in leadership announcement:
1. Choose your method of communication
While managers, leaders and HR professionals typically communicate a change in leadership announcement via written communication, there are a few different methods you can choose to distribute your announcement. Some methods you might consider include an email, an internal newsletter, a physical memo or a post on an internal communication platform that your company uses.
Determine what the primary method of communication is at your company to ensure your team sees the change in leadership announcement when you send it to them. If you are introducing a new leader to the company, you might consider setting up an email account for them or giving them access to the communication channel prior to sending the change in leadership announcement so they can interact with your team.
2. Identify your audience
Before you begin crafting your change in leadership announcement letter, consider who needs to be notified. If you work for a small company, it may be appropriate to email your entire team so everyone has the information they need. However, if you work for a large corporation, you may only need to inform a specific department about the change. Taking the time to identify who you plan to send your email to can help you develop a more personalized change in leadership announcement.
3. Write a clear subject headline
The subject headline of your announcement should be simple and direct so recipients have a good idea of what your message might be about before opening it. Some subject headlines to consider include:
Try to keep your subject line under 50 characters to optimize it for mobile devices. Certain devices like smartphones or tablets may cut off your subject line if it is too long, so this can ensure everyone on your team has enough information to determine what the email is about before they open it.
4. Address your team
Structure your change in leadership announcement like a letter by addressing your recipients in the first line. You can personalize your message by addressing the specific team or department you are emailing. If there are only a few employees that need to be notified, you might consider addressing them by name. Some examples you can use include:
5. Briefly explain the change
Use the first paragraph of your email to announce what the change in leadership is. Include the name of the new leader, what their job title is and which department they belong to. You may also include a brief sentence about any employees who may be leaving the company. If an employee is leaving the company, try to keep your tone positive by thanking them for their service and wishing them well with their next employment opportunity.
Finally, include any important information your team should be aware of, such as an employees final date of employment or the new leaders start date. Clearly stating the change at the beginning of your message can help you ensure everyone understands what your announcement is about. Some examples of an opening for a change in leadership announcement letter include:
6. Introduce the new leader
Next, introduce the new member of your team by including their name and providing some details about their work experience, education and background. This is a great opportunity to highlight the new leaders skills, expertise and qualifications. Some details you might include about your new team member include:
Sharing details about the new leader can help your team connect with them and learn more about their background. It can also make the new leader feel welcomed and give them an opportunity to get to know everyone.
7. Provide relevant information
In the next section, provide any relevant information that your team needs to know to do their jobs effectively. You might include which employees are going to be on the new leaders team or what primary job duties or projects the new team leader is in charge of. If you have designated offices in your workplace, you may also notify employees which space you have designated for the new leader. You might also use this section to notify your team of when you have scheduled specific changes to take place.
8. Close your message
End your change in leadership announcement with a positive statement, a professional closing, your name and job title. For example, you might mention that you are looking forward to working with the new leader or that you are excited about the future of the company. The closing of your email is important because it sets the final tone of your message. Some professional closings you may choose to include are:
Example
Here is an example of a change in leadership announcement letter you can use as a reference when creating your own:
Subject line: Introducing our new customer marketing manager!
Hello Team,
I am pleased to announce that we have filled our open position on the leadership team. Wilma Barron will join us as our new customer marketing manager on Monday, May 18th. Youre invited to help us welcome Wilma to the team by joining us for a pizza party at 12:00 PM that day.
Wilma has over 15 years of experience in customer marketing management and was previously the director of consumer marketing at P&A Industries. She also has a strong background in social media and digital marketing, as well as television and radio advertisements. Before working at P&A Industries, Wilma managed a PR team at a local agency for over six years.
With a double degree in marketing and business management, Wilma has the knowledge, skills and industry experience to enhance the overall effectiveness of our marketing department and help us reach new customers.
We look forward to introducing you to Wilma in person next week!
Sincerely,
Bob Randall
Vice President
Best Beverage Solutions, Inc.
FAQ
How do you announce organizational changes?
- Share a Vision. One of the best things you can do when communicating change is share a vision of how the organization can benefit from the transition. …
- Tell a Story. …
- Make Those in Your Organization the Heroes. …
- Chart the Path.
How do you announce a role change?
How do you inform change management?
