Gwenin: Clarity by Design

A reflective guide for leading change that respects people, honours values, and invites meaningful participation.

Introduction: Change Is a Practice, Not Just a Plan

Organisational change is more than a set of new policies or structures. It’s a relational process that unfolds through conversation, interpretation, resistance, and adaptation. When change is approached as a purely technical shift, it can alienate the very people who are asked to carry it. But when rooted in shared values, clarity, inclusion, and care, change can become a space for culture-building, trust repair, and collective reimagining.

This toolkit invites you to design and navigate change not as a disruption to manage, but as a dialogue to host. Whether you’re leading a formal restructure, adapting to shifting priorities, or evolving workplace norms, the following steps can help you engage intentionally with people at the centre of every decision.

Step 1: Ground the Change in Shared Purpose

Before outlining the “what”, pause to name the “why”. Purpose offers direction and helps people orient themselves through complexity.

☑ Begin by asking:

• What is the change responding to: growth, tension, new values, risk?
• What stories are already circulating about this change?
• What will remain constant through the transition?

✍ The purpose behind this change is to ____________________________
✍ We hope it will allow our team/organisation to ____________________________
✍ The values we want to embody throughout are ____________________________

🟦 Prompt for alignment:
Would someone unfamiliar with the change understand what we’re aiming for and why it matters now?

Step 2: Map the Ecosystem of Change

Organisational change is rarely neutral. It impacts people differently based on roles, identity, proximity to power, and history with the institution.

☑ Reflect on:

• Who holds knowledge we need but haven’t asked for?
• Who is likely to feel most uncertain or unseen during the change?
• Who might become informal “translators” or allies in communicating the change?

Group or Role	Likely Impact	What They Need Most	How We’ll Stay Connected
________________________	______________________________	_________________________________	_________________________________

✍ One group I want to bring into the conversation sooner is ____________________________
✍ Because they might surface blind spots like ____________________________

🟦 Prompt for inclusion:
Are we involving those most affected early enough to shape, not just receive the change?

Step 3: Communicate Transparently and Consistently

Clarity supports trust. When communication is vague, late, or overly managed, people fill in the gaps and rarely with optimism.

☑ Build a communication rhythm that includes:

• What’s changing, why, and what’s still undecided
• Who is leading the process, and who is accountable
• Regular updates even when there’s “nothing new”

✍ A message that helps signal transparency might begin:
“We’re committed to keeping you in the loop, even when we don’t have all the answers yet…”

✍ The next communication milestone is ____________________________
✍ Delivered via ____________________________ to reach ____________________________

🟦 Prompt for equity:
Is our communication format accessible across roles, bandwidth, and learning styles?

Step 4: Honour Emotional Responses, Not Just Strategic Roles

Even welcome changes can carry grief, uncertainty, or identity shifts. Emotional labour is part of the transition, not separate from it.

☑ Create space by:

• Acknowledging that reactions may include concern, confusion, resistance, or relief
• Avoiding messaging that dismisses “negativity”
• Providing opportunities for feedback and processing without penalty

✍ I’ll open space for emotional response by ____________________________
✍ And prepare for a range of reactions by ____________________________

🟦 Prompt for care:
Where might discomfort signal not resistance but attachment, loss, or investment?

Step 5: Support the Transition, Not Just the Announcement

Change doesn’t end once it’s announced; it begins. Sustained support communicates commitment and responsibility.

☑ Ask:

• What scaffolding will people need to navigate the shift?
• How will we measure adaptation beyond deadlines?
• What kind of reflection or revision will happen mid-transition?

✍ Between now and implementation, we’ll offer ____________________________
✍ Our team will revisit this in ________ weeks using ____________________________

🟦 Prompt for pacing:
Is our plan designed for real people or only for ideal timelines?

Final Reflection: Change Shapes Culture

Change is more than logistics; it’s cultural storytelling. The tone, tempo, and transparency of your process communicate what your organisation values.

✍ If someone joined us during this change, they would likely observe ____________________________
✍ The kind of culture I want this process to grow is ____________________________

🟦 Prompt for transformation:
What will people remember about how this change felt, and how can we make that memory one of integrity?

You’re always welcome to view Gwenin for a selection of frameworks, or pop over to Spiralmore’s extended PDF collections. In addition, you’re always welcome to explore our more relaxed corner: the informal blog.