Here’s how to help employees make sense of change

Linjuan Rita Men studies how organizations communicate with their own employees, and she’s one of the leading voices in the field. A professor of public relations and director of internal communication research at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Men founded the university’s Internal Communication Research Hub and focuses her research on internal and leadership communication, emerging technologies and entrepreneurial communication. 

She’s published more than 120 journal articles and book chapters, written or edited six books, been cited more than 16,000 times and earned the 2022 Hillier Krieghbaum Under-40 Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. 

The professor will lead Ragan’s upcoming Change Communications Certificate Course, helping comms pros sharpen the skills they need to guide employees through change, from crafting clear messages to building trust with leaders and teams. 

You founded the Internal Communication Research Hub. What gap in the field were you hoping to fill, and how has the Hub’s mission evolved since it began?

I founded the Internal Communication Research Hub to help bridge a longstanding gap between scholarship and practice in internal communication. There was tremendous research and practitioner expertise around the world, but not always enough connection among scholars, students, and communication leaders.

Our mission is to advance excellence in internal communication and workplace well-being through cutting-edge research, scholarly collaboration, practitioner partnerships, and education.

Since its founding, the Hub has grown far beyond what I initially imagined. We now have a presence across four regions—Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America—and have connected nearly 50 thought leaders from 26 countries, along with a broader global community of hundreds of internal communication professionals and researchers.

What excites me most is that the Hub has evolved into a global innovation center where people come together to share research insights, exchange best practices, and collaboratively address emerging challenges facing employees and organizations.

Change champions help others get on board with a change. How do you find the right people for that role, and how do you help them succeed?

Change champions are people who can help others understand, interpret, and support a change.

Leaders at different levels naturally play an important role because employees often look to them to make sense of what a change means. But some of the most influential change champions may not have formal leadership titles. They can be respected opinion leaders, trusted colleagues, or informal influencers within the organization.

Early adopters can also be especially effective champions because they have already begun engaging with the change and can share their experiences authentically with others.

The key is not simply identifying enthusiastic supporters, but equipping them to succeed. They need timely information, clarity about their role, opportunities to ask questions, and channels for bringing employee concerns and feedback back to the organization. The most effective change champions are not just messengers—they are listening posts, sense makers and activators who help employees interpret the change, voice concerns, and move from understanding to action.

If an attendee walks away remembering just one idea from your session, what do you hope it is?

Change communication isn’t about telling people more. It’s about helping them make sense of the change and inviting them into the conversation. When top leaders, supervisors, and communication teams work together to meet employees’ psychological needs, employees feel informed, supported, heard, and involved, and they’re far more likely to embrace change.

How do you personally navigate change, whether in your career or life outside work? Do you practice what you teach?

Yes, although navigating change is never completely easy.

I tend to approach change as both a sensemaking and coping process. First, I actively seek information: Why is this happening? What is changing, and what is staying the same? How might it affect my day-to-day work or life? Breaking the change into smaller, more understandable pieces helps reduce uncertainty.

I also try to envision what the new reality might look like and then adjust my plans and routines accordingly. That process helps me move from uncertainty toward a clearer sense of direction.

The emotional side is equally important. I talk things through with family and friends, and I also journal. Writing helps me process what is happening, reflect on my emotions, and think more rationally about what I can control and what my next steps should be.

In many ways, it mirrors what we encourage organizations to do for employees during change: provide information, create space for sensemaking, offer emotional support, and help people envision a path forward.

What advice would you give to early-career communicators who want to earn a seat at the strategy table?

Be curious, be courageous, and be critical.

Curiosity helps you ask better questions—and in the AI era, asking the right questions may be more important than simply having quick answers.

Courage creates opportunities. It means being willing to speak up, propose ideas, take on challenges, and sometimes risk rejection.

And critical thinking allows you to preserve human judgment. Don’t accept information, data, or even AI-generated recommendations at face value. Ask what is missing, what assumptions are being made, and what the broader consequences might be.

As human-AI collaboration becomes increasingly common, communicators who combine curiosity, courage, and sound judgment will bring tremendous value to the strategy table.

What is one piece of media (TV show, movie, podcast, etc.) that has impacted your life and career, and how?

One that has stayed with me for many years is “Beautiful Life.” I encountered it when I was young, and what stayed with me was its message about maintaining hope and creating a positive influence on others even when circumstances are difficult.

That idea has shaped how I think about both life and leadership. We cannot always control the situations we face, but we can often control the energy, encouragement, and support we bring to the people around us. That has become an important principle for me—as a scholar, teacher, mentor, colleague, and parent.

Don’t miss Rita’s insights on building cross-departmental alliances and more at Ragan’s Virtual Change Communications Certificate Course for Communicators on Oct.  22, 29 & Nov. 5.  Enroll now.

Isis Simpson-Mersha is a conference producer/ reporter for Ragan. Follow her on LinkedIn.