Are you struggling to get buy-in for a change you’re leading?
Have you chalked it up to “resistance to change”?

It may be time to look again.

Many leaders (myself included) invest enormous time and resources designing a change initiative—only to rush the communication. We inform people. We make a rational case. We explain what’s happening.

But we don’t tell a clear Change Story.

And we often don’t think carefully about what kind of input we’re open to receiving.

You can probably predict the results. Maybe you’ve lived them:

· Confusion

· Mistrust

· Frustration

· Retreat into silos

· Slow, uneven implementation

Some pushback is natural. Human beings experience uncertainty as a threat. But a surprising amount of friction can be reduced when leaders communicate change more deliberately.

Two simple frameworks can dramatically increase clarity and alignment when used together. In this post, I’ll introduce the first: the Change Story.

I learned this framework years ago and have used it with individuals, teams, and executive groups navigating major organizational shifts. The premise is straightforward:

Leaders at every level need a coherent story that makes the case for the change they’re leading.

A Change Story answers five essential questions:

1. Where are we going?

2. How will we get there?

3. Why change?

4. Why now?

5. What’s in it for us—for them—for you?

The context may vary. The audience may shift. But these questions remain constant.

Recently, I was reminded of its power while coaching the senior team of an organization that had undergone significant restructuring. They were discussing how to announce a new change likely to generate resistance.

One leader said he appreciated how a previous announcement clearly explained why the change was happening—and suggested that become their standard. Another said she needed more clarity about what the change meant for her team so she could communicate it effectively.

In other words: they were asking for a Change Story.

As we walked through the five questions, there was a shared recognition that several past frustrations could likely have been mitigated with this simple discipline.

A Change Story doesn’t eliminate discomfort. But it reduces ambiguity. It builds trust. And it accelerates alignment.

If you’re leading a change, take the time to answer these five questions before you communicate it.

You may find that buy-in becomes less about “overcoming resistance” and more about creating understanding. And if you struggle to answer these questions clearly, that may be useful data about the change itself.

In my next post, I’ll share a companion framework that helps leaders determine the appropriate level of input to seek before making a decision. When paired with a Change Story, it creates transparency about where influence is possible—and where it isn’t.

What’s been your experience leading a change? Both successes and challenges. Leave a comment below.

And…if you found this post helpful, check out Synthesis Leadership. The program offers tools, practices, and perspective shifts to help you lead from clarity rather than reactivity.