Engage: Build genuine participation, not just awareness.

Awareness is not buy-in. The gap between "I know this is happening" and "I want this to happen" is where most change initiatives quietly lose momentum — usually without anyone noticing until adoption numbers come in low.

What Engage involves

• A stakeholder map that goes beyond org charts — who has influence, who has concerns, who will be a vocal advocate
• Communication strategies segmented by audience, not a single all-staff email repeated weekly
• Genuine feedback mechanisms that actually change the plan, not just collect complaints
• Early identification and support of informal influencers — the people whose opinion moves the room, regardless of title
• Manager enablement so team leaders can answer questions confidently and model the new behaviours

The critical mistake to avoid

Treating communication as a broadcast problem rather than a listening problem. The organisations that get Engage right spend as much time finding out what people think as they do telling people what's happening.