In her conversation on the Redundancy Matters podcast, Susanne explored how storytelling in organisationscan help leaders and HR professionals navigate organisational change with humanity, clarity and connection.
The Power of Storytelling in Organisational Life
Susanne describes humans as “story-making machines.” Our brains don’t naturally connect with PowerPoint slides or bullet points. They connect with story. Yet, in the workplace, we often abandon that instinct and switch to corporate language.
When organisations communicate change purely through data or business cases, employees fill in the blanks with their own stories, often the fearful kind. As Susanne puts it, “If you don’t tell the story, your people will create one for you and it may not be the story you want them to have.”
For HR professionals leading organisational change, storytelling isn’t soft – it’s strategic. It builds understanding, trust and emotional connection at a time when people need it most.
From Process to People
Susanne’s career spans the Big Four consultancies, academia and boardrooms across sectors. Through it all, she’s seen one thing consistently: organisations that focus on people, not process, handle change better.
She recalls her own experience of being at risk of redundancy early in her career. What made the difference wasn’t the process but the manager who chose to act with humanity. “He told me quietly, ‘You’re going to be okay.’ That one moment of honesty and compassion helped me get through an incredibly stressful time.”
It’s a powerful reminder for HR leaders. Our policies matter but our conversations matter more. The way we show up during change shapes how people remember it.
Communicating Change with Honesty and Emotion
Storytelling isn’t about spin. It’s about truth told well.
When HR professionals or senior leaders announce change, they’re often sharing something they’ve known for weeks or months. But for employees, it’s the first time they’re hearing it.
Susanne encourages HR professionals to “go right back to basics”:
- Speak clearly and simply.
- Treat people like adults.
- Be honest about what you know and what you don’t.
- Allow space for questions and reflection.
And crucially, bring emotion into the story. Not tears or theatrics but authentic emotion that helps people connect. As Susanne explains, “We don’t need automatons reading scripts or CEOs who want sympathy. What people need is honesty, empathy and a normal human response.”
Using Storytelling in Organisations to Lead Through Redundancy
Redundancy is one of the toughest forms of organisational change. It’s rarely welcome, often feared and always emotional.
But storytelling can make a tangible difference here too. When HR teams use story to explain why change is happening, how decisions are being made and what support is available, people feel respected, even if they disagree with the outcome.
It’s about context, not justification. And it’s about creating a shared understanding rather than leaving people to fill in gaps with anxiety and rumour.
The Myths of Change - and the Need for Endings
Susanne also challenges some long-standing myths about organisational change.
The first: that “70% of change fails.” It’s a misquote, she says and not helpful. Change isn’t doomed – it’s just uncomfortable.
The second: that people move through change in a neat curve from denial to acceptance. In reality, everyone moves at their own pace, influenced by their experiences and emotions.
One model she values, though, is William Bridges’ Transition Model, which highlights the importance of endings. “You can’t move forward with energy until you’ve acknowledged what’s ending,” she says.
For HR professionals managing restructures, that might mean marking the close of a project, acknowledging the contribution of leavers or allowing time for teams to process what’s changed. Without that reflection, organisations carry “unpacked boxes” of unresolved emotion into the next change.
Avoiding Change Fatigue by Learning, Listening and Evolving
Today, most organisations are in constant motion. Big programmes used to come every few years; now, change is continuous. It’s no wonder people feel weary.
Susanne suggests shifting the narrative from “another big change” to “ongoing evolution.” Encourage teams to see change as part of how the organisation learns and grows.
And importantly, listen. When people reference a past project that didn’t go well, don’t dismiss it. Ask what went wrong, acknowledge it and show how you’re doing things differently this time. It’s one of the most powerful ways to rebuild trust.
Human-Centred Change Starts with You
Storytelling in organisations doesn’t need to be grand or polished. It starts with simple, honest conversations that connect people to purpose.
For HR professionals, that means using every consultation, meeting and update as an opportunity to bring humanity into organisational change – to help people make sense of what’s happening, to feel seen and to know they’re part of the story rather than a footnote in it.
As Susanne says, “Change isn’t difficult – it’s uncomfortable.” And when we approach it with empathy, clarity and storytelling, we help people find their footing again.
Dr Susanne Evans is the founder and Chief Change Storyteller at Feldspar Consulting. With a background spanning the Big Four consultancies, academia and senior change leadership roles, she helps organisations bring humanity and connection to transformation programmes through the power of story. She is the author of the bestselling book Change Stories: How to Have Powerful Conversations, Tell Inspiring Stories and Build Engagement for Transformation and host of the Change Stories podcast.
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