Many leaders talk more about change than they really push.

To put it crudely, everyone talks and doesn’t act.

They give speeches about how they want to improve the diversity of the organization, because diversity is essential.

A month later, they talk about innovation.

Then they are talking about competitiveness and retention.

After a while, employees start to feel the same as when politicians speak. It sounds good, it even sounds great, but everyone knows that they are only saying what is necessary.

If you’ve ever worked in a large organization, especially a government department, you know what I mean. They talk about reducing bureaucracy, while living and breathing bureaucracy.

I once heard the director of an organization talk about reducing the layers between front-line employees and strategic leadership.

A week later, the same person announced a new layer of management.

I’m not saying they were wrong adding this layer. But it is empty talk like this that erodes trust and therefore your ability to create change.

This is the reality in which you live as a strategic leader:

If you say something once, people will smile and nod.

If you say it multiple times, they will mentally archive that topic. For example, if you talk about innovation, employees will suddenly justify their new computers, which they were always going to buy, saying that it will make them more innovative.

But if you bring up a topic every day …

Make it the core of your communications …

And I keep saying it for months …

… your people will sit down and take notes.

The change cannot be communicated. You have to over-communicate.

Overcommunication shows that you mean business.

It keeps the message at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

Reshape the conversations everyone has.

I remember a strategic leader I worked under. His fixation was on the … six values ​​of the organization? I forgot exactly what it was about, but it was the kind of thing written on the lobby wall and all over his stationery.

For most organizations, these values ​​are catchy slogans. After all, Enron’s corporate motto mentioned integrity. Clearly empty words.

For this leader, however, values ​​were fundamental.

Whenever he presented an award, he mentioned that the behavior exemplified a specific value.

Whenever he announced a new initiative, he framed it in terms of values.

Every email made reference to them, rather, I revered them in some way.

They were his north star.

And your people? They knew he was serious.

A casual reference to something is not enough. If you want your people to accept change, you need to remind them every day.

It may seem like you are boring them or are condescending.

You are not. You are showing that this change is important.

You can only bore them if you say the same thing over and over again.

Yet talking about the same thing in new ways?

That is the powerful recipe for change.