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Tell the people most affected first
A micro habit for making sure a change never blindsides the people it lands on
Why it’s worth your time
People can usually handle hard news; what stings is being caught off guard by it in public. Hearing a change first, directly, tells someone they matter and gives them a moment to think before everyone else is watching. It also often surfaces a problem you can still fix before the announcement goes out.
How to give people a heads-up before an announcement
You’ll come away with the right few people told directly before the news goes out.
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
- List who this lands on hardest.
Whose work, plans, team or credit changes because of this? Include anyone who'd be embarrassed to hear it along with everyone else, like a manager whose team is affected.
Tip: Your own manager counts. Most managers want to hear news that touches them before their boss or their team does.
- Tell them directly, a little before.
In person or on a quick call if it's significant, a direct message if it's small. A day ahead is usually enough; an hour is better than nothing.
To: the people most affectedBefore this goes out when, I wanted you to hear it from me directly: the change, in one sentence.
It affects you most because what changes for them. If there's anything that would make this easier, or anything I'm missing, I'd like to know before it's announced.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Say what it means for them, and listen.
Tell them what changes for them specifically, and ask what worries them. You may not be able to change the decision, but you can often change how it's handled.
- Then send the announcement.
If they raised something you can fix, fix it first. Afterward, thank them for the early read.
Good moments for this: before any announcement that changes someone's workbefore you share bad news widelybefore a change reaches your manager's manager
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
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Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
In a team channel, in front of colleagues, or secondhand. The content is the same, but they'll remember how they found out.
What might make this harder
Check what you're allowed to share and when. Sometimes the heads-up can only come an hour before, and that's still better than none.
Questions people ask
How do I give my team a heads-up about a change?
Tell the people most affected directly, a little before the wider announcement, and say what it means for them specifically. Then send the broader message.
Should I tell my manager before announcing something?
Usually, yes, if it touches their area. Most managers would much rather hear news first from you than from their own boss or their team.
What is the no-surprises rule at work?
An informal principle many teams follow: the people affected by something, and the people responsible for them, shouldn't learn about it at the same moment as everyone else.
How far in advance should I warn people about an announcement?
A day is usually enough for most changes, a bit longer for anything that affects someone's plans or role. Even an hour ahead is better than finding out with everyone else.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Much of the upset around change at work isn't about the change. It's about how people found out. Hearing news that affects you at the same moment as everyone else feels like a statement about where you stand. The decision might be completely reasonable, and they may still spend the week feeling blindsided, and telling other people so.
Look at it from their side. If your project is being moved, your team restructured or your deadline changed, you need a moment to absorb it before you're expected to react in public. A direct heads-up gives them that moment. It also tells them you thought about them specifically, which is most of what people want when something changes around them.
Many workplaces run on an unwritten no-surprises rule, especially between people and their managers. A manager can handle almost any news; being caught off guard by it in front of their own boss is the part they tend to remember. Telling people before you tell everyone is one of the cheapest ways to be trusted. It has a practical upside too: the people most affected are the most likely to spot a problem, and a heads-up gives you time to fix it.
It doesn't mean every change needs a round of private conversations. Keep it to the few people it lands on hardest, keep it short, and be clear that it's decided.
Other simple things to consider
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.