Disengagement isn’t something you see on a dashboard; it doesn’t show up with a red alert or a blinking warning sign (unless you use Tigerhall). But if you’re leading change or transformation in a large organization, you’ve felt it. You’ve sent out updates that are ignored. Rolled out initiatives that meet resistance. Watched as well-intentioned plans slowly stall out.
It’s not because the change is wrong. It’s the silent spread of disengagement, like fog settling into the gaps between leadership’s vision and the teams expected to make it happen.
And those gaps? They are expensive.
The Hidden Cost of Ignored Change
When teams tune out, change slows and it drags the entire organization down:
1. Lost Time and Resources
Every initiative takes time, money, and energy to plan and communicate. When the message doesn’t resonate, you’re losing buy-in and burning resources.
How many hours go into creating materials that disappear into the SharePoint void? How much momentum is lost when people spend more time questioning the change than driving it?
2. Increased Friction
Disengagement fuels resistance. The longer teams feel out of the loop or worse, left behind—the harder it becomes to rebuild trust. Leaders end up spending more time explaining the why and dealing with pushback, instead of moving forward with the how.
3. Missed Opportunities
Disengaged teams don’t just slow change, they sidestep opportunities. A change-ready culture is where ideas flow and innovations take hold. But disconnected teams disrupt the flow and keep organizations static before innovation even begins.
4. Higher Attrition
People want to work where they feel connected and informed. When change feels like something happening to them rather than with them, frustration builds. And spoiler alert: frustrated teams don’t stick around.
The Real Issue: Change Feels Impersonal
Here’s the reality no one wants to talk about: Change initiatives often feel like mass, generic updates that are blasted at everyone yet designed for no one in particular.
Leaders hope the communication lands. Teams don’t see themselves in the plan. And in the silence that follows, disengagement grows.
When change feels distant, it’s so easy to ignore.
How to Close the Gaps
Engaging people in change is less about volume and more about relevance. It’s about meeting teams where they are with targeted, simple communications that reflect what they care about. This allows them to see themselves as part of the initiative, not just on the receiving end of it.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Targeted Messages: Five-paragraph updates are doomed to be left unread. Short, specific, and segmented messages move the needle—even better if they are delivered in engaging formats like short video, podcasts, or livestreams.
- Real-Time Feedback: Teams need a voice. Leaders need to listen. Incorporate feedback loops to capture what people are feeling, saying, and doing, so you can adjust before disengagement fully takes hold.
- Practical Resources: Change only sticks when people know how to act on it. Provide personalized change journeys that are clear, actionable, and relevant to each role.
Change Doesn’t Fail, Engagement Does
Change initiatives don’t fall apart because the strategy was weak. They fell apart because the teams driving it weren’t engaged.
The cost of disengagement is hard to measure, but its impact is clear: Time lost. Opportunities missed. Friction created.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be this way. When teams see themselves in the change—when they feel heard, informed, and involved—the fog of disengagement clears.
Your change initiatives don’t need to stall. They don’t need to be ignored. And they don’t need to drag on, leaving teams frustrated and disconnected.
They just need to connect.
Tigerhall ensures your change initiatives connect. Targeted, relevant change journeys that drive buy-in, fast and at scale.
