Transforming safety culture: from awareness to everyday behaviour
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
With World Safety Day approaching, it's time to think about how a day of safety awareness can grow into sustained behavioural change.
Safety is rightly a priority in most organisations. Policies exist, training is delivered and awareness days are celebrated and well intentioned. With World Day for Safety and Health at Work coming up on 28 April 2026, how can you ensure that the attention does not fade and that safe practice becomes part of everyday decision-making rather than something revisited once a year?
That was the focus of a recent Work Wonders conversation, where Nicola Curtis, Head of Health and Safety at Biffa, Renata Juste Gomes, HSE Global Senior Director at DHL Supply Chain and Simon Strong, Director of Learning at Download Learning joined our CEO, Sally Pritchett, to reflect on their experience of communicating safety across frontline workforces.
Making safety part of the job itself
At Biffa, an upward trend in high-potential near misses involving mobile plant prompted a closer look at what more could be done. Instead of issuing further instructions, the team began by listening. Drivers were invited into the conversation and asked what would genuinely support them to operate more safely.
As Simon explained during the session, health and safety cannot sit alongside the job as an additional layer. It needs to be embedded within competence itself. If safety is embedded within competence, communication has to align with that, speaking to professionalism rather than compliance.
The resulting “Aim for Success” programme focused on building intentional habits around reversing manoeuvres. The emphasis was not on listing hazards, but on encouraging anticipation, situational awareness and deliberate intention before movement. The language was carefully shaped to reflect how people speak on site, avoiding unnecessary technical terminology.
Although the training was initially designed for individual completion, teams chose to go through it together. That decision created space for discussion and reflection, which in turn led to practical improvements. In one depot, an operative identified a blind spot and requested mirrors to remove the risk.
Simplicity without patronising
If Biffa’s focus was on embedding safety within a specific operational context, DHL’s challenge was scale and diversity. Operating across more than 220 countries, with significant variation in language, culture and working environment, communicating consistently requires deliberate simplicity.
Renata described the deliberate effort to remove complexity from the message. In developing the “Our Safety is in Our Hands” campaign together, we focused on intentional simplicity in both visual identity and language so that it could travel across regions without losing meaning. Achieving that simplicity required discipline, with tone conveying respect for highly skilled frontline roles and imagery working across cultures and languages. In some cases, symbols that resonated in one region had to be reconsidered in another.
Importantly, the campaign was never intended as a single annual moment. While World Safety Day provided a useful focal point, the broader approach was always-on. Messages were broken into manageable themes and revisited throughout the year, with visual materials reinforcing conversations already taking place in team briefings and leadership discussions.
Local teams were encouraged to adapt the campaign in ways that made sense for their context. What felt engaging in one country might look different in another. That flexibility did not dilute the message; it strengthened its relevance.
Ownership and accountability
Across both case studies, ownership emerged as a defining factor. At DHL, the framing is explicit: safety sits in everyone’s hands. It is not confined to a function or a department. Managers, supervisors and frontline colleagues all play a role in holding standards and raising concerns.
At Biffa, drivers were positioned as professionals whose expertise shaped the training content itself. When people feel trusted and responsible, behaviour becomes more consistent. That is why messages that rely solely on instruction rarely create lasting commitment, whereas communication that reinforces identity and shared standards is more likely to endure.
Avoiding complacency
A question raised during the session was how to prevent complacency over time. How do you stop visual materials becoming part of the background?
The panel agreed that motivation alone is not enough. Habits are more powerful than short bursts of enthusiasm. Sustained behaviour change relies on repetition, visible leadership commitment and regular, meaningful conversation.
World Safety Day can act as a catalyst by creating a moment to pause and reflect. However, without consistent reinforcement throughout the year, the effect diminishes. Sally described this through a simple analogy: awareness days can act like fireworks, capturing attention briefly, but what sustains culture is the steady bonfire that keeps people gathered in conversation.
For those responsible for communicating health and safety, this means thinking beyond the launch moment. It involves equipping middle managers with the confidence and tools to lead discussions, investing visibly in frontline activation and ensuring that tone always reflects respect for the complexity and skill of the roles involved.
From campaign to culture
What emerged from this Work Wonders session was not a formula, but a mindset. Embedding safety requires more than creative assets or annual initiatives. It calls for communication that reflects how work is actually done, that builds ownership at every level and that remains present throughout the year rather than appearing only at designated moments.
For internal communicators and those responsible for health and safety messaging, the role extends beyond informing. It is about helping to shape shared expectations and everyday habits so that safe practice becomes part of professional identity.
If you are reviewing how safety is communicated across your organisation ahead of World Safety Day, we would welcome the opportunity to talk.
This session formed part of Work Wonders, our community for people shaping workplace culture, communication and inclusion. If you would like to join future conversations and connect with others navigating similar challenges, you can find out more about becoming part of the community.
Watch the session: Transforming safety culture in the workplace
Guide: How to support employee wellbeing with communication
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Your shortcut to considered communication that supports employee wellbeing.
Whether it’s burnout, financial strain, chronic illness or mental health, the way we talk about wellbeing with employees makes a difference. The words we choose and the tone we set can either build trust – or come across as performative rather than supportive.
This guide is here to help. It offers practical advice for bringing a wellbeing lens to your communication so your messages feel thoughtful and rooted in care.
What’s inside:
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Why poor communication can undermine wellbeing – even with good intentions
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How to avoid overpromising, assumptions and unhelpful tone
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Tips for writing with clarity, empathy and inclusivity
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Language swaps that reduce stigma and help people feel seen
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Advice for managers having sensitive conversations
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Real-world examples to learn from
Who it’s for:
This guide is for anyone working in internal comms, HR, DEI or wellbeing – especially if you’re looking to strengthen your messaging, embed wellbeing into the everyday.
Download here: How to support employee wellbeing with communication
Download your screen reader–friendly guide below. Need help? Get in touch: hello@somethingbig.co.uk
PDF version
A PDF that can be read by a screen reader
Green Monday 2026: Closing the gap between sustainability strategy and action
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Sustainability ambition is high, strategies are in place and employees care. So why does progress still stall?
The third Monday in January is widely known as Blue Monday, often described as the most depressing day of the year. Three years ago, we decided to challenge that narrative. Green Monday is an opportunity to reconnect with sustainability in a positive and action-led way.
For Green Monday 2026, that conversation took the form of a webinar: Closing the Gap – Turning Sustainability Strategy into Everyday Employee Action. We welcomed Karen Richards, Corporate Communications Director, and Victoria Page, Business and Sustainability Strategist, to join Sally Pritchett, CEO of Something Big, to explore a shared challenge many organisations are facing. What emerged was a clearer picture of why sustainability efforts lose momentum and how communication can help to either widen or close that gap.
Why sustainability strategies stall
Sustainability is complex and hard to translate into everyday action
Sustainability is inherently complex. It is systems-based, long term and interconnected, touching everything from supply chains to behaviours to culture. Translating that complexity into clear, everyday action is difficult, especially when people are already stretched.
Most organisations are not short on ambition or intent. In fact, many have a deep reservoir of goodwill within their workforces. What stalls progress is friction. Too many moving parts, too much information and too little clarity about what matters most.
Overload dilutes action
Employees are already navigating constant information flow, shifting priorities and multiple internal messages competing for attention. In that environment, sustainability becomes one priority among many. Even when people care deeply, overload makes it harder to know what to do, when to do it and how sustainability fits into their role. Intention does not translate into action because people are protecting their time, energy and focus. This is where the gap between strategy and reality widens.
Trust has been eroded
Sustainability does not sit outside the wider context. Shifting political narratives, perceived rollbacks and economic pressure all influence how sustainability messages are received. At the same time, trust in institutions, leadership and brands has been eroded over time. That makes people more sceptical of big claims and polished language. When ambition is communicated without visible progress, credibility suffers.
As one insight from the discussion captured, action is what proves intent.
Language creates distance
Sustainability has a language problem. Acronyms, frameworks and technical terminology can create distance, even for people who are knowledgeable and committed. Over time, that language can lead to fatigue rather than engagement.
One of the clearest insights from the conversation was that relevance matters more than precision. Employees want to understand what sustainability means for them, in their role, today. Organisations that lead with benefit and relevance, rather than terminology, are often more successful at building connection and momentum.
Perfection slows progress
Many organisations wait to communicate until data is complete, plans are final and success feels guaranteed. The result is delay, silence or messaging that says very little at all. In 2026, courage and honesty must be louder than perfection. Communicating progress, barriers and even uncertainty builds credibility. It shows honesty and respect, and it helps people see sustainability as a journey rather than a finished product. Silence can erode trust just as much as over-communication.
Focus beats volume
When it comes to behaviour change, volume rarely works, but focus does.
Public health campaigns have understood this for years. We all know that eating ten portions of fruit and vegetables a day would be better for us than five, but that message would overwhelm most people. So, the guidance became simpler – eat five a day, not because it was perfect, but because it was achievable.
The same principle applies to sustainability at work. Employees are not short on awareness, they understand the scale of the challenge and the urgency behind it. What they struggle with is knowing where to start and what action will genuinely make a difference. Too often, sustainability communication tries to cover everything at once and the result is not momentum, but fatigue.
Behaviour change works best when the ask is clear, specific and repeated. One focused action is far more effective than a long list of well-meaning intentions. What is the one thing you actually want people to do this year?
What sustainability communication needs in 2026
As organisations look ahead, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. Progress on sustainability will not come from saying more. It will come from saying less, and saying it better. If we want to close the gap between ambition and action, the shift required is not subtle.
What 2026 needs is a different balance: less noise, fewer buzzwords, less bland over-polished messaging, less waiting for perfection.
And more of what actually builds momentum: trust, courage, relevance, focus.
Consistent, well-considered communication will not solve every sustainability challenge. But it can help close the gap between strategy and action within our organisations. It can also reduce overload by giving people fewer, clearer signals about what really matters. If sustainability is to move forward, communication has to help people see themselves in the story and believe that their actions count.
If you are navigating how to communicate sustainability in a way that builds trust and drives real action, we can help.
Watch the webinar: Closing the Gap – Turning Sustainability Strategy into Everyday Employee Action
2026: The 10 BIG conversations happening in workplaces
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
These conversations are already happening in your workforce. Are you part of them?
Whether you’re leading or part of these conversations or not, your workforce is having them. The challenge is that when organisations stay silent, employees fill the gaps – and increasingly, they’re doing that loudly and publicly.
If you want to know what your workforce is talking about, you need to lean in.
1. The transaction of work
Over the last few years, the topic of balancing productivity with pay has surfaced in different ways. Remember Quiet Quitting? This conversation will not only continue to rumble into 2026 – it’s likely to get louder and bolder. But not all communication uses words. Actions and behaviours communicate just as clearly.
This is about the increasingly blurry lines of the work transaction – what an employer “gets” from an employee in return for the pay they offer. In theory, this should be simple. Employment contracts, policies and working hours exist to make it clear. In reality, it’s becoming harder to pin down.
Pre-pandemic, in most organisations, being on the premises implied you were working (rest breaks aside). Leaders could see who was “working harder” – the first-in, last-out brigade. Presenteeism aside, hybrid working has blurred those lines. Some leaders felt productivity took a hit with working from home and mandated a return to the office to re-establish clearer boundaries. Others recognised they were “up on the deal” – removing long commutes and enabling flexibility led to more discretionary effort, not less.
Raised in an uncertain world of permanent crisis, Gen Z are strong boundary protectors. Look at social media conversations around #ActYourWage and #BareMinimumMonday and you’ll see their clarity on the work transaction. Over-delivering today for the promise of career progression tomorrow isn’t their priority. Being paid fairly for the work they do is.
Organisations may feel backed into a corner, with limited scope for pay increases or bonuses. But this conversation isn’t going away. In fact, if organisations don’t lead it, they will lose control of it.
This is no longer just about productivity or pay. It’s about clearly defining the modern work transaction: what’s expected, what’s optional, where flexibility ends and additional responsibility begins, and when “going the extra mile” quietly becomes a role change that should be recognised and paid for. At its heart, this is culture.
Managers sit at the sharp end of this, yet they’re often left to interpret the rules themselves. That creates inconsistency, resentment and risk. Coaching managers on what’s acceptable, what’s sustainable and how to have honest conversations about boundaries and workload isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s critical to maintaining a healthy, happy workforce.
The killer takeaway: If you don’t define the deal, your workforce will.
2. Workforce whiplash
The second conversation likely to dominate workplaces is change. Change itself isn’t new, it’s always been part of working life. The arrival of computers in the late 1970s wasn’t just about new technology; it dismantled entire typing pools, reshaped administrative work and fundamentally shifted workplace communication. It took years to retrain people, redefine roles and rebalance expectations.
Today, we’re facing a similar scale of disruption – and we won’t win overnight. Yet the race is on. Many organisations feel intense pressure to adopt and embed AI faster than competitors simply to survive. That urgency is leading to billions being poured into technology projects before they’re ready. Success or failure still hinges largely on the people leading, driving and delivering them.
“Gartner has warned that a large share of AI projects will be scrapped post proof-of-concept, estimating that around 40% of agentic AI initiatives could be cancelled before delivering results. Meanwhile, an MIT study found that up to 95% of generative AI pilots are failing to deliver measurable business value. Forbes reports that despite $30–$40bn invested in generative AI in 2025, most corporate AI efforts aren’t moving the needle.”
While change isn’t new, its volume, complexity and speed are – and that’s what the workforce is reacting to. Exhausted by relentless initiatives and transformation programmes, change fatigue has set in. What leaders sometimes label as resistance is often saturation.
From pandemics to cyber-attacks to the rapid arrival of AI, disruptions feel constant and unpredictable. There’s little time to recover before the next shock hits, creating real whiplash.
The answer isn’t to try to slow change, but to acknowledge its human impact. Organisations can mandate change, but they can’t mandate adoption or commitment. Making change stick requires clear, consistent narratives and compelling stories that build trust and rhythm.
The killer takeaway: Change moves at human speed.
3. The commercial imperative of DEI
Another conversation quietly gathering momentum into 2026 is the quiet return of DEI. After years of growing traction, progress stalled for many organisations in 2025. High-profile roll-back rhetoric – from Trump’s calls to dismantle DEI to Musk’s “DEI must DIE” comments – created confusion about its role.
But as headlines moved on, a more grounded recognition emerged. What needed to be rolled back wasn’t inclusion itself, but performative tokenism. Bias, exclusion and discrimination are bad for business – damaging culture and constraining growth.
The beauty industry faced backlash for foundation ranges that failed to reflect real skin tones. Tech platforms like LinkedIn were challenged for amplifying male voices over female ones, driving some creators towards competitors like Substack. Meanwhile, organisations such as the Diversity Standards Collective have helped major consumer brands ensure advertising lands authentically – after missteps from brands like Heinz, Nivea and Dove showed the cost of getting it wrong.
What was always true is becoming more explicit: inclusive cultures think and innovate more broadly. That leads to better products, stronger brands, improved customer experiences and more sustainable growth.
As we head into 2026, acronyms matter less. What does matter is intent, consistent investment and meaningful action.
The killer takeaway: Inclusion is an often untapped growth strategy.
4. The cost of futility
At a time of constant disruption, one of the quietest workplace crises isn’t about pay or AI – it’s futility.
When work feels endless, transactional and disconnected, it drains energy, motivation and engagement. This came through clearly in engagement data throughout the year.
One statistic in particular should give organisations pause: just 18% of workers say their role aligns with a purpose they personally believe in. That’s the cost of futility. By contrast, employees who believe their work contributes to something meaningful are 5.6 times more likely to be engaged (Gallup).
When people feel they’re working harder simply to grow company profit, motivation suffers. But when they can connect daily work to genuine impact they believe in, pride and commitment grow.
Organisations need to invest more effort in bringing purpose to life – connecting the big picture to everyday tasks and telling better stories about the impact they’re making. Purpose isn’t reserved for businesses like B Corps. Every organisation needs to be clear why it exists and the difference it makes.
The killer takeaway: Just like pay, purpose is a critical motivator.
5. Closing the culture atrophy
Culture hasn’t disappeared over the last few years, but in many organisations it has quietly atrophied – it has wasted away, losing its vigour.
Gartner used this exact term when urging CHROs to prioritise closing culture gaps. Whether deliberate or not, many organisations shifted focus from people to technology. Yet success with technology still depends on human leadership, judgement and adoption. Running a human workforce with a machine mindset has real limitations.
What worked for creating lean manufacturing processes doesn’t translate to today’s skills landscape, where innovation, creativity and independent thinking are critical.
Progress-driven cultures must feel safe – allowing people to speak up, experiment and fail without fear of career-limiting consequences. Workforces are human systems, and cultures need to reflect that.
Closing the gap starts with being honest about culture reality – how they shape up against the theory of culture written in employee handbooks and EVPs. That requires genuinely listening to employees, and sometimes bringing in external perspective, before doubling down on change.
The killer takeaway: When everyone has access to technology, humans are the advantage.
6. Multi-generational: power and conflict
No, it’s not a bestselling novel, though it could be. This conversation centres on five generations working side by side.
From Gen Z entering the workforce to Baby Boomers staying on longer, today’s organisations carry an unprecedented mix of expectations, communication styles and values. In theory, a strength. In practice, often a source of friction.
Different generations hold different assumptions about commitment, professionalism, boundaries, pace and authority. Layered on top are unhelpful stereotypes that deepen divides.
Left unchecked, this creates misunderstanding, friction and miscommunication. On the other hand, when we lead proactive and positive conversations, it becomes a powerful source of learning. Experience and deep expertise meets fresh perspectives, improving decision-making, digital fluency and workplace dynamics.
The killer takeaway: Generational diversity is a powerful engine for growth.
7. From feedback to dialogue
Employee voice isn’t a new idea, but expectations around it have changed. For years, organisations relied on annual surveys, pulse checks and suggestion schemes. Implicitly, the message was: you can speak up, but we’ll listen and act on our terms.
That approach no longer works. Employees expect to feel safe speaking up consistently, and to be heard by leaders in real time. This is driven both by younger generations and by wider societal expectations around transparency and the chance to influence in others parts of our lives.
Recent survey results have been uncomfortable for many organisations: declining trust in leadership, demands for clearer direction and expectations for stronger stances on big topics like climate, wellbeing and social issues. This isn’t the same feedback as a few years ago.
Leaders now need to invest not just in listening, but in responding – acting where possible and openly acknowledging where they can’t. But most importantly, having honest conversations.
The killer takeaway: Listening to employees is a trust-building strategy.
8. Reimagining flexibility
The return-to-office debate has become exhausting for everyone. As we look ahead, it’s time to accept that the new norm is more flexible than pre-pandemic, with working patterns designed around human needs.
Organisations that want to make flexibility work must lead the conversation – creating a cadence that supports motivation and productivity while ensuring inclusion and fairness.
From an employee perspective, the direction is clear. Groups such as Pregnant Then Screwed, Flex Appeal and Workstyle are gaining momentum in pushing for stronger flexible working rights because it’s what employees are demanding.
The opportunity here lies in collaboration. From creating shift-swap options to altering shift timings and empowering manager-led flexibility within clear guardrails, this goes beyond policies and into trust-building. The critical success factor is dialogue – co-creating solutions rather than imposing them in isolation.
The killer takeaway: Flexibility rewards organisations that dial down control and dial up trust.
9. Reframing performance
Wellbeing has often been treated as a standalone conversation – awareness days, workshops and specific issues like stress or menopause. All are important. But the bigger question is often avoided: how does the organisation enable people to perform at their best? In the year ahead, organisations need to look beyond webinars and workshops and instead at how they are genuinely improving workplace performance.
High performance and wellbeing aren’t in tension, they’re connected. People do their best work when they have energy, clarity and psychological safety. When they feel trusted, not monitored. Enabled, not undermined. Stretched, not overloaded. Valued, not forgotten.
Wellbeing is a culture conversation with a performance outcome. Organisations need to rethink how they’re talking about wellbeing – recognising their responsibility to create environments where people can deliver their best work, while employees focus on bringing their best selves to work.
The killer takeaway: Wellbeing isn’t a benefit. It’s a performance driver.
10. The emotional elephant in the room
Leadership is being reshaped, and it’s time to talk seriously about human leadership.
We’ve heard the language: leaders need to be more empathetic, authentic, vulnerable. But the reality is harder. Since the pandemic, uncertainty has become the default. Topics like AI and climate are too complex for any leader to have all the answers.
Every initiative and transformation hides an emotional iceberg that leaders can’t ignore – fear, anxiety, fatigue, cynicism and frustration. These emotions don’t stay outside work. They come to work with employees.
The real conversation is how we give leaders permission to handle this complexity without pretending they have all the answers.
The killer takeaway: Human leadership is about guidance, not answers.
You don’t choose the conversations – but you can choose to lead them
The question for organisations isn’t which of these conversations to have. They’re all happening, everywhere.
The real question is this: which ones are you brave enough to lead?
If you want to start having these conversations or lead them with confidence rather than react to them, we’re here to support you.
Because these conversations are happening anyway. The only choice is whether you’re part of them.
Workplace Safety Calendar 2026
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Free downloadable calendar of key workplace health and safety awareness days.
Keep safety front of mind all year round
Our free Workplace Safety Calendar highlights the key dates that help you plan safety communications and keep teams focused on what matters most – staying safe.
From construction sites to warehouses and offices, consistent communication helps make safety part of everyday thinking. Awareness days are a simple but powerful way to bring key messages to life, cut through the noise and build understanding across large, dispersed or frontline teams.
What’s inside
- Key UK and global workplace safety and health awareness days
- Dates covering topics from fire safety to mental health and safe driving
- Practical ideas to help you share clear, consistent safety messages all year
If you find this calendar helpful, you might also like: Employee Wellbeing Calendar 2026, Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Calendar 2026, Future of Work, Productivity & Digital Skills Calendar 2026, and Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2026.
If you’re running safety programmes or looking to strengthen how safety is communicated across your workforce, get in touch to see how we can help.
Download your free Workplace Safety Calendar 2026
Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Calendar 2026
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Free downloadable calendar of key sustainability and environmental awareness days.
Keep sustainability on the agenda all year round
Our free Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Calendar brings together key global dates and events to help you plan meaningful activity throughout 2026.
With sustainability now central to how people choose where to work and what brands to trust, keeping the conversation alive matters. 68% of jobseekers say an organisation’s environmental policies influence where they apply, and 65% say it affects whether they stay. This calendar helps you connect your sustainability goals with communication moments that inspire action and pride.
What’s inside
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Global and UK sustainability and environmental awareness days
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Dates covering climate action, conservation, recycling, and sustainable living
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Practical ideas to turn awareness days into engaging campaigns and conversations
If you find this calendar helpful, you might also like: Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2026, Employee Wellbeing Calendar 2026, Future of Work, Productivity & Digital Skills Calendar 2026, and Health and Safety Awareness Calendar 2026.
If you’re looking to strengthen your sustainability communications or bring your ESG story to life for employees, get in touch to see how we can help.
Download your free Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Calendar 2026
Future of Work, Productivity & Digital Skills Calendar 2026
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Free downloadable calendar of key dates focused on the future of work, productivity and digital skills.
Help your people thrive in the future of work
Our free Future of Work, Productivity and Digital Skills Calendar brings together key global dates that spotlight innovation, learning and technology in the workplace.
As AI, automation and digitisation continue to reshape how we work, communication is key to keeping your people informed, confident and engaged. This calendar helps you do just that – giving you moments throughout the year to spark conversations, share progress and build digital confidence across your organisation.
Research shows that 52% of employees are worried about how AI might be used in the workplace, while only 36% feel hopeful. Using these key dates as prompts for dialogue helps shift that balance — turning uncertainty into opportunity and helping people feel part of the journey.
What’s inside
- Key global dates focused on technology, digital learning and productivity
- Awareness days celebrating innovation, AI and the evolving world of work
- Practical ideas to help you communicate change and bring people with you
If you find this calendar helpful, you might also like our Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2026 and Employee Wellbeing Calendar 2026.
If you’re driving digital transformation or looking for communication support to help your people adapt with confidence, get in touch to see how we can help.
Download your free Future of Work, Productivity & Digital Skills Calendar 2026
Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2026
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Free downloadable calendar of key UK diversity and inclusion awareness days
Make it easier to plan meaningful inclusion activity throughout 2026
Our free UK Diversity and Inclusion Calendar brings together the key awareness days, cultural celebrations and events that matter most to your people.
Creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong takes ongoing effort. With 65% of employees wanting to feel a stronger sense of belonging at work, staying aware of important diversity and inclusion dates can help you keep that focus alive across the year.
What’s inside
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A wide range of UK and global diversity and inclusion awareness days
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Dates covering cultural, religious, age, gender, disability and LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusion
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Practical ideas for how to turn awareness days into meaningful conversations and actions
If you find this calendar helpful, you might also like: Employee Wellbeing Calendar 2026, Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Calendar 2026, Future of Work, Productivity & Digital Skills Calendar 2026, and Workplace Safety Awareness Calendar 2026.
If you’re developing your inclusion strategy or looking to engage employees in a more meaningful way, get in touch to see how we can help.
Download your free Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2026
Guide: How to Successfully Communicate Change
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Your shortcut to change communications that build trust and make progress stick.
Change is hard. Around 70% of organisational change efforts fail – and poor communication is often one of the biggest cause. Employees are feeling overwhelmed, leaders are struggling to bring everyone on board, and transformation plans are stalling before they even get going.
If you’re looking for practical advice on how to communicate change effectively, this manual is for you.
Why change communications matter
Whether you’re navigating a restructure, embedding new technology, or rolling out a refreshed strategy, communication can make or break your change initiative. Successful change communication:
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builds clarity and alignment
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reassures and motivates people
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keeps culture strong in times of uncertainty
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drives real, lasting behaviour change
Inside the Big Change Communications Manual
Our free guide shares practical tools and proven techniques to help you lead change with confidence. You’ll discover how to:
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Create the right environment for change by listening and setting clear goals
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Use the right language and tone to build trust and reduce anxiety
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Make complex change clear through storytelling and relatable examples
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Keep change alive with a steady rhythm of updates and celebrations
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Protect and evolve your culture so it carries people through uncertainty
Who is it for?
This manual is designed for leaders, HR teams and internal communications professionals who want to engage employees and make change stick. Whether you’re preparing for a major transformation or simply want to strengthen your day-to-day change communications, the insights will help.
Ready to make your next change a success? Download the Big Change Communications Manual and start building belief in your strategy.
Download here: How to successfully communicate change
We’ve created two accessible versions of the manual – light and dark mode – both optimised for screen readers. Choose the one that works best for you. Need help? Get in touch hello@somethingbig.co.uk.
PDF version
A PDF that can be read by a screen reader
Dark mode PDF
A PDF in dark mode, that can be read by a screen reader
Change isn’t a Gantt chart – it’s human
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Rethinking how we lead and communicate through transformation.
Ask a room full of professionals what comes to mind when they hear the word “change” and you’ll get a mix of answers. In a recent Work Wonders webinar, responses ranged from exciting and energising to exhausting and overwhelming.
We know that change isn’t neat or easy. It’s messy, emotional – and the way we respond to it is deeply human. As talent leader Alistair Antoine said during the session: “Change is not a Gantt chart.” Yet too often, that’s how organisations treat change programmes – as a timeline to manage, rather than a process people go through.
Change doesn’t work if it’s done to people, not with them
One of the biggest reasons transformation projects stall is because leaders try to enact change on employees, instead of working with them. Whether it’s a restructure, new leadership or a shift in strategy, people need to be part of the process – not just passive recipients of announcements and comms.
To get real engagement and buy-in, you need to create space for better conversations. That means giving people room to ask questions, share concerns and make sense of what’s changing in a way that feels respectful and supportive. When people feel heard and involved, they’re far more likely to move with the change than against it.
Trust is built – or lost – during change
The stakes are high. The Times recently reported that 38% of leaders would rather resign than lead another change programme. That speaks to the pressure and fatigue many are feeling – but it also highlights how vital trust and belief are during change.
People look to leaders for clarity and reassurance – but also for honesty. Communicating with openness, listening without defensiveness, and showing care are powerful signals. And they’re often what separates successful transformations from the ones that fizzle out.
As coach and change expert Kate Oates reminded us in the session, people need time to process. Change is a transition, not a switch to be flipped. And it’s much harder to lead through that transition if you’re rushing the emotional impact or pretending its business as usual.
Culture, safety and storytelling all matter
Communication in change can’t just be top-down messages or weekly updates. You need to build psychological safety first by making space for feedback, choosing language that’s honest and human, and shaping stories that people can connect to – stories that make sense of what’s ending and offer a clear picture of what’s next.
Change might start with a business need, but it’s sustained through your people. That’s why the most effective transformations embed culture, values and communication into every stage – from early conversations to everyday moments.
Missed the session?
Check out the highlights video below, featuring some of the most powerful takeaways from the discussion with Sally, Alistair and Kate. If you’re thinking about how you communicate change in your organisation – and want to lead with more humanity, not just process – it’s worth a watch.
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Watch the highlights: Rethinking Change and Communication
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