Organizations are spending a lot of time and money on change. They are setting direction, launching initiatives, communicating priorities and asking employees to move with them.
From the top, that can look like progress.
From inside the organization, it can feel very different.
The Integral Index, conducted with The Harris Poll, captures the experiences of 12,000 U.S. workers across industries. This year’s data shows something leaders need to pay closer attention to. Employees may understand that change is happening, but that does not mean they are ready, equipped or able to move with it.
On the surface, the numbers look reassuring. Nearly 70% of employees say their organization clearly communicates the reasons behind major changes. Almost 70% describe their organization as resilient in the face of unexpected challenges. Sixty percent say their experience with change is positive or manageable.
But that is not the whole story.
Only 37% of employees describe their organization as adaptable.
That gap matters.
Resilience means people can get through disruption. Adaptability means they can shift direction, reprioritize and make decisions in new conditions. Those are not the same thing. Many organizations have gotten better at communicating change. Far fewer have built the conditions that help people actually change how they work.
This is where I see a lot of transformation efforts break down.
Leaders often assume that if the message was clear, the work is aligned. But employees are usually left to figure out what the change means in practice. What should I stop doing? What matters more now? What decisions can I make differently? What does this mean for my team, my role or my day-to-day work?
If those questions are not answered, people fill in the gaps themselves. Not because they are resistant. Because they have to keep working.
Managers are often put in the hardest position. They are expected to translate strategy, answer questions, calm concerns and keep people moving — often with the same information everyone else received. That is not enough. Translation is a skill. It requires context, judgment and confidence. Most organizations say managers are critical to change, but very few truly equip them to play that role.
The same is true for employee input. The Index shows that 61% of employees say they have the opportunity to provide input on significant changes. That is good — but only if something happens with that input. When employees are asked for perspective and never see a response, listening starts to feel performative. Over time, that damages trust.
The lesson is pretty simple. Communication is necessary, but it is not enough for the times we are living through.
If organizations want employees to move with change, they need to build adaptability. That means giving people clearer priorities, stronger manager support, better feedback loops and more practical guidance on what actually needs to change.
The organizations that get this right will not just announce change better. They will move through it better.
And that is what employees are telling us they need.