Organizations change, technologies advance, and dynamics transform. In this scenario, communication ceases to be merely a tool and becomes a strategic dimension necessary to support and mobilize change processes. 

With this idea, Dolores Pereira Vázquez, director of the Master's Program in Change Management, proposes rethinking the six waves of innovation developed by Xavier Ferràs (based on the theory of the creative destruction (from the economist Joseph Schumpeter) and transfer them to the field of organizational communication. 

In his words: “The type of communication an organization has reflects its evolutionary stage. The question is, what is the role of strategic communication in supporting and guiding organizations?” 

More than a proposal, a diagnostic tool: thinking about how an organization communicates allows us to understand what stage it is at and what challenges it faces in building integrated and strategic conversations. 

First wave: to communicate is to inform. 

It responds to a traditional and vertical logic. The organization launches (with a logic “push”) messages outward and inward, a one-way dynamic focused on transmitting information about the business. 

“There comes a point when simply launching ideas or messages is no longer enough: innovation involves understanding what the other person needs and expects.” Thus, the second wave emerges. 

Second wave: communicating is listening.

“The organization begins to make an effort to understand the other person’s perception,” says Dolores. Communication incorporates empathy, awareness of the environment, and interpretive skills. The focus shifts to understanding the needs, expectations, and desires of the target audience. 

Third wave: communication as a system.

The third wave brings a more radical transformation: communication ceases to belong to a specific area and comes to be understood as a cross-cutting dynamic of the entire organization. 

 “The entire organization has to function as a network of conversations.” 

From this systemic perspective, communication is integrated into the organizational culture. Conversations between teams, departments, and leaders become as relevant as external campaigns. The communication function ceases to be merely operational and permeates the entire structure. 

Fourth wave: legitimacy and public affairs.

 The fourth wave extends the reach even further. The conversation is no longer limited to the organization: it also involves suppliers, partners, public actors, communities, and stakeholders. 

“The organization is responsible for its choices and the actors with whom it interacts,” Dolores explains. 

In this instance, strategic communication connects with public affairs.lobbying, compliance and confidentiality and reputation. What happens outside the organization directly impacts its legitimacy. 

Fifth wave: collective learning.

Communication is linked to the management of shared knowledge. Organizations do not innovate or learn in isolation: they need to build intelligence together with other stakeholders, including competitors. 

“Complexity forces us to build strategic alliances to recapture knowledge.” 

This is where open innovation models emerge, think tanksSectoral chambers and networks where sharing information ceases to be a threat and becomes a necessity. 

Sixth wave: communicate to align purposes.

The sixth wave represents the most advanced phase, where communication returns to the territory and to direct human connection. 

In Dolores' words: "It ceases to be mediated and returns to operating in the community in which the organization acts." 

At this stage, communication involves aligning goals, building community, and holding meaningful conversations. The focus is no longer solely on channels or campaigns, but on the real impact the organization has on its environment. 

From this perspective, the six waves function not only as a model of organizational evolution, but also as roadmap to rethink the role of communication in increasingly changing contexts.