How do you share change and uncertainty with employees?

The opposite of communication is distrust. While this isn't an exact antonym, many can agree that lack of proper communication in business can leave people feeling like something is being hidden from them. This leads to distrust, which only furthers lack of engagement. Especially within teams. One of the best ways I found to maintain employee morale and earn faith in leadership, is to communicate at all times. Even when we don't have the full picture, we can earn trust from employees by being up front about the changes occurring that may impact them or the way we do business. Share what you can disclose on "when" and "why" changes are happening. Most importantly, listen to them and reassure you'll share more details as soon as you can.

Effective communication requires both listening talking. Often times we focus only on talking when in reality we ought to also listen actively. Listening shows we respect the other person. Listening allows us to have genuine empathy. Listening allows us to understand (even if agreement doesn’t exist, understanding can). Listening allows us to ask better questions and communicate more effectively. True communication requires respect, honesty, clarity, and empathy.

Accepting change is the pillar and most important in a team building activity. We cannot escape change, change is inevitable, bound to happen.Gradual change is accepted but unexpected change is we fear and resist. We must learn to cope with change.

In these situations, showing genuine support to the employees is best. The organisation should be clear, upfront and transparent. It should clearly outline the situation at hand and the company's actions and how that would impact the employee.

Ambiguity intolerance has been the focus on multiple studies. Uncertainty can trigger negative behaviors like procrastination, nit-picking, quitting, lack of productivity, blaming and general negativity. Targeted communication can fix these issues. Communicate the "why" and help your teams understand their place in the bigger picture. Give your people a sense of purpose with a vision. Make sure that their tasks and projects align with your culture and values, and - importantly - with their KPIs. Actively seek feedback to understand where your assumptions as a leader, or your vision don't align with your teams.

The most important aspect while communicating change is to make them understand the intent and purpose and the rationale behind the change. It is essential to not enforce but to rather onboard the members and helping them transition and adapt

There is a very critical aspect of change that is left unaddressed here. It is not about communicating the change alone...but more of including the teams in the change and working together to incorporate it. To that end, it is not a communication issue but an OCM issue - there is no point in "communicating" about change if your team members don't have a say in it! Include them, involve them, and it should always be "we vs. the change" rather than "you vs. the change"! This sounds trivial, but is a game-changer.

To effectively plan your communication strategy, start by identifying key messages that you want to convey. It's essential to link the change to the organizational vision and strategy, as this will help employees understand the bigger picture and purpose behind the change. Consider the different audiences within your organization and tailor your communication accordingly. Different groups may have different concerns or perspectives, so it's important to address their specific needs and interests. Utilize various channels, such as team meetings, emails, or even a dedicated communication platform, to reach employees in a way that works best for them.

One of the most important components of communicating change is being direct with employees. When leaders are indirect or won’t say what’s happening it can erode trust and cause employees to guess at what Is happening.

When communicating change, it is important to remember that people are resistant to change! This is a natural response. Resistance to change is often rooted in fear, fear of the unknown. Giving people, the time, space and permission to feel negative emotions, have negative thoughts, and to express themselves, help people to go through the change curve, and through the change process to arrive at a place of acceptance.

As a leader, this is probably the single-most difficult task - communicating uncertainty. I remember as a first-time leader, when going through a divestiture, there were all kinds of questions and unknowns. Even I had no idea how things were going to unravel. The natural human instinct is to avoid communicating at all!...after all, as a leader, you can't be going to your teams and coming across as tentative. Right? Wrong! What I learned was that being authentic and transparent and available here and now was so much more important than searching for absolute clarity at a later date. Leadership doesn't mean choosing to communicate when you have all the details but when you don't have them!

In my experience, I have found that honest, and candid discussions are key. Where we explore the change together by analyzing, critiquing, and understanding its pros and cons. We usually follow these steps: 1. Discuss what the change is and why it is necessary, (also explaining the goals and progress). 2. Discuss how the change will affect (either good or bad) our current dynamics. 3. Discuss what we will gain (opportunities and benefits) or lose on an individual, team, and organizational level. 4. Discuss what specific actions and necessary resources we need to take to adapt to the change successfully. 5. Provide room for continuous honest and candid 2-way communication between myself and the team.

1. Be authentic, transparent, and honest: Be upfront with your team. Share any updates or information you have, even if it's not complete or definitive. Align on the way forward. 2. Acknowledge emotions: Change and uncertainty are stressful and anxiety-inducing for many people. Be empathetic and acknowledge that your team may be feeling uncertain or anxious. Encourage open communication and let them know that sharing their concerns and feelings is okay. 3. Provide support: This can include resources for managing stress, opportunities for professional development, or even just checking in regularly to see how they are doing. Let them know that you are there to support them and help them navigate any challenges.

Once I have found a forward-thinking approach is to view leaders as innovators within uncertainty. Communication becomes the canvas for painting new possibilities, inviting employees to co-create solutions and thrive amidst unpredictability. Actually, I disagree with the notion that uncertainty stifles progress. By innovating messages that encourage employees to contribute their unique ideas, leaders create a collaborative atmosphere where uncertainty becomes a fertile ground for fresh solutions. An example A team lead embraced the role of an uncertainty innovator. Their communication invited employees to share innovative ways they'd navigated uncertainty before, fostering a sense of empowerment and camaraderie through shared creativity.

An example is how a lay off communication could be given to an employee with alternate income options. This is done we did in a sugar factory where seasonal employees had to be laid off due to drought. From the organisation, there were the ups done with Government and NGOs for alternate income opportunities for employees and their family members. This was welcome by employees and improved the trust between employees, community and the organisation.

1. Communication Tools: Utilize email, messaging apps, and video messages. 2. Clear Updates: Provide regular and transparent communication along with open Q&A sessions. 3. Engage Change Advocates: Involve influential employees to support and advocate for the change. 4. Visual Aids and Storytelling: Use visual materials and compelling stories to explain the change. 5. Feedback Loops: Establish feedback mechanisms to address concerns and gather insights. 6. Consistent Leadership: Ensure that leaders deliver a consistent and unified message. 7. Training Workshops: Provide training sessions to help employees adapt to the change. 8. Empathy and Support: Prioritize understanding employees' emotions and provide necessary support.

Too many times remote working meetings have become too mechanical, what tasks did you complete, what are outstanding, what your problems, next! Invite and make time for all members to connect with the other team members, either one to one or in smaller groups. Use the circle way, in which each person gets the chance to speak, even passing on their turn if they have nothing to add at that time. The more we include all voices, listen to all voices, the better. Colin

I always try to have my team on camera with any meeting, whether 1 on 1 or as a team. Too many times in remote environments, people are doing other things if not on camera. You can also pick up on many nonverbal cues in communication when you can see people on camera.

Once I have found a nurturing comparison is to perceive remote leaders as gardeners of resilience. Communication tools are the watering cans, nurturing team relationships and growth amidst the challenges of distance. Actually, I disagree with the notion that remote communication is detached. By nurturing messages that blend informative updates, virtual team activities, and shared successes, leaders cultivate a garden of collective resilience and unity. An example I have seen: A CEO embraced the role of a remote resilience gardener. They fostered engagement through virtual lunches, communicated accomplishments with vibrant visuals, and watered the team's growth through regular, personalized video check-ins.

Remote work has normalized distance communication, yet crucial discussions are best held in person or via video. Direct interaction enables emotional cues and smoother dialogue regulation. Voice calls are next best, while written follow-ups should supplement, not replace, such interactions.

Self- reflection, feedback from others and online assessments can really help! You need to understand your current level of communication skills to improve them. AI based tools can be extremely helpful for personalized assessments at a fraction of the cost of a coach.

Speak clearly, listen actively, use concise language, maintain eye contact, show empathy, ask questions, and adapt your message to the audience for successful and impactful communication. Over a period of time and experiences gathered one is bound to improve their communication skills.

You need to improve your communication skills by actually communicating. Start by speaking more effectively to a few people and then a larger group and even larger groups after that. Like everything, more reps and practice at a skill will help you develop. The 10,000 hour rule applies to communication too. Another way to improve communication is by observing great communicators. How do they connect with their audience? How do they grab attention? How do they evoke emotion? How do they inspire a call to action? What are their nonverbal cues, pauses, emphases, and transitions? Observe key thing great communicators do and then formulate your own personality and style with some aspects you’ve learned from great communicators.

Once I have found an orchestral analogy is to view leaders as conductors of communication orchestras. Just as a conductor harmonizes diverse instruments, leaders synchronize words, body language, and context to create resonant messages. Actually, I disagree with the idea that communication is one-dimensional. By orchestrating messages that incorporate verbal and nonverbal elements, leaders compose symphonies of communication that echo throughout Fortune firm corridors. An example I have seen: A CEO embraced the role of a communication orchestrator. They balanced town halls, digital memos, and video messages, creating a harmonious blend of communication that resonated with employees at all levels.

Listen first, listen all ways, always. Reminds me of a Simon Sinek message... One CEO arrives in the room and says we have a problem, here is what I think we should dom what do you think. Versus Another CEO arrives in the room and says that we have a problem. What do you think we should do? Colin

Even if there’s nothing to communicate, still communicate that there is no update. If you don’t, this will further stoke the speculation and uncertainty.

Communicate as early as possible before rumors so the team got the power of information and be prepared it's much better as they will be the owner Rather than be skeptical and lose the trust you build with them

Be available, understand that no information is useless and that everyone’s perspective deserves a minute of personal reflection. Good decisions depend a lot of insightful mess and that requires team input. Work together and trade tables for grooming and considerable mentorship.

Being open and honest with employees is something that starts the moment you advertise a job opening, all through the hiring process, during the employment lifespan and after the employee has left. While you don't have to tell your employees everything and justify your thought process for making decisions you do need to practice giving your employees all the information they need to understand and do their jobs well and the information they need in order to align themselves with the company goals. If you do communicate openly your job will be much easier. And if you ever have to communicate changes that are going to happen in the company you'll be more likely to get respect from the employees, even if they aren't happy with the news.

I found many of these comments very interesting, in particular those dealing with people early involvement as a way to communicate. I would may be add that I often wonder if part of an efficient communication is not “listening”. In the few deep transformations I lead, the most common aspect is that no matter how hard you try, there is always miscommunication at some point or fears you cannot address (that can spread pretty quickly ??). What I experienced, is that providing people with a place (and well informed interlocutors), to express themselves is a great way to tackle these potential issues . It allows to better understand and thus respond directly (or at a later stage) to their concerns.