How can you balance confidentiality and transparency when communicating change?

Transparency is key to managing change. Whenever possible, engaging the impacted team members in the strategy and vision and enabling them to be part of the solution helps with ensuring long term success. At times, certain changes need to be handled in more confidential manners. In those cases, I rely on as many communication channels as possible, even when it's about announcing the change after the decision has been made. Change creates anxiety. When leaders are not up front and communicating, the message can spin out of control. That can be detrimental to the success of your strategy and can also impact employee morale and retention. Share truthfully, as much as possible, and as often as possible, without breaking confidentiality.

A haiku on understanding context: Context rustles change, Reasons, impact understood, Advice grows with care. Look and listen for underlying root causes to understand the context of the change. Help the client do an impact assessment of the change under consideration on the various stakeholders to be affected by the change so that the best communication strategy for each stakeholder is planned and executed.

A simple way to understand the why of the change is working with your client to define the SCQA. S = Situation. Starts with 'As you know...' where you share the context of what people already know about the situation. It's stable, and people typically will say 'yes' to the described situation. C = Complication. "However...", this is where you describe the elements that require a change to happen, a change of plot, a reason to care, and why we need to think about something else. Q = Question. "therefore the question is..." Here you share the 1 or multiple questions that you'd like to answer. Important, no answers yet. A = Answer. Your change initiative that will show the way forward based on your question(s). Google SCQA for examples.

The provided advice aligns with the need to respect confidentiality while ensuring transparency to the extent possible. To facilitate it: - Provide information about the change process and its rationale while respecting individuals' privacy. - Encourage open dialogue and communication channels to address concerns and uncertainties transparently. - Assess the level of trust within the organization to determine the appropriate degree of transparency. - Respect confidentiality agreements and legal obligations while striving to provide necessary information for informed decision-making. - Ensure that stakeholders understand the reasons behind the change and its potential impact on them, without compromising confidentiality. .

Organisational context is really important here, as is the understanding of whether there is a cultural transformation in place - so for example, have they been traditionally one way but are looking to become more another. Before you do anything you want to get a sense of the core messages around change, and the things that might be contentious, including groups that may be for or against the change and their reasons for holding these positions.

Keep in mind there is no 'one' audience. Based on psychological preferences for instance (check out the work of Carl Jung), you need different elements as people require different kind of information. To work with different kind of preferences, at least communicate a picture of the future, bring details to validate the why and choices, set a clear path with milestones and show you care for the people involved.

Comms objectives centre around the type of change, and any legal obligations you need to meet when communicating. It’s useful to consider different communication preferences and organisational ways of working if you really want to land a change message. For example, neurodivergent colleagues may want to see and hear the presentation and read again as a follow up, if you have flexible working and remote working a recorded video that can be watched might be more helpful.

You need to enable your Coachees to define the objectives of their "Change Communication" needs. You audience needs to have clarity to specify their objectives, choosing appropriate methods for achieving the set objectives.

It is not just about what to communicate, how and why but also about assessing how people listen and what their reactions are, so that these can be addressed promptly. The initial objective setting should also build in a feedback loop with the receiving end of the communication. Aim to build conversations and open channels for people to move through the transitions brought about by the change. Active listening built into the objectives is key.

Balancing confidentiality and transparency during change communication involves defining clear objectives, considering audience needs, measuring success, crafting consistent messages, choosing appropriate channels, and upholding ethical standards. In the context of change when moving from contemplation to action, transparent communication is crucial for addressing doubts, fears, and uncertainties, while maintaining confidentiality where necessary. Effective communication supports individuals in preparing for change, navigating challenges, and assessing readiness for action. Assessing readiness for change also indicates the importance of transparent communication in guiding through the contemplation and preparation stages effectively.

To balance confidentiality and transparency during change, it's about clear communication on what can be shared and the reasons behind certain boundaries. It involves being open about the change process, timelines, and potential impacts, while safeguarding sensitive data. By clarifying the limits of confidentiality and committing to share more when possible, stakeholders are kept informed and assured, fostering trust even amidst uncertainty.

When deciding how transparent to be with somewhat confidential information, ask, "What does this person actually NEED to know?" Usually, it's the impact to them, not the nitty gritty details. In my experience with rate increases, internal company communications, etc., you can maintain trust by explaining that those who want additional information can contact X. Most do not, but they want to know you care and aren't trying to be "sneaky." Usually, if you give the message several different ways, you address the questions that arise.

"Trust is built with consistency," Lincoln aptly noted, reflecting the essence of balancing confidentiality with transparency. In professional settings, this equilibrium is critical. By clearly defining what is shared versus what is safeguarded, we respect both our ethical obligations and our stakeholders' trust. This approach not only upholds the integrity of our professional relationships but also strengthens them, proving that confidentiality and transparency are not contradictory but complementary.

You need to enable your Coachees balance confidentiality and transparency in their communication. "Confidentiality and Transparency" are not mutually exclusive, each impacting the other.

This issue will not take care of itself. Confidentiality needs to be understood, declared and expressed internally. I once was working with a team that had a lot of social exposure to the general public and they were told to withhold some sensitive information. When we drilled down on how they were interacting with each other, there was more withholding. One of the leaders complained that they were actually paid to lie and withhold. Not to each other, though. They did that for free. My comment sparked deep and important conversations about the implications of the confidentiality and why they needed to communicate well internally, to maintain confidentiality without the practice seeping into their relations.

Balancing confidentiality with transparency in change communication involves a strategic approach. I guide my clients to preemptively think through potential questions and concerns stakeholders might have. It's about preparing clear, truthful responses while respecting sensitive information boundaries. Encouraging open dialogue, actively listening to stakeholder feedback, and empathetically acknowledging the emotional impacts of change are crucial. Offering support and being prepared with resources to assist stakeholders through the transition helps in maintaining trust and fostering a supportive environment during times of change.

Don't wait for the change to be implemented to involve people around you. Also during the design phase, work with stakeholder groups, design sessions, and so on. Don't put the change 'just on them', yet involve the audience for better outcomes.

Of course, working with people to anticipate questions and reactions can help prepare the meetings. Better yet, work with their own anticipation of things to reduce their defensive responses. This will allow them to be open even to unexpected reactions. One of the exercises I guide leaders through is their imagined perfect and nightmare scenarios for reactions. Usually they do not occur exactly but their own anticipation of them limits their openness and empathic listening. Defensiveness will come from stakeholders, but also from your client so have the practice runs, notice defensive reactions and build their own resilience to emotions and challenges before they offer support to others.

When managing change, the right level of communication is absolutely vital. Putting yourself in other peoples shoes who will be impacted and coming up with potential questions and answers in advance is smart way to approach the inevitable. Over communicate, bring your team with you on the journey, ask how it will impact them and what pro's and con's they see. Bring them into the bigger mission and purpose for the why so that they have as much knowledge as your confidentiality will allow. They will appreciate it and be grateful the more you can share and be open and transparent. Empower your teams to support you to find solutions to any issues that arise, be available with an open door, be compassionate and be as clear as possible.

Effective communication is the key for the successful delivery of any program, especially in Executive Coaching. You need to obtain quality feedback from your audience for effecting needed midcourse corrections in the design and delivery of your courses, to meet the desired objectives.

This is key--it all comes down to effective communication. Leading a significant change effort for Target Corp when I worked for them, I decided to hold monthly update meetings for our team members. A couple of my direct reports asked if that was smart, because what if I was asked a question to which I didn't know the answer. I said it's simple--I'll say I don't know but will find out an answer as soon as possible, and then I'll post it on our change communications board. It's OK for leaders, especially who are driving change, to admit they don't know something. The follow up is the key. It's how to maintain confidence and credibility in the change that's occurring. Change makes many uncomfortable, but honesty helps mitigate that.

As the Executive Coach, you need to prepare your Coachees to be consistent in following up with their "Change Communication" processes. They should communicate periodically with the stakeholders of the organization to update them on the progress made.

"Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results, not attributes," Peter Drucker once stated. This reflects the essence of effective change management: clear, consistent communication that aligns actions with words. By regularly updating stakeholders and recognizing their contributions, leaders underscore the project's importance and foster a shared vision of success. This strategy not only propels the project forward but also builds a foundation of trust and collaboration essential for any transformative endeavor.

After change is communicated, it is in a process to implement. Move into the whole process, the learning experience, the resilience building, the frustrations of moving in a new environment. Embrace the messy and stay with it! That is the sign of a true leader. Caring enough to stick with it, to listen to feedback and take the journey together.

Implement a "Change Café" concept where employees gather in small, informal groups to discuss upcoming changes. Each group has a designated facilitator who ensures confidentiality while encouraging open dialogue. It is a format that encourages transparency within a supportive environment, balancing confidentiality and information sharing.