Leadership Communication

During times of change and uncertainty, there’s an information vacuum that fills whether we want it to or not.

It’s often the result of us as leaders waiting to communicate.

While we’re waiting to have more answers, more clarification, all the answers (which we’ll never have), the void gets filled, naturally and easily. And research shows it gets filled with typically more negative thoughts and conjecture than the reality.

My husband, Steve, often says to me, “As long as we have our health, we’re okay.”

“As long as we have each other and our girls, we’re okay.”

“As long as we have a job we’re passionate about, we’re okay.”

Enter COVID-19, and much of what gives us comfort and helps us operate on solid ground is somewhat up for grabs right now, amid all this uncertainty.

Leading Through Uncertain Times

So how do we as leaders rise to the occasion and help lift our people up, instead of sinking them into more uncertainty and despair? A few thoughts to consider:

Employees count on information from their managers and supervisors to understand what’s happening in their organization and how their work connects to the overall strategy. Yet managers aren’t always ready for the task.

While employees rank managers as their most preferred information channel, many managers feel ill-equipped to communicate consistently, according to research from Gartner. And more than a third (36%) are challenged in responding to negative reactions or difficult questions from their team members. In addition, 80% of change is driven at the manager level and 50% of managers are resistant themselves, according to Prosci data.

Here are 6 must-dos to help front-line leaders engage with employees and be more confident communicators:

If the annual performance review is a check-off-the-box activity, you’re missing a key opportunity to engage and motivate your employees.

Make the Performance Review a Chance to Inspire

When you ask employees, they want to be able to connect with their leader—today more than ever before. Employees want to know what you have to say; they also want to know what you stand for.