In times of change and uncertainty, silence is not a strategy.
A 2024 report from Contact Monkey paints a revealing picture: 60% of respondents rated employee engagement at their organizations as merely “moderate,” and nearly half (44%) admitted they lack a long-term internal communications strategy. And yet, internal communicators ranked increased employee engagement, higher employee satisfaction and stronger leadership communication as their top goals.
This disconnect reveals a critical gap, especially during periods of uncertainty. Whether it’s budget cuts, economic instability or organizational restructuring, how leaders communicate during challenging times can either strengthen or erode trust.
Communicate Like Employees Are Your Most Important Stakeholders (Because They Are)
In uncertain times, communication isn’t important. It’s everything. When employees sense instability, they look to leadership for assurance. If communication from leadership is vague or inconsistent, employees will naturally start to speculate. Anxiety rises. Productivity drops. Trust dissolves.
In challenging times, there can be a temptation to deprioritize employee needs. I’ve seen leaders rationalize this approach with a “Where else would they go?” mentality. Uncertainty is not a hall pass to abandon employee communication. In fact, it’s the exact right time for internal communication to take center stage.
Treat employees like partners in your business, or the most important stakeholders. You wouldn’t stop communicating with your board during uncertainty, right? Showing employees respect, accountability and transparency via communication is nonnegotiable.
Leaders may need to make tough decisions, like layoffs, salary reductions and budget cuts. These moments call for clear, compassionate communication. The approach must convey, “I want to keep every member of this team, but right now it’s not financially feasible,” rather than, “We can save money by cutting salaries because employees won’t leave.”
Speak Their Language: How Does This Impact Me?
When communicating during uncertainty, clear is kind (credit to Brené Brown for this brilliant phrase!). Start by developing messaging with your employees’ perspective top-of-mind.
Leaders often lead with “vision” or “adaptability” during tough times, but those words can feel abstract or disconnected from what matters most to employees. Before sending that email or hosting that town hall, ask and then answer: What does this mean for employees?
Tie your communications to their concerns:
- Will jobs be impacted?
- Will my day-to-day change?
- Have business goals or revenue targets shifted?
- What are one or two things I can immediately do to support the business?
Answer those questions directly and avoid ambiguities. Even if the news is hard, your employees want and will appreciate the truth. When leaders respect employees enough to be direct and honest, trust deepens.
Take A Human-First Approach To Communication
Leadership communication isn’t about having the perfect script. It’s about showing up as a real person. This is particularly crucial when leaders are communicating during uncertainty.
People crave authenticity. They want to work for leaders who are honest, vulnerable and empathetic. They want people who genuinely care.
Authentic leadership starts at the top and should cascade through the entire organization. That means:
- Admitting what you don’t know and committing to finding solutions
- Owning mistakes and learning from them
- Sharing not just what you’re doing, but why you’re doing it
- Infusing communication with your personality (what motivates you, what worries you, what you’re most proud of, etc.)
These moments of connection humanize leadership and build resilience across the organization, and resilience is the key to getting through challenging times.
Communicate With Purpose, Not Panic
During uncertainty, leaders must balance speed with accuracy. This is a well-known external communications strategy, but it also applies to internal communications. Employees don’t expect all the answers immediately, but they do expect to hear from leadership quickly and consistently.
Being purposeful with communication doesn’t mean inundating employees with constant updates. It means anticipating their questions and being proactive about communicating when most appropriate. Frequency and channels will vary, but proactive and purposeful communications apply across all businesses.
Words And Actions Must Match
Words matter, but only when backed by meaningful action. A culture of care is shown, not declared. Employees take their cues not just from what leaders say, but from how they behave. If executives communicate a specific update or direction, but then middle managers do the exact opposite, chaos ensues.
Ensure your entire leadership team is aligned and equipped to execute what’s communicated. When employees see consistency modeled at every level, and the follow-through matches the promise, they may be more motivated to play their part in helping the business weather the storm.
AI Should Support Communication, Not Replace Leadership
Generative AI tools are growing more advanced daily. They can help organize your thoughts and craft stronger messaging.
But let’s be clear: AI cannot replace the human side of communication. Going back to the human-first approach section, AI is not great at putting the human touch into communication.
You, the leader, can show genuine empathy. You can build trust through vulnerability. And only you can showcase true resilience and leadership during uncertainty. Use AI to enhance your communication, but never let it replace the human connection your employees need most.
Uncertainty Is Inevitable, But Trust Is Built Through Communication
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that change and disruption are constant. Trust, transparency and humanity must be, too. I fundamentally believe great communication is the medicine needed to ease the symptoms of uncertainty.
As marketing and communications leaders, we have the privilege and responsibility to help organizations navigate the unknown with clarity and compassion. Whether you deliver progress updates or hard truths, your words carry weight.
Say them with care. Say them with purpose. Say them like your people matter most, because they do.
Nikki Little is chief marketing officer at Franco. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
