When business conditions and priorities change quickly, employees look to leadership for reassurance even when there are no easy answers. While leaders can’t always provide certainty, they can create a sense of stability with honest communication, consistent, clear priorities and a steady presence.
Giving team members insight into what is known, what remains unchanged and what may come next can help people navigate uneasy periods of uncertainty with greater confidence. Below, our founder Kathy Shanley joins members of Forbes Coaches Council to share strategies to lead teams through change without pretending to have all the answers.
Provide Decision Rationale And Next Steps
When things shift quickly, give your team clarity, even when you can’t give them certainty. Be transparent about what you know, what you don’t and when you expect to know more. One way to do so is to share the rationale behind decisions and what will happen next. Then, give them the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. This may provide the stability they need, even when some uncertainty remains. - Kathleen Shanley, Statice
