CSOM – Silence Is Not a Strategy in Times of Change and Uncertainty

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Franco, our PRGN partner in Detroit. The content of the email was a challenge—click the link and receive an email a day for five days for the opportunity to assess how leaders communicate during times of change and uncertainty.

Not one to pass up a challenge, I clicked the link and invited Nikki Little to join me on the podcast to talk more about it.

In a 2024 report on the Global State of Internal Communication, 60% of internal communicators rated employee engagement at their organizations as only moderate. When uncertainty hits, this engagement gap widens unless leaders take deliberate action.

It can be challenging for leaders to know when and how much information to share with their team when things are going well.  It can be overwhelming when things are difficult. But as Nikki and I talked about, the time to establish your internal communications strategy is long before there are issues to discuss. When you create an atmosphere of openness and transparency, you develop a sense of trust with your team.  When you empower others on your leadership team to make decisions, share information and take action, you further establish a level of trust that will carry you forward in good times and bad.

Employees who are informed are more engaged, more productive and more likely to advocate for the organization externally. Conversely, when information is withheld or inconsistent, trust erodes quickly.

Your employees want to work in an environment where the leaders are honest and transparent, show their vulnerabilities and show empathy. Create an internal structure that focuses on consistent and open communication will deepen your employees’ connection to your mission.  And they will be your strongest advocates.

Listen in.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the Copper State of Mind podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app. We publish new episodes every other Friday. To have them delivered automatically and free of charge, just pick your preferred podcast player from this link, open the app, and click the button to “Follow” the show: https://copperstateofmind.show/listen