Big changes need early warning

There’s a huge amount of change going on and many leaders are wrestling with an important question:  How soon do I tell key people what’s happening – especially when the news won’t be welcome?

Perhaps your change relates to a restructure, a shift in funding or even AI-related layoffs (sadly, we can expect more of this one).

I can understand wanting to hold back if you don’t yet have all the details, but that’s a dangerous strategy.

Consider how trust will be shattered when the news emerges and people realise you’ve known for some time.

Think of it like turbulence on a flight, when the captain announces that things are about to get bumpy. 

You don’t welcome the news but at least when the shuddering starts, it’s not a surprise.

Contrast that with those flights when turbulence hits without warning. I don’t know about you, but I can feel my palms getting sweaty and my heart racing. Sometimes you hear people gasping.

You mightn’t know the full story – or perhaps it’s not your story to tell – but give early warning. Frame it in general terms if you need to; plant the seed that some news is on the horizon and you’ll tell them more when you can.

Play it with a straight bat; don’t catastrophise, but don’t gloss it up either.

Credible leaders build trust even when people don’t like the message.

These common communication traps can quickly damage your reputation. Here’s my latest video on how to avoid them: https://youtu.be/MW5UM977vrQ