Bad news is better than no news
In this Two-Minute Tip, we take a glimpse at the impact of uncertainty. Not knowing what the future holds and the associated fear of the unknown dramatically impact the brain’s ability to think logically and rationally. We literally stop thinking straight, as demonstrated by my recent personal experience shared in this video.
When your team members feel uncertain, they experience a stress response, have limited access to the brain's executive functions, and are incapable of doing their best work.
Leaders, does each employee on your team know:
What's expected of them?
How success is measured?
How well they are currently performing?
What their future looks like within the company?
Where you are headed as a team? And as an organization?
Key priorities for the next month and quarter?
If they are unsure of answers to any of these questions (or others), you're leaving room for uncertainty to attack. Even if you have bad news to share, remember that the human brain responds more favorably to KNOWN bad news than to UNKNOWN news.
Be painfully transparent. Communicate annoyingly often. And just when you think you've made things clear, repeat the message three more time.