In troubled, uncertain times, there’s often a lack of communication. Leaders don’t have all the answers. Instead, they have their own anxieties. As a result, they become cautious about what they say, which translates into less communication.
The problem with this approach is what I call the law of employee speculation. When employees don’t know, they speculate. In my experience, their speculation is worse than reality. If you withhold good news, they’ll assume the news is at best neutral. If the withheld news is neutral, it will be assumed negative. And if the withheld news is bad, employees will assume the apocalypse.
