Constant change is something which we are all learning to live with. While change fatigue is a real issue for staff, it isn’t always avoidable. What can be improved, however, is the ambiguity that often goes with the change process. Ambiguity is what breaks trust between staff and their leaders—and this is what all leaders can influence for the better.

Most leaders are willing to share good news with their people, but hesitate when it comes to the bad. When they do share it, it can be delayed or ‘spun’ in a manner that obfuscates the real consequences. Staff can be left in the dark about what it means, and will often try to fill in those gaps for themselves.

People want, and need, to hear the bad news, no matter how difficult it might be. And the younger the employee, the more likely they are to want the truth without the sugar coating. Leaders often focus on the possible negative fall-out from telling their staff bad news, but the consequences of not telling them, or of telling them too late or without enough detail, can be worse. Gossip and rumor is just one issue, but the erosion of trust is by far the most serious and damaging.

If employees see their leaders telling the truth, even when it's not easy to do so, they’re more likely to:

Listen and comprehend the facts;
contribute to a more constructive discussion rather than fuelling rumors; and
be more cooperative and motivated to change what needs to be changed.
When it comes to delivering negative messages, there are a few golden rules to remember.

1. Don’t email it: deliver messages face-to-face, as this minimizes misinterpretation and gives employees the opportunity to clarify anything they don’t understand.

2. Do it yourself: employees look to their immediate leader as the most credible source of information and often tend to distrust information received from corporate sources.

3. Be honest: you can’t always reveal everything, and sometimes you don’t have all the answers, but be as open and thorough as you can.

4. Be fast: as soon as you know something is happening, start planning to share it. Good news travels fast, bad news travels faster.

TalentKeepers’ advice on this is also for leaders to be clear and upfront about organizational challenges and operate on a no-surprises basis. They argue that team members who are fully informed will be more empathic in their responses, and will know where their focus needs to be.