[Veronica R]

Communicating openly and repeatedly is a requirement for bringing people along with the change. This starts at day one and can run for months. When done well, this is likely to be a little uncomfortable for leaders because it involved a lot of vulnerability, patience, and empathy.
Vulnerability: Covering only questions with legal or leadership pre-approved answers is uninspiring and cold. Folks will have real-time questions. Hosting office hours or other activities with leaders can be daunting but focusing on what you know, what you don’t know, and when you’ll get back with more creates trust.
Patience: Communications take time. Time to prepare, time to be visible, and time to follow-up. Leaders who understand that employees are going through the change curve and can be patient when having to repeat the same answer for the 4th time in an hour long call will get their employees through that curve faster.
Empathy: Employees will have irrational fears and rumor abound in a vacuum of information. Answer those questions, create space for fear, and remove ambiguity whenever possible.

So… how have you seen this done? Successfully or other?

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