The Power of Authentic Communication in Uncertain Times

What a week. My chart of the Dow Industrials is a roller coaster unlike anything I’ve seen before, and keeping up with the news headlines has been enough to bring on a serious bout of PTSD. It’s been brutal, and scary, and challenging for just about everyone running a business.

Which raises an important question: How can you communicate with customers, clients, employees and others at a time like this?

The answer, of course, is not so simple. As is often the case in these situations, you want to reach out with some level of reassurance. Yet, the last thing we want to do is wade into the brutal morass of tariffs, inflation, recession and global politics.

Further, what reassurance is there to be given? Nobody knows what Monday will bring. And with such uncertainty, what messages can be delivered?

The truth is this. In such situations, it’s not so much what you say, but how you say it. People want to know that the organizations they entrust with critical goods and services are 1) paying attention and 2) care. So, staying silent is not a great option.

Instead, here’s a better way:

1. Reach out by acknowledging the challenging moment and reinforcing your core messages – the ideals of the company and your commitment to them.
2. Let them know you’re on the job, with both eyes on the ball. You are in it together and they are top of mind.
3. Be authentic in your communication. This is not the time for self-serving “thought leadership.” It’s time to be real, and personal, and speak plain truths.

This type of communication need not be long. Or polished. Or pretty. It just has to land. It can be an email, a social post or even a phone call.

In such situations, it’s easy to get so caught up in what we shouldn’t say, that we forget the power of authentic communication. It doesn’t take much to make a very big impact.