Your employees are adults. They can take bad news.
I’ve worked with too many executives, both in-house and as clients, who say things like “people are our greatest assets” and “we trust and respect our employees,” and then in a crisis or environments of high-change say they don’t want to share anything with their teams until they know everything and have a perfectly crafted message.
Worst. Strategy. Ever.
When employees are aware a concerning issue is unfolding, or the company is in the midst of constantly shifting circumstances, if you don’t trust them enough to communicate early and often, they will not just go on with business as usual. They will fill in the blanks with the worst case scenarios, rumors will run rampant, you will find yourself in reactive and defensive postures, and you will lose precious trust, respect, and loyalty.
Your employees are adults. They can take bad news. They cannot take not knowing. And you can’t afford the fallout.