{"id":6884,"date":"2020-05-19T19:25:45","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T00:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.managementcenter.org\/?post_type=resources&p=6884"},"modified":"2025-07-14T21:38:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T21:38:47","slug":"what-to-communicate","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.managementcenter.org\/resources\/what-to-communicate\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Uncertainty: What to Communicate to Your Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a crisis, a big part of every leader\u2019s job is to provide a container<\/a> for staff\u2014that is, to make sense of what\u2019s happening. Leading during uncertain or chaotic times can feel like holding a big, tangled-up ball of yarn. Your task isn\u2019t just to untangle it\u2014it\u2019s to make something of it. Effective communication can promote the stability, continuity, and sense of purpose that helps people cope during tough times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you weave it all together to create a clear and cohesive picture?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way forward: imagine that the purpose of your next staff meeting is to get everyone on the same page. What\u2019s your \u201cstump speech\u201d about your organization\u2019s approach to the situation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the key components:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Purpose:<\/strong> What\u2019s happening and what you\u2019re called to do.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Uncertainties:<\/strong> The unknowns, sticking points, and tensions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Scenarios:<\/strong> How you\u2019re moving forward in ways that reflect the uncertainties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Team impact and expectations:<\/strong> How people might be affected by the plan(s).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. What\u2019s next:<\/strong> What people can expect from you moving forward.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Check out the chart below for more information about each component (plus sample language!). Or, go straight to our Communication Planning Worksheet<\/a> to get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To get more helpful resources like this, sign up for our newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Components<\/th>Sample Language<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Purpose.<\/strong> How are your community members experiencing life differently now? Acknowledge ways that this crisis may be directly and disproportionately impacting your team members.

    State your organization\u2019s purpose. What has been your part in addressing social issues, and what does your role look like now?

    Provide a high-level summary of how you\u2019re responding and what will guide your team to fulfill its purpose. If anything has changed due to reprioritization<\/a>, name what has shifted.<\/span>

    Highlight some recent wins and successes or share gratitude.<\/td>    		\u201cOur communities\u2014especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color, undocumented folks, poor people, and disabled people\u2014are in crisis. People are struggling with housing instability, food scarcity, and job insecurity. Some of us are being hit particularly hard.\u201d

    \u201cWe\u2019ve always been the go-to for XYZ. Now, more than ever, our communities are counting on us to ____.\u201d

    \u201cOur guiding objectives are three-fold: first, to continue meeting the needs of our community\u2014especially those most marginalized\u2014in the short term while we advocate for long-term systemic and structural change; second, to keep our people safe and come out of this period in as strong a shape as possible; and third, to learn from this experience overall so we can continue to adapt and move forward.\u201d

    \u201cWe\u2019ve already been doing this in a few ways. Most recently, our organizing team held a successful phone bank to get the word out to our members about filling out the census.\u201d\u201cI appreciate everyone for doing your best to support and serve our community, despite so many obstacles. Thank you for everything you\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
    Uncertainties.<\/strong> Acknowledge uncertainties and tensions, including equity implications or tough calls that you\u2019ll be watching out for.<\/td>\u201cThere are some big uncertainties. A few things we don\u2019t know include XYZ. We know everyone has different responsibilities, needs, and risks to weigh, and we\u2019ll need to be flexible and thoughtful to treat people fairly and equitably.\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
    Scenarios.<\/strong> Lay out the paths you\u2019ve identified. What is the most likely scenario that you\u2019re preparing for? (If you haven\u2019t done scenario planning yet, check out our article and tool<\/a> to get started).<\/td>\u201cThe scenarios we\u2019re considering are A, B, and C. The one that we think is most likely to happen is ___. To prepare for that scenario, we are going to ___. With that said, if ___ happens, the scenario we\u2019ll move forward with is ___.

    Ultimately, the worst-case scenario that we\u2019re trying to avoid is ___. We hope never to get there, but if anything changes, here\u2019s how we\u2019ll communicate about it: ___.\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
    Impact and expectations.<\/strong> How might your plans impact your people? Share new or adjusted expectations and any obstacles you anticipate.

    Specify where they can go for more information or with questions.<\/td>    		“We’ll be in close communication with our funders, and our Board is prepared to do extra fundraising if we lose institutional support”

    “As we shift resources to XYZ program, the ABC program team will be most impacted. Those folks will work with their managers to update their individual work plans.”

    “We’re working with our lawyers and IT consultants to monitor security threats. We’re not worried right now, but we are paying attention and will prioritize staff safety.\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
    What\u2019s next.<\/strong> What are you committing to regarding communication, operationalization, and revisiting?<\/td>\u201cWe\u2019re committed to sharing updates at our biweekly staff meetings (with follow-up notes in an email). You will also get updates at your weekly team meetings. We promise that we\u2019ll try to make and communicate tough decisions as early as we can. We\u2019ll revisit our plans by [date]. We\u2019ll be getting input via ____.”<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Remember that purposeful and effective communication doesn\u2019t have to mean a neat and linear narrative. Forget about perfection and focus on being honest, clear, and consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Get started now with our simple Communication Planning Worksheet<\/a>, to help you think through what to communicate to your team about your organization\u2019s approach moving forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In a crisis, a big part of every leader\u2019s job is to provide a container for staff\u2014that is, to make sense of what\u2019s happening. Effective communication can promote the stability, continuity, and sense of purpose that helps people cope during tough times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":10397,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"resource_types":[48],"topic":[46],"collection":[25],"class_list":["post-6884","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_types-article-publication","topic-other-topics","collection-managing-uncertainty"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nManaging Uncertainty: What to Communicate to Your Team - The Management Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.managementcenter.org\/resources\/what-to-communicate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Managing Uncertainty: What to Communicate to Your Team - The Management Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a crisis, a big part of every leader\u2019s job is to provide a container for staff\u2014that is, to make sense of what\u2019s happening. 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