The cost of withholding information

I've seen it all too often. Leaders try to protect people by not sharing information. However, instead of protecting them, it often causes harm. 

Sure, some people prefer having blinders on and don't want to know what's happening. Remember: they can delete an email if they don't want to know what's going on. 

Look, if I were to ask - "Do you love uncertainty?" - who's going to raise their hand? Ummm, almost no one. People prefer to know what's going on. 

The key is in what you say and how you message it. Have someone in the affected/your intended audience read your email or statement that you'll be presenting before you put it out into the world (e.g., a colleague in the affected department, a parent from your school community, the spouse of your employee). 

Ask them if it's clear and if they have any questions. If it's unclear and/or they have questions, you have revisions to make. 

If too little information is provided, you'll get a lot of follow up questions. If too much information is provided in a sensitive or crisis situation, you could cause alarm. But not saying anything or saying too little and not addressing the affected/your intended audience's concerns can cause deep mistrust and disloyalty. 

More communication is always better than less, especially in the times we live in now.