An IC guide to communicating through uncertainty

It’s been a tough few weeks for many in our profession. Omnicom announced its completed takeover of IPG this week., and that will come with 4,000 job losses. In NHS England communicators are bracing for confirmation of significant reforms and likely redundancies

Before anything else: to anyone impacted, I’m thinking of you. Job loss and prolonged uncertainty take a real toll. Please reach out and lean on your network and the professional communities that exist to support you.

How to communicate when decisions are out of your control

I’ve written before about communicating redundancy with care, but this moment calls for a slightly different conversation. Many internal communicators are supporting leaders through change they don’t control. They may be decisions driven by a holding company, central government or a distant Head Office.

Leaders are feeling the pressure to provide clarity without having the information people want. That combination of limited detail and limited control is exactly what fuels uncertainty — and if it isn’t handled well, it can quickly erode trust, focus and wellbeing.

Uncertainty is painful for the brain but IC can help reduce the impact

Neuroscience tells us that uncertainty activates a threat response in the brain, making people more anxious and more likely to assume the worst. It’s why silence gets filled so quickly, why rumours take off, and why employees become hypersensitive to every hint of change.

This is the environment some internal communicators are working in, and it’s where we can make a meaningful difference. Helping leaders communicate with honesty and humanity in the middle of that climate.

We can’t remove the uncertainty, but we can help leaders reduce its impact.

Here are five practical ways to do that:

1. Clarify the ambiguous and be transparent around what’s uncertain. Announcements handed down from elsewhere can often be ambiguous, because they are written for investors and media rather than employees. Leaders then feel compelled to “interpret” them. Helping leaders understand what is simply unclear (and needs clarification) versus what is genuinely undecided (and needs transparency) prevents over-promising and protects credibility.

2. Help leaders communicate what’s known, what’s not, and the process. Leaders feel immense pressure because they know questions are coming and they don’t have the answers. Coach leaders to focus on three simple pillars: What we know today; What we don’t know yet; and the process for how and when decisions will be made This structure gives employees clarity without false certainty, and it reassures them that while the outcome is still emerging, the organisation is following a defined path. It also relieves leaders of the belief that they must fill every gap.

3. Encourage leaders to acknowledge the human impact. Leaders who communicate only in factual updates can unintentionally increase distress. Coaching leaders to acknowledge emotion (“I know this is unsettling,” “It’s reasonable to feel frustrated”) lowers the threat response and helps people absorb information more fully.

4. Establish a predictable rhythm of updates. Silence is rarely interpreted generously. When decisions sit outside your direct control updates can become reactive and inconsistent. Encourage leaders to set a rhythm they can stick to weekly, fortnightly, whatever is realistic. Even “No major updates this week, but here’s what is being worked through” provides structure, reduces rumour, and helps people regain a sense of control.

5. Make space for listening. When people are unsettled, listening calms the threat response. Feeling heard creates psychological safety. Use conversations to understand what your people are thinking, noticing and fearing. This builds trust and signals that their perspective matters, even when times are uncertain We may not control the decisions, but we can shape the experience for our people and that’s how internal communicators can add value as we navigate uncertainty.