When an organization hits a major financial or operational challenge, there’s often a ripple effect that impacts everyone involved. Recently, I worked with a nonprofit that experienced just such a challenge — a startling budget deficit — leaving its leadership scrambling to get things back on track.
To their credit, the team was able to make it through the worst of it by last spring, just in time for summer break. But when employees returned to work in the fall, an interesting dynamic emerged: leadership had been deeply engaged with the issues all summer, while the rest of the staff took a break and returned after several weeks, still holding their initial questions and assumptions. The divide between those in the know and those flying blind (or so it seemed) was painfully obvious.
It was like a cliffhanger in a TV series — everyone left off at the same suspenseful moment, but leadership was able to dig deeper over the break while everyone else was still stuck wondering, “Who shot J.R.?”
This is a common challenge in organizations that have been through a tough transition. When a major decision or event divides groups — those who’ve had time to process and those who haven’t — it’s easy for misunderstandings and assumptions to crop up. For those returning, there’s a pressing need to be brought up to speed, given the space to process, and offered insights on how things have evolved. If we skip this step, it’s easy for tensions to rise or for some to feel out of the loop.
Transparency and communication are key here, but they’re not simple concepts. People often talk about wanting transparency in their organizations, but the reality is that transparency has limits. There are things you legally or ethically can’t discuss, like certain HR issues, financial negotiations, or sensitive boardroom discussions. So, what can we do to keep people feeling informed and respected, even when not every detail can be disclosed?
This particular nonprofit’s leadership, for example, is working to create a culture that respects both the process and the people involved. They’re looking at ways to welcome everyone back, answer questions as thoroughly as possible, and ensure each team member feels valued. It’s not always easy to go back to square one and rehash difficult topics with those who weren’t privy to summer discussions, but it’s crucial to help the entire team move forward together.
As leaders, part of our responsibility is to bring everyone along on the journey. When we’re transparent about what we can be transparent about and make it clear why some things need to remain confidential, it builds trust.
That’s how we get back on the same page — by respecting everyone’s need to feel informed, by owning our role in the bigger picture, and by embracing the patience required to create a true sense of unity.
Photo by Steven Lelham on Unsplash
