Panic was setting in. An all hands meeting was called and no details were shared. She was stressed as she shared her thoughts. What were they going to get in trouble for? Were they closing locations? Would they still have jobs?
As it turned out, the meeting was held every year. The other shoe didn’t drop. And there wasn’t anything extraordinary that came out of the meeting. Relief set in. It was an investment by the owner and the people. But there were no calls to action.
Eliminating the panic cycle from calling all hands meetings is easy to address. Regular (at least quarterly) communication by leadership sets an expectation that people will hear about what is going on in the business. It gives people an opportunity to ask questions and clarify direction.
Are you communicating with people in your organization regularly? People want information and want to be part of what is going on. So, why not talk regularly and move the dial from panic to excitement.