Talk Often
“Silence is a void filled with anxieties”
When I read this sentence in a novel, it reminded me of the physics concept of horror vacui. Nature abhors a vacuum, according to Aristotle. And, whilst the scientists may argue over the accuracy of that statement, it rings true in many a workplace.
When there is a vacuum of communication, something will fill it. Speculation and conjecture. Gossip and stories. Fear and anxiety.
One of the oft repeated mantras of leadership and change is communicate, communicate, communicate. And, when you’re finishing communicating, communicate some more.
We don’t have to have all of the answers. We don’t have to wait until all the ducks line up.
We do have to avoid the silence. We cannot allow the anxieties to fill the silence.
Talk. Openly. Honestly. And often.
What a difference it makes.