Widespread layoffs in 2023 took a toll on morale that continues to reverberate in 2024. In the absence of positive emotions and a positive workplace culture, employee engagement and innovation both suffer. This leads us—a senior scientist and an organizational researcher—to conclude that today’s leaders must take action to energize employees and boost morale so that creativity and innovation can thrive despite the difficulties companies have faced and will no doubt continue to face.
But executive communications can be fraught, and there’s often a disconnect between what leaders believe needs to be said and what employees need to hear. The Axios 2023 State of Essential Workplace Communications report found that many business leaders see figuring out what to communicate to employees and stakeholders as the top challenge they face; the same survey finds that employees want to hear thoughtful and insightful perspectives from leaders on a consistent cadence.
The pandemic era put the spotlight on leadership communications while making the task more complex, due to virtual and hybrid meetings where side chats are common and (often acrimonious) commentary is shared anonymously. Here are four common mistakes we see leaders making in their communications with employees—and four suggested alternative approaches that can boost morale, leading to greater engagement, innovation, and productivity.
Don’t ignore anxiety
Significant organizational changes, such as mergers, divestitures, reorganizations, or layoffs, tend to evoke a sense of loss and uncertainty for employees. Leaders must pause to recognize this: Instead of immediately steering their narrative toward excitement for the future, first acknowledge the emotions that may be percolating within the workforce. By displaying empathy and understanding, leaders build trust. Genuine empathy fosters connection, making the subsequent introduction of excitement a more natural and well-received progression in the change journey.
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