What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say

🤔 “What do I say when I don’t know what to say?”

I get this question a lot from senior leaders, especially during times of uncertainty. They often choose not to communicate with their team or organization when they aren’t sure of the answers or don’t have all the information. 

🚫 Big mistake! This creates anxiety and distrust, and the rumors start to fly.

When stakes are high, people look to leaders for answers. But sometimes… the answers just aren’t there yet.

👇Here’s the secret to building trust in difficult times:

You don’t need to have all the answers.

What your team needs most is your clarity, honesty, and transparency.

✨ When I coach leaders navigating big shifts - like reorganizations or layoffs - I offer a simple 3-step communication approach when things are still in flux. 

Tell your team/organization:

🔹 What I know for sure is true

🔹 What I believe is likely to be true

🔹 What I don’t know yet — and when I expect to know more

📣 Then say: "I’ll share updates as soon as I have them."

When leaders clearly name what's known and unknown, the psychological load lightens. Teams feel safer. Trust builds. The noise and anxiety in the system lessen. 🎯 

You're not just sharing facts. You're sharing your thinking process, which helps others stay in their grounded zone, too.

🧠 Why it works (yes, there’s brain science here):

The brain is wired to seek certainty and pattern recognition. Ambiguity = threat.

 And when people don’t get clear info, they fill in the blanks, often with worst-case scenarios. 😬

This framework calms the nervous system. It provides a sense of certainty and sets clear expectations about what’s likely and what’s still unknown. 

This gives the brain something it craves: predictability. 🧠 

When our predictions turn out to be accurate, the brain’s pattern recognition engine is rewarded — reinforcing a sense of safety and control. 

Even when the news is difficult, it’s far better to prepare people than to surprise them. 

📌 Our brains handle hard things more easily when we can anticipate them. Our ability to predict what happens reduces our stress and conserves energy, regardless of whether the outcome is positive or negative!! 📌 

 💬 Sharing your thought process in this way helps you build trust and combat the rumor mill.

👉 The next time you find yourself in one of those “I don’t have all the answers yet” moments — resist the urge to go silent, or to share platitudes.

Your credibility doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from how you show up when you don’t.

💡 Try this easy-to-remember approach - and watch how it brings calm, clarity, and focus to your team when they need it most.

📊 Bottom line: You don’t need to have all the answers.

You just need to communicate with courage, transparency, and vulnerability.

That’s how trust grows — even in turbulent times. 🌱