Quandary Mat: What Do I Tell My Team? The Fine Line Between Transparency and Overwhelm
Dear Hunter,
I am a manager in a health care and social service organization. Work has been crazy lately with funding threats, from both the attacks at the federal level on the services we provide, as well as a budget deficit in our local government.
People drop into my office daily to tell me how scared they are for their jobs and for the people we provide services for. Everybody wants updates, constantly. Usually, I don’t know any more than they do. It’s exhausting.
Sometimes, I do have an update that the management team gets, but the rest of our staff do not. The executive team tells us we have to keep certain updates to ourself, “until we know more.” But that feels dishonest to me. Why shouldn’t everybody have the best and most up-to-date information?
I’m going a little bit crazy. What should I tell people?
Signed,
Struggling and Stressed
Dear Struggling and Stressed,
First, take a breath. You are not alone. What you’re describing is an emotionally demanding and ethically complex leadership challenge: acknowledging and working with fear—your own and others’—without letting it drown out the mission.
You’re showing up with integrity, concern, and a desire to do right by your team. That’s already a sign of a mindful leader.
Let's break this down into two intertwined parts: the facts and the feelings.
1. About the facts: When to share, and when to wait
It can feel dishonest to hold back information. But here’s the truth:
Transparency isn't about sharing everything immediately. It’s about communicating clearly and responsibly at the right time, with the right level of certainty.
Your executive team is likely taking the position that information should be shared when it meets two criteria:
It’s confirmed and stable.
Leadership has a clear plan for what comes next.
This isn't secrecy for secrecy’s sake. It’s about protecting your team from misinformation, confusion, or unnecessary panic.
You can honor this approach and your team’s trust with language like:
“Right now, I don’t have new information to share beyond what’s already been communicated. I know the leadership team will share updates as soon as we have solid facts and next steps. Until then, I’ll make sure you know what I know when it’s ready to be shared widely.”
Gossip abhors a vacuum. Invite your team into responsible communication:
“In uncertain times, it’s easy for speculation to take over. Let’s do our best to pause before passing along anything that hasn’t been confirmed.”
2. About the emotions: Acknowledge, don’t absorb
People need to feel seen. And they’re looking to you—sometimes daily—to co-regulate their fear. That’s a lot to carry.
You don’t have to absorb every emotion to be a compassionate leader.
Here’s a helpful distinction:
There’s what’s happening.
And there’s how people are feeling about it.
You can validate people’s fear without fueling it:
“It makes total sense that you’re feeling anxious—this uncertainty affects our livelihoods and the communities we serve. I feel it too. And I also know that panicking won’t help us show up for each other or our clients.”
Set a gentle boundary for your own peace:
“I’m always open to hearing concerns, but I also need to stay focused and centered so I can support the team. Let’s check in about this in our scheduled updates, and try to keep our informal conversations grounded.”
You can also model collective mindfulness:
Start meetings with three slow breaths. Make this optional.
Bring a steady presence (even if you’re faking it a little).
Help people take mindful pauses during chaotic days.
If someone is deeply struggling, normalize asking for help: “If you’re feeling overwhelmed, please consider reaching out to our EAP or a mental health provider. You don’t have to carry this alone.”
3. Reinforce identity and resilience
You’re all here because you care about something larger than yourselves. That’s powerful. Remind your team who they are: “We got through a global pandemic together. We adapted, we supported each other, and we kept showing up. That strength is still in us.”
This is hard and you’re not powerless.
Final thought
Struggling and Stressed, leadership in these moments is rarely about having the perfect answer. It’s about showing up with clarity, calm, and care—even in uncertainty.
You’re already doing that by asking this question. Take breaks. Ask for help. Model what it looks like to stay human in the storm. That’s leadership, too.
I’m with you!
Take good care,
Hunter