Two things employees need most during uncertainty
In this article, Kate explores why the organisations navigating change most successfully tend to focus on two things: clarity and connection.
The pace of change at work has always ebbed and flowed, but the last five years have felt particularly relentless.
Organisations have navigated a global pandemic, rapid advances in AI and digital technology, changing expectations around hybrid work, economic volatility, and an almost constant stream of political and policy change.
The challenge for leaders is no longer how to help employees adapt to one specific change.
It’s how to lead through continuous change while keeping people informed, connected and motivated.
Why uncertainty affects people as much as performance
We often talk about uncertainty in commercial terms, focusing on things like delayed investment, reduced consumer confidence, or changing market conditions.
But uncertainty affects people deeply too.
Humans are wired to seek certainty, control, status and belonging. Organisational change can threaten all of these factors.
Whether it’s restructures, AI adoption or return-to-office mandates, change can trigger anxiety and defensive behaviours that reduce collaboration, creativity and performance.
People rarely do their best thinking immediately after hearing their role may change, their team may restructure, or their way of working is about to change again.
Short-term urgency can sometimes unite organisations around a common goal. During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, many organisations moved incredibly quickly because people understood what was at stake and rallied behind a shared purpose.
But organisations can’t remain in permanent crisis mode.
Over time, sustained uncertainty damages trust, increases burnout and affects performance. And in a world where change is now constant, organisations need a more sustainable way to help people adapt.
The organisations that navigate change best create clarity and connection
In my experience, two factors are critical to helping organisations navigate long-term change successfully: clarity and connection.
Clarity
Clarity means helping employees understand:
what is changing
why it matters
what leaders are asking them to do differently
how those changes connect to the organisation’s strategy and purpose
People are far more likely to embrace change when they understand the reasoning behind it and believe the direction is meaningful.
This sounds obvious, but many organisations communicate change reactively or inconsistently. Leaders assume employees understand the context when, in reality, people are often trying to fill gaps in information themselves.
That uncertainty creates anxiety, rumours and disengagement.
Clear, transparent communication doesn’t eliminate the negative impacts of uncertainty entirely, but it does reduce confusion and build trust.
Connection
The second factor is connection.
By connection, I mean creating an environment where people feel:
a sense of belonging
aligned around a shared purpose
trust in leaders
psychologically safe to speak up, contribute ideas and ask questions
Research consistently shows that organisations with high levels of trust and psychological safety are better at collaboration, innovation and adapting to change.
That matters hugely during periods of uncertainty.
When people feel psychologically unsafe, they become more cautious and risk-averse. They stop challenging ideas, raising concerns or experimenting with new approaches — precisely the behaviours organisations need during uncertainty.
Strong relationships, visible leadership and open communication create the conditions for people to adapt more confidently.
What happens when organisations get this wrong
In practice, most organisations tend to prioritise one of these factors while neglecting the other.
Low clarity + low connection
Employees think:
“I don’t know what’s happening, and I don’t trust leadership to look after people.”
This creates fear, disengagement and high turnover.
High connection + low clarity
Employees think:
“I trust leadership, but I don’t know where we’re going.”
People may feel positive about the culture, but the lack of clarity stifles performance.
High clarity + low connection
This is probably the most common scenario.
Leaders communicate clear expectations and business priorities, but employees experience change as something being done to them rather than with them.
People understand the direction intellectually, but they don’t feel emotionally committed to it.
That often leads to frustration, resistance, burnout or attrition.
High clarity + high connection
This is where organisations are best able to sustain performance through uncertainty.
Employees understand where the organisation is going, why it matters, and what is expected of them. But just as importantly, they trust leaders, feel supported through change and believe their contribution matters.
That combination creates resilience, adaptability and discretionary effort.
A good example: IKEA’s approach to AI
A good example of this balance is IKEA’s approach to AI adoption.
As highlighted in a recent Harvard Business Review article, when IKEA introduced AI chatbots into customer service, the company didn’t simply automate roles away. Instead, it up-skilled around 8,500 employees into higher-value positions such as sales and interior design.
That mattered because employees experienced AI as something happening with them rather than to them.
The result was not only stronger trust and engagement, but significant commercial benefit too, including major growth in remote sales and interior design services.
It’s a good reminder that successful transformation isn’t just about technology or process.
It’s about whether organisations create enough clarity and connection for people to move forward with confidence together.
Leading through continuous change
In a world of constant uncertainty, communication and culture are no longer “soft” organisational concerns.
They are strategic capabilities.
The organisations navigating change most successfully are not necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the most advanced technology. They are the ones creating environments where people still feel informed, valued, connected and supported to do great work during uncertainty.
That’s my area of expertise: strengthening communication, culture and behaviour change strategies that build trust, alignment and engagement during periods of transformation.
If your organisation is navigating significant change and you’d like to explore how to strengthen clarity, connection or trust across your workforce, feel free to get in touch. You can book a free 30-minute call online.