Navigating uncertainty: comms tips to cut through the fog
Half a decade on from lockdown, uncertainty still surrounds businesses all of sizes and types. This acts as an economic handbrake, by inhibiting decisions that unlock growth.
Fears of the next downturn can temper any signs of opportunity. Concerns about resourcing or finding staff to deliver new work makes planning for progress a challenge.
Business West’s latest economic survey reflects these worries and highlights a sense of drift. In the chamber’s first opinion snapshot since Donald Trump’s tariffs caused global ripples, more than three quarters of South West firms responding to the survey said economic uncertainty is a key concern. Recruitment is a headache for two-thirds of respondents. By contrast, just 14% said they intend to increase investment this quarter.
Gloomy headlines damage confidence further, with every high-profile business failure or stalled project cited as evidence that things don’t work as they should.
I’ll come back to my thoughts on the doom loop surrounding discourse on economy. But I want to make the point first that, whatever the wider circumstances facing us, businesses can control their response to challenging headwinds.
How they present themselves, engage clients and their teams, and spot and take the right opportunities can help them navigate the fog. Good communication plays a valuable role here, and we see this up close with our clients at Distinctive.
All businesses and projects are different, of course. But across the dozens of clients we’ve helped to deliver, grow and navigate change in the last three years, the same qualities stand out.
I set out below three traits behaviours any business can use to find those green shoots, in spite of what’s happening around them.
Three steps for navigating uncertainty
Be confident: When caution abounds, it’s often harder to project confidence.
But clearly and confidently setting out the value of your work helps businesses stand out against a challenging backdrop.
This is not the same as spinning a positive line when it’s obvious that you’re in trouble or ducking the hard bits. That’s a topic for another post. You need to ensure that you back up your words with action – show, don’t just tell.
Businesses can – and must – be open about the challenges they face. But if they’re not showing confidence in their plan, how can they expect others to trust in them?
I think the Labour government has been extremely poor at this since coming to office last year. Ministers were quick to trash the legacy they inherited without articulating a destination they want to take us to (note: lower energy bills or 1.5m homes is not a vision).
It’s vital for leaders to confidently communicate their vision and plan to get there, especially in tough times.
And they should celebrate success at every step, using small milestones to paint a picture of progress.
Be consistent: Confidence comes from clarity of purpose. If what you’re saying to your teams or stakeholders is out of step with what’s happening, something jars.
Businesses citing success while laying off staff, or AI bosses promising ‘PhD Level learning’ while launching a product that makes head-scratching mistakes that users hate are good examples of this.
Holding a steady line on the purpose and direction of the business is one thing. In the spirit of walking the walk, it’s better if your words match customer and stakeholder experience.
We work with a family-owned construction business, whose values are consistently shared by leaders to drive positive behaviour across its offices.
Supported with a strong brand and social media presence which generates hundreds of positive responses, this clarity and consistency helped them to their most successful trading period in the company’s 135-year history last year.
Be close to clients: Customers and clients can be your best advocates or your fiercest critics.
Teams who chase the next new business opportunity while paying scant regard to clients who pay them today could leave growth opportunities on the table.
In the UK, depending on sector, bringing on a new client can cost several times more than holding onto the ones you’ve already earned. In property, it’s well known that keeping a good tenant is better for the bottom line than finding a new one.
Staying close to clients aids quick responses to any concerns and can help bring in the next referral for new work.
Thanks to brilliant account management skills, this has been an essential part of our growth over the last year. We were delighted that so many of our clients rated us a nine or 10 (out of 10) in our Net Promoter Score survey a few months ago.
Reflections on the state we’re in
I wrote when we marked our third year in business about how I feel the challenges facing us acutely, while questioning the gloomy commentary surrounding them.
Yes, it’s tough. But it’s nowhere near as bad today as it felt in 2022 with a newly established team as Liz Truss’ mini budget left the economy gasping for breath.
Wages and job numbers are holding up. Changes to planning and infrastructure will accelerate building and growth in many places that need it. And whisper it: the economy is slowly growing.
Despite the gloomy narrative, many people still deliver outstanding work and win business. They work in cities that sparkle with creativity and innovation, employing ever increasing numbers of people in high growth sectors.
These people demonstrate the qualities I’ve outlined in this post. They’re confident and upbeat. They match their messages with action. They deliver for their clients and celebrate the wins with them.
These qualities don’t eliminate uncertainty. But they can help teams to navigate it. Good storytelling that gets to the truth of the challenge at hand can support this.
While we can’t change the cycle, we can manage our response to it.
And if the gloom gets you down, turning the news off and focusing on the people around you helps too.
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