Stop Hiding: The Only Rule for Communicating Change Is Don’t Lie (or Go Silent)
It’s Thursday in Manhattan. You’ve just been blindsided by a product recall, a Google core update, or your biggest client rage-quitting via Slack. What do most agencies do? They freeze, go full-on submarine mode, and spit out a statement a week later packed with corporate nothing-speak. This isn’t leadership—this is cowardice disguised as strategy.
Let’s kill the myth right now: waiting for “all the facts” before telling your team and customers what’s up is not responsible. It’s a CYA tactic that creates a vacuum for speculation, rage, and a half-dozen LinkedIn influencers to sell their ‘Crisis Comms Playbook’. If you don’t know all the answers, say that. List what you do know, right now, with timestamps and specifics. ‘As of 9:45am, we know X, Y, and Z are impacted. We’ll update again by 3pm, even if there’s nothing new.’ Anything less is treating your people like idiots.
Look at how the Squarespace outage on Monday morning was handled: two hours of radio silence while small businesses bled cash, then a tweet so vague it could’ve been AI-generated. Compare that to the much smaller but bolder Brooklyn SaaS shop that posted hourly updates, even if it meant admitting, ‘We’re still troubleshooting. Here’s what we’ve ruled out.’ Guess which one earned back trust by Wednesday afternoon?
Stop acting like transparency is a luxury. If your instinct is to hold back because you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing, you’re already saying the wrong thing—just with your silence. PR daily can keep their “four rules.” There’s only one: say what you know, now, with receipts. Everyone else is just adding more steps to avoid being honest.
You want a real rule for this season of chaos? Commit to a recurring, public update schedule, even if you’re just admitting you don’t know yet. No more ‘updates as they become available’—pick a time, stick to it, and stop letting your lawyers write your emails. The industry won’t like it. Too bad. That’s how trust is built when the world is on fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main rule for communicating change during a crisis according to the article?
The only rule is to communicate honestly and immediately, sharing what you know even if details are incomplete, and never go silent or lie.
How did Squarespace handle their outage compared to the Brooklyn SaaS shop?
Squarespace waited two hours before issuing a vague response, while the Brooklyn SaaS shop posted hourly updates with specifics, even when they had little new information.
Why does the article criticize waiting for all the facts before communicating?
The article argues that waiting for all the facts is a CYA tactic that creates a vacuum for speculation and erodes trust.
What communication schedule does the article recommend during a crisis?
The article advises committing to a recurring, public update schedule with specific times, rather than vague promises of ‘updates as they become available’.
How does the article suggest organizations should handle not knowing all the answers during a crisis?
Organizations should openly state what they do and don’t know, provide timestamps, and commit to updating again at a set time even if there’s nothing new to report.
