There are times in every veterinary practice when leaders simply don’t have all the answers. A restructure may still be taking shape, recruitment may be underway, a new system may not yet have an implementation date or a significant business decision may involve details that haven’t been finalised.

In these situations, leaders can be tempted to wait. It can feel safer to communicate once there is something definite to say, particularly when you know the team will have questions you may not be able to answer.

The problem is that silence rarely feels neutral to the people experiencing it. When team members know something is changing but don’t understand what it means, they naturally try to make sense of the information they have. Assumptions develop, different versions of the story circulate and uncertainty can quickly become more distracting than the change itself.

Clear communication during uncertain times isn’t about having every answer. It’s about helping people understand what is known, what isn’t and what they can expect next.

Say What You Know and What You Don’t

Leaders sometimes feel they need to appear certain in order to reassure their team. In practice, trying to provide certainty that doesn’t yet exist can create bigger problems later.

Imagine a practice is recruiting for a new senior veterinarian following the departure of a long-term team member. The recruitment process is underway, but there is no confirmed appointment or start date. Telling the team that someone will be starting soon may provide temporary reassurance, but it also creates an expectation that may not be met.

A clearer approach is to separate the facts from what is still being worked through. The team can be told that recruitment has commenced, what arrangements are currently in place and when they can expect another update. It’s also reasonable to say that a start date isn’t yet known.

Being open about uncertainty doesn’t weaken your position as a leader. It helps people distinguish between confirmed information and possibilities.

Make It Clear What Has Been Decided

Uncertainty becomes particularly difficult when people aren’t sure which parts of a change are settled and which are still open for discussion.

For example, a practice may have decided to change its opening hours but still be working through how the roster will operate. If these two issues are discussed together without distinction, team members may leave believing the opening hours themselves are still being considered.

This can create frustration later when people discover that something they thought was open to discussion had already been decided.

Leaders can reduce this confusion by being explicit. Explain which decisions have been made, which details are still being considered and where the team will have an opportunity to provide input. People may not agree with every decision, but they should understand where things stand.

Don’t Fill the Gaps with Reassurance

When people are worried, the natural instinct is often to reassure them.

“It’ll all be fine.”     “Nothing is really going to change.”     “Don’t worry about it.”

These comments may be well intended, but they’re rarely useful when the outcome genuinely isn’t known. They can also unintentionally dismiss legitimate concerns.

Useful reassurance comes from giving people something concrete to rely on. You may not know exactly what the final structure will look like, but you can explain how decisions will be made. You may not know when a vacant position will be filled, but you can explain what support is being put in place in the meantime.

During uncertainty, credibility is more valuable than optimism. People are more likely to trust a leader who is straightforward about what they don’t know than one who offers reassurance that later proves inaccurate.

Keep the Message Consistent

Few things create confusion faster than different leaders giving different versions of the same story.

A practice manager may tell the nursing team one thing while a clinical leader gives veterinarians a slightly different explanation. Neither person may be deliberately providing incorrect information, but small differences can quickly become significant once they’re repeated throughout the practice.

Before discussing an evolving situation with the wider team, leaders should agree on the core information everyone needs to hear. This is particularly important when several people have leadership responsibilities.

Consistency doesn’t mean everyone has to use identical wording. It means the facts, decisions and expectations remain the same regardless of who is explaining them.

If something changes, acknowledge the change rather than trying to make the new information sound as though it was always the plan. Circumstances evolve. Teams can usually accept that when leaders explain what has changed and why.

Communicate Even When There Isn’t Much to Update

One of the most overlooked aspects of communication during uncertainty is the value of saying, there’s nothing new yet.

Suppose a practice is waiting for confirmation about building works that will affect consult rooms. The team has been told more information is expected within two weeks, but the deadline arrives and the practice is still waiting.

Saying nothing leaves people wondering whether they’ve missed an update or whether something has gone wrong. A brief acknowledgement that there is no new information, along with when the next update is expected, closes that gap.

This is particularly valuable during longer periods of uncertainty. Regular communication provides a sense of continuity even when the situation itself hasn’t been resolved.

Create Space for Questions

Good communication isn’t simply the transfer of information from leader to team. People need opportunities to make sense of what they’ve heard.

Questions also give leaders valuable insight into where confusion exists. If several team members are asking how a change will affect weekend rosters, for example, that’s a useful indication that this part of the message hasn’t been clear enough or needs further attention.

Leaders don’t need to answer every question immediately. Sometimes the most accurate response is that you don’t know yet and will come back to it when more information is available.

What matters is following through. If you say you’ll find out, provide an update when you can. If an answer can’t yet be provided, let the person know rather than allowing the question to disappear.

Address Misinformation Before It Grows

When information is incomplete, rumours can develop quickly.

A question raised by one person becomes a possibility discussed by another, and before long the possibility is being repeated as fact. This doesn’t necessarily happen because people are deliberately creating drama. They’re often trying to understand a situation that feels unclear.

If you become aware of incorrect information circulating, address it early and calmly. Clarify the facts without focusing on who started the rumour or criticising people for discussing it.

More importantly, consider why the information gap existed. Sometimes misinformation is simply unavoidable. At other times, it’s a useful signal that the team needs clearer or more frequent updates.

Clarity Doesn’t Require Certainty

Leaders can put enormous pressure on themselves to provide answers during periods of change. Yet some of the most credible communication happens when a leader is comfortable saying, we don’t know that yet.

Your team doesn’t need you to predict every outcome. They need to understand what is happening now, what has been decided, what remains uncertain and when they’ll hear from you again.

When leaders communicate this way, uncertainty may still exist, but confusion doesn’t have to exist alongside it. The team has something reliable to work from, and leaders are less likely to spend their time correcting assumptions or rebuilding trust after premature promises.

You may not be able to give people definite answer, but you can give them clarity.

How CCG Can Support Your Practice Through Change

Communication becomes particularly important when a practice is navigating significant change, and it can be difficult to know how much to share, when to share it and how to manage questions when the answers are still evolving.

CCG’s veterinary business consultants can support practice owners and leaders throughout the change process. We can help you plan your approach, consider how changes may affect your team and develop a communication strategy that provides clarity while the practice moves through the transition.

If your practice is preparing for change or currently navigating a period of uncertainty, visit www.ProvetCCG.com.au or contact our team to find out how CCG can support you through the process.

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