Leaders respond. Here’s how.

I’m not talking about the quality of their response, just the fact that they do. It’s true that sometimes a fast response isn’t the best. Or someone may respond though not in a constructive way. Right now, just for the moment, let’s look only at whether they respond at all or not.

Leaders have a responsibility to respond  to team members, employees, board members, and stakeholders. This given, their “response-ability” — their ability to respond effectively — may be questionable. Sometimes leaders simply don’t have the answers or communication skills to respond in an effective manner, especially when the questions received are contentious. 

If you or your leader find yourself in that situation, being riddled with questions and not know how to respond, here are some suggestions below. They are gleaned, in part, from my media relations background (yes, those strategies work for leaders too).

Tips to respond when you don’t have a response:

• At minimum, acknowledge receipt of the question. This is a courtesy to the person asking and confirms that you are engaged. Ghosting or non-response isn’t professional. (NOTE: There are a few exceptions to this suggestion, one of which is if the person asking you questions is harassing you).

• Share what you can at the time. You may not have all the information or answers, so share the bits and pieces you know with certainty are correct.

• Avoid hypotheticals. Instead of entertaining possible scenarios, share what you know as fact.

• If you don’t have all the information or know the answer, tell them you will look into it, get the answer (if you can), and get back to them. Then do.