2025 has been a year of uncertainty and disruption for associations, as they've watched their members and industries get pushed and pulled by the political winds. Are tariffs in the offing, or not? Are members going to have their research or programs funded, or not? Leaders can legitimately wonder when and if they ought to respond to every bit of turbulence, especially when the honest answer to stakeholders' questions sometimes is, "Beats me."
But some recent research suggests that a little transparency goes a long way, even if what you're communicating is uncertainty. At MIT Sloan Management Review, four U.K.-based business scholars share what they have learned from managers leading through "periods of intense disruption" around the world. Unsurprisingly, they note that disruptive periods take a toll on productivity, with 80 percent of employees saying they "struggled to stay focused," with productivity falling up to 20 percent.
However, they add, clear communication from leaders can help ease the stress. When leaders were proactive about that— "providing timely updates, acknowledging uncertainty and creating space for employees to voice concerns"—about a fourth of organizations saw improvement in their teams. As the authors put it: "Clarity didn't just calm nerves—it restored momentum."
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