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Webinar recap: communicating with integrity - strategies for maintaining trust & transparency while navigating uncertainty

Updated: May 13

This Clear Language Lab webinar took place on April 22, 2025 as part two of the three part Communicating During Stressful Times series. We developed this webinar series in response to client concerns about events at the start of 2025. Check out the recording and notes below.



Watch the full webinar here!

This webinar looked at communication challenges that can get in the way of building trust and strategies for communicating transparently. You can access the slides from this presentation here.





What Causes Us to Lose Trust?

Overly complex, confusing, or incomplete information

Why this happens

  • Urgency and limited capacity for proofreading ​

  • Not writing for our audience ​

  • Intentionally to make information more difficult to counter or advocate against ​


Why it can erode trust

  • Audience might feel like​

    • we’re not trying to connect, so why should they​

    • we’re hiding behind jargon and complex language​

  • “Mistrust is a rational response to actual injustice” (The Principles of Trustworthiness) ​


Communication challenges that can lead to losing trust

  1. Sharing overly complex, confusing, or incomplete information​

  2. Communicating in a tone that feels condescending, rude, or exclusionary ​

  3. Making changes without explaining the rationale or context​

  4. Lack of empathy or acknowledgment


Examples of this can include a webinar that misses key details or a website with out of date information.


Strategies for communicating clearly

  • Make review a part of your workflows

  • Use templates and checklists

  • Avoid the passive voice and technical vocabulary

  • Break up long sentences or replace with vertical lists



A rude, condescending or exclusionary tone

Why this happens

  • Not writing for our audience ​

  • Unconscious bias towards our audience or topic ​

  • Demonstrate authority or expertise​


Why it can erode trust


Strategies for getting the tone right

  • Co-design with your audience 

  • Proactively think about audience questions and points of confusion

  • Use editing tools that check for tone - as a guide, not a rule! 

    • Examples: Grammerly, Microsoft Editor, Readable

  • Avoid authoritative language

    • Examples: must, should, do not



Not explaining changes

Why this happens

  • Limited time and resources​

  • “It’s not a big deal” ​

  • Decisions made in a vacuum ​

  • Rigid beliefs about “who needs to know”​


Why it can erode trust

  • Others can perceive us as inconsistent or unreliable​

  • Not human centered​


Strategy: Communicating changes transparently

Prepare

  • Think about who will be affected and how you can get their input before things change​

  • Outline what’s changing and why​

  • Brainstorm possible unintended effects and do what you can to address those ​

  • Plan for when and how you will share these changes​


Share

  • Communicate where your audience already looks for information​

  • Explicitly connect the dots​

  • What’s changing and why​

  • What’s not changing and why​

  • Offer pathways for support and questions


Not acknowledging the present moment

Why this happens

  • Fear of saying the “wrong” thing​

  • Wanting to “stay in our lane” ​

  • Avoiding “being political”


Why it can erode trust

  • To say nothing is a political choice​

  • Leaves your community to wonder where you stand


Strategies for acknowledging the present moment

  • Use visuals and signage to signal solidarity

  • Communicate and practice your values

  • Actively listen and respond to your community’s concerns

  • Hold space for grief


If you prove to be trustworthy, people will give you grace when you make mistakes.



Resources



Interested in learning more about professional development at Clear Language Lab? Check out other past webinars, find upcoming events on our training page, or contact Sarah Glazer, Sr. Program Manager, at sarah@litworks.org to learn more about our offerings.


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