The British princess, and future queen, Kate Middleton, is one of the most beloved figures in Britain. The public there (and not only there) craves every bit of information that the royal palace releases about her. So when a (much too) brief announcement was published in January that she had undergone abdominal surgery, it only raised more questions, speculation and rumors. Very similar to what happens in organizations that tend not to communicate or communicate ambiguously.

Three months later, a picture of the princess was published, after all sorts of adaptations had been made to it, which only increased the buzz in the public and took the story to different and imaginary places – just like what happens in organizations when managements communicate half-things or use "processed" information. The world of fake news today allows almost any message/picture/video to be manipulated, and for internal communication this is a real and immediate danger. The danger, of course, is losing the trust of target audiences.

So what do you do? Is it possible to simply not communicate? How do you communicate only what you want? How do you maintain the trust of employees while keeping your cards close to your chest?

1. The first rule is to communicate.
   Avoiding communication may be convenient in the short term, but it doesn't help and is even harmful. Details of management meetings will always leak, so it is better for you to manage the messages the way you want them to come out.
2. The second rule is to maintain a reasonable cadence of communication.
   In 2024, it is not possible to release a brief statement on a hot topic and then provide an update on it only 3 months later. It is true that there is a need for privacy, and it is true that sometimes it takes time to digest the news before communicating it, but still - the damage of avoidance outweighs the benefits of silence. You can always say a few details and promise to keep updating when possible.

3. The third rule - keeping your finger on the pulse.
   How do we know what is the right cadence to communicate? We listen to the murmurs of the people, or in the case of organizations - to the voice of the employees. This is one of the roles of a "Communication Forum" in a company. A forum composed of employee representatives from different departments, a forum that meets periodically under the management of the communication manager. In such a forum, feedback is received on various communications that pass through the company, a sense of the mood is received, consultations are held on topics that require more communication and clarifications, and adjustments are made.

In conclusion, Kate Middleton's experience teaches us that organizations, like the royal family, must manage their communications in accordance with the times. Be as transparent as possible, communicate on time, and most importantly, listen to their stakeholders. Otherwise, their communication risks becoming irrelevant.