You are going too fast. You are not explaining things to me. I don't feel heard

The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer results were presented by Richard Edelman at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a couple of weeks ago. Their focus this year was on the undermining of trust in innovation.

As Edelman summarised the sentiments of those surveyed, this sentence stuck out as worth reflecting on for our workplace innovations, transformations, change - whatever you call these.

He said that what we are hearing, and not for the first time, is that,

"You are going too fast. You are not explaining things to me. I don't feel heard."

It doesn't always feel like we are going too fast when implementing change. We can feel that progress is glacial at times. But in the context of a user overwhelmed with way more business than usual, it can be hard for them to have the headspace to step back from the day-to-day to see why this change matters.

Keeping people informed in ways they can understand by explaining how it will improve things and what it means for their work matters. Be prepared to answer hard questions and those stemming from fear with honesty and compassion.

And listen. So much wisdom can be tapped from the user base that will streamline implementation and increase engagement. And that's because, together, these things build trust.

So take a beat, explain and listen.