This might sound bold or overconfident, but being a founder was easy. I had a recurring frustration at my day job. I developed a solution, then I offered it to others who were facing the same issue. I figured out how to monetize it. But being a successful founder requires being a leader, too. For me, it took time and experience to figure that one out.

Some parts were natural: celebrating successes and acknowledging employees for a job well done. Others were trickier to navigate, like having the difficult conversations. The past few years have thrown business leaders no shortage of curveballs. Tough conversations feel inevitable. Even with two decades under my belt, they can still be challenging. But punting on difficult chats only creates more stress for employees and more volatility within your company.

Here are some strategies that I practice to ensure that I’m addressing tough subjects head-on with our employees.

Private Conversation Or Public Update?

In the midst of the pandemic, an e-scooter company had to lay off hundreds of employees. It’s one of a founder’s worst nightmares. I’m sure the CEO felt no small amount of guilt at having to make such a call. But instead of having one-on-one conversations with the individuals impacted, an off-camera HR employee delivered the news to the entire group in a quick Zoom call. Needless to say, the message didn’t land well.

This is a textbook case where a solo conversation is essential. Whether to have a private chat or send a group message, via a memo or a call, depends on the nature of the news. If it’s a personal matter, especially one that directly impacts an employee’s future, then one-on-one is the way. For a company-wide update, sometimes a heartfelt written message will do the trick.

Consider back-to-office mandates . At Jotform, when the pandemic was waning, we started requiring employees to return to the office. In that case, a company message felt like the right thing to do. I explained our rationale—among other reasons, I believed it was the most effective way to facilitate onboarding for new employees, promote valuable mentor-mentee relationships, and boost general engagement and excitement about our projects. I also underlined that my door was open for questions and concerns. We found that employees appreciated the transparency, both about the policy and the rationale, which leads to my next strategy.

Don’t Let Rumors Fill The Silence

Sometimes, difficult updates are less painful than leaving employees mired in uncertainty. Unexpected bad things cause people to live in a constant state of anxiety, according to extensive research . When people hear rumblings of bad news, their anxiety begins to fester. It’s no secret that ongoing anxiety chips away at job performance. It’s difficult to focus, let alone innovate, when low-grade worries are constantly running in the background of our brains.

It falls on leaders to proactively address concerns—well before the rumor mills start turning. A few years back, when layoffs were rippling across Silicon Valley, I knew employees were starting to feel uneasy. So I sent a memo to clarify our position—we weren’t expecting layoffs, but out of an abundance of caution, we’d pause hiring for a bit. I would update them as soon as we knew when we could start hiring again. I received no small number of ‘thank yous’ in reply.

In moments of uncertainty, timely honesty from leaders can calm nerves, restore focus, and, most importantly in the long-term, build trust.

Invite Employees Into The Solution

Difficult conversations don’t always have clear resolutions. Even two decades in, I can’t always definitively plot the path forward.

In moments of uncertainty, one of the most powerful things a leader can do is to include employees in brainstorming solutions. “Granting people a measure of personal freedom makes it more likely that they will feel invested in the process of change and be able to accept it more readily,” notes MIT Sloan’s Management Review .

Even when changes feel disruptive, I’ve found that when people have a say in their future, they more readily adapt.

Turn one-way mandates into open discussions. Organize an all-hands meeting where employees can chime in with their perspectives. Ask candid questions, invite ideas, and be transparent about the constraints the organization is facing. People may not agree with every outcome, but they are far more likely to get on board with decisions when they feel heard and respected.