We recently had Andrew Davies CEO of B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in the Laundry Lane office, and he said something that really stuck with me:
“The single most powerful thing any business can do is talk more about the problems it hasn’t solved yet.”
Not in a PR crisis. Not behind closed doors. But in public, on purpose.
It turns traditional messaging on its head. We’re all so used to polishing comms to perfection that celebrates the wins, spotlights the good. But what if trust actually grows in the unfinished bits? The hard stuff we’re still working through?
Why This Matters Now
Public trust in institutions is fragile. People are skeptical of corporate claims, weary of one-way messaging, and quick to spot performative PR. Yet trust is essential, it fuels action, whether it’s attending a health check, supporting a cause, or engaging with a government program.
So, what genuinely builds trust?
Honesty. Vulnerability. Speaking to people as equals, not as targets, but as participants in a conversation.
There’s strength in acknowledging challenges, not as a confession, but as leadership that says: “We don’t have all the answers, but we’re committed to finding them together.”
“We’re Working on It” > “We’ve Solved It”
In public health campaigns, there’s often pressure to present certainty; clear calls to action, unambiguous facts, fixed outcomes. But during COVID, some of the most effective communication came from leaders who openly acknowledged what they didn’t yet know. Statements like “Guidelines may change as we learn more” or “This is what we understand today” didn’t create confusion. They created credibility.
In the not-for-profit world, funders and supporters are often more moved by stories of progress over perfection. Sharing a complex social issue and how your team is experimenting with different approaches can invite deeper engagement, and even spark collaboration.
And in government? When agencies admit the ethical tensions in a policy or the limitations of a system, they give people a reason to believe they’re acting in good faith. That they’re listening.
Reframing Vulnerability as Strength
This isn’t about exposing failures; it’s about embracing complexity.
It might sound like:
- “This is a challenge we’re navigating, and we want to involve our community in the conversation.”
- “We’re experimenting with different approaches and learning as we go.”
- “We’re facing a dilemma without a clear solution, but we believe transparency is crucial.”
- “We can’t solve this alone, but collective effort can move us forward.”
Embracing the Unsolvable
Sometimes, problems don’t have neat solutions. In areas like health, governance, and social justice, we often confront systemic challenges – like poverty or climate resilience – that defy simple fixes.
Ethical communication involves acknowledging these complexities, not to surrender to them, but to respect our audience’s intelligence and foster genuine dialogue.
So, What Now?
If you’re part of a purpose-driven organization, you know the work is often messy and nuanced.
By openly discussing what’s not working and why, you don’t erode trust, you build it.
Especially in sectors where trust is hard-earned and easily lost.
