The “What We Know / What We Don’t / What’s Next” Template
A one-page structure for any change announcement, the team meeting or the written follow-up. It forces honesty about uncertainty, which is the whole game. Fill it in before you speak.
WHAT WE KNOW (the solid ground — only things actually true and settled)
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW YET (the honest open questions — name them plainly, don’t hide them)
WHAT’S NEXT (concrete steps + dates — every unknown above should map to something here)
I’ll find out [X] by [date]:
I’ll come back to you with an update on: (date)
Every item in “What We Don’t Know” should connect to something in “What’s Next.” An unknown with no plan attached reads as helplessness.
The full chapter pairs this with the announcement script itself — including the hard part you name out loud — and the rules for using the template well.