"I've been thinking a lot about communications lately - Leaders must consider the communication factor as a key part of their leadership responsibility." - CNO

I think we do a good job of making information available to our people about things that affect their careers, their quality of life, and about achievements of individual Navy people and units.  I'm not sure we do as well in getting the word out to our people when problems arise, as, as a result, they get their information on these subjects based on other sources both external and plain old scuttlebutt...Thus there is a tendency to fail to communicate...when communication is vital, when our people want and deserve to hear from their leadership. When that happens, the only ...information that gets out is the rumor and scuttlebutt and that isn't good....Sometimes the rumor and scuttlebutt will turn out to be true, but most times it is speculative and almost always there are enough conflicting stories about important events that one can get just about any version possible, even remotely possible. 

Perception is reality for those who believe the perception.  Leaders must consider the communication factor as a key part of their leadership responsibility.  Our people have a right and a need to know the facts-what we know and, equally important, what we didn't know, but are working to find out...The best way to deal with rumor and scuttlebutt...is to provide factual information and to be up front.

Chief of Naval Operations Weekly Message to All Flag Officers

12 February 1996