The chapter included a paragraph on restaurant managers and staff communication about COVID-19 policies and practices. What would constitute transparency in the downward and upward directions?

Data from COMMUNICATION DURING DIFFICULT TIMES

Effective communication is never a bad thing, but is a special sign of managerial competence during turbulent times.1 Imagine—or maybe you’ve seen this—the communication and performance challenges managers and their people had to deal with during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within months after the virus first struck, the world became unrecognizable: nations imposed travel restrictions, businesses and schools closed voluntarily or by decree, and people stayed home.2 Workers and citizens across the United States and the world sought guidance, reassurance, and reasons to be hopeful about the future.
Slack’s CEO Stewart Butterfield wanted his employees to know that he understood and empathized with the fear and upheaval they were experiencing. He sent an internal memo expressing just that: “We got this.

Take care of yourselves, take care of your families, be a good partner. It is fine to work irregular or reduced hours. It is fine to take time out when you need it.” His prevailing message to this workforce: “Don’t stress about work.”3 Some CEOs quickly announced they were taking pay cuts to help weather the storm. Some, in extremely hard-hit sectors like the travel and hospitality industries, took notably big cuts. Brian Chesky of Airbnb, Ed Bastian of Delta, and Geoff Ballotti of Wyndam each forfeited all of their 2020 base pay.4 Such acts convey empathy, solidarity, and commitment—important messages for leaders 

to convey during difficult times.
As Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team, said, “How companies respond . . . is going to define their brand for decades.”5 Good communications—as well as bad— start from the top, and matter everywhere.