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Truth 16. Confidentiality Counts
“Loose lips sink ships,” said an Allied slogan during World
War II, reminding non-military citizens and members of the
armed forces alike that one casual comment could have
critical consequences. Keeping quiet was the only way to
ensure that information did not fall into enemy hands.
Something mentioned to a friend or acquaintance could be
passed to someone else less friendly who might employ that
information to dangerous ends. The safest option was to say
nothing at all.
We may not be in a conflict situation at work, and the
impact of letting something slip may not be so disastrous,
but a similar attitude toward the dissemination of
information is nevertheless advisable. The dealings of
organizational life mean that there is a lot of confidential
information around, only some of which you yourself will be
party to. Keeping quiet about what you do know will help
protect your company, the individuals who work there, and
your own reputation.
There are three main groups of information that you need to
guard. On a macro level, there is overall information about
how your organization operates: numbers, strategy and plans.
Within the organization, this information may be common
currency, but it is good practice not to share it outside
the walls unless it is ready to be public information like
in an annual report. Then there is specific information
about current negotiations and deals. Often this should not
be talked about beyond your immediate team, let alone
outside the company. Finally, there are facts about
individuals, such as salary and personal details, which
should be shared with almost no one. Even in organizations
where everything is available to everyone on the server, the
personnel file is often the only one to be locked and
passworded.
Managing confidentiality is about guarding the above
information well until you are in a situation where it is
appropriate to disclose them. There are no hard-and-fast
rules, but in general the “need-to-know” principle works
well: the time to let others know confidential information
is when you need their support to work with you on
something. It’s tough to operate as a team unless everyone
has shared knowledge of issues and events. This is trickier
when working with an outside consultant or partner. They can
be major leakers of information, through thoughtlessness
rather than malicious behavior. Get them to sign
confidentiality agreements and give them guidelines to pass
on to their staffs.
There is no such thing as a confidential conversation.
Without developing paranoia, there are a few sensible
precautions that it is therefore wise to take. Never discuss
anything sensitive in a public place like an airplane or
restaurant since you never know who is nearby. And never
talk to the press without preparation, in case you say
something by accident. There is nothing truly “off the
record” with most reporters.
The analogy of a dimmer-switch can be useful when thinking
about confidentiality. Many people seem to have on/off
switches when it comes to spilling information: once they’ve
started saying something they end up saying it all and
saying it again elsewhere. It’s safer to imagine yourself
gradually turning your dial up or down, releasing
information at levels that you sense are appropriate. Trust
your instincts: if you get any feeling that what you are
saying or about to say is at all controversial – sometimes,
for example, someone will suddenly perk up and show
curiosity about something that you thought they already knew
– heed that feeling and turn the switch down, steering the
conversation elsewhere. |
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