AxTenk Blog

Building an information-rich culture is quite challenging. There are occasions when you are sensitive to information that you simply must protect and cannot share with your employees. Here are simple guidelines that help you handle this delicate situation appropriately without alienating your employees. When the information must be kept confidential, follows these guidelines:
    Don’t share to non-relevant party, no matter how tempting the information and the situation might be.
    Never use information withholding as your political power tool. If you are given proprietary or sensitive information, do not tell people unless they ask you first.
    If people ask you whether you have information, give them candid, honest answer. Don’t tell them that you don’t have information when you do.

    Tell them that you are not at liberty to share, and importantly tell them the reason why; for example, “The information is sensitive, confidential or proprietary,” or “I have been asked to keep it confidential and protected, and I need to honor that request.”
    Be prepared for the possibility that people will not happy with your response, and they feel that you really should or could tell them if you wanted to. If you establish good track record of early, honest information-sharing, you will have more room to withhold information when the situation requires.