Old Management loves using ‘confidentiality’ to avoid explaining decisions.
And it usually works. When senior people say something is ‘confidential’ – it gives a thin aura of legitimacy and most people instinctively back off without questioning it.
But, too often the problem is that leaders label things as confidential – not to protect legitimate sensitive information, but to protect themselves from the discomfort of properly explaining their decisions.
Whereas New Management recognises that – if we’re going to make important decisions – it’s reasonable to do the work to understand and articulate our reasoning behind them.
New Management doesn’t hide behind ‘confidentiality’. New Management welcomes questions, even the hard ones, because New Management has the courage of its convictions. And recognises that transparent and rational decision-making drives engagement.
Sometimes, confidentiality is needed to protect legitimate sensitivities.
But we always need to check first that we’re not simply trying to protect ourselves from the discomfort of difficult questions.
Because… If we can’t explain it, maybe we shouldn’t be doing it.
Want to read more? Leaders don’t just hide behind ‘confidentiality’ – they also dodge tough calls with ‘precedent’. Here’s why that’s just as lazy.
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