Sometimes strange things happen when people are promoted to leadership. They don't turn into creatures of the night or anything cool like that; but they do seem to suddenly feel empowered to hoard information.
Yes, this sounds absolutely ridiculous.
Yes, this builds zero trust.
Yes, this still happens all the time.
They Won't Understand
Early in my career I learned of an executive who "coached" his leaders to edit information that was shared in hospital-wide leadership team meetings. I wondered why anyone would withhold important information....the answer..."the employees won't fully understand..."
Eventually I inherited that same team...
...and shared every bit of information that was rolled out in those leadership meetings.
The Power and the Glory
Let's peel back the layers here. What exactly happens when leaders hoard information? Is it an ego thing? Perhaps a power play?
How is it that on one hand we rely on our employees to literally handle our business...and in the same moment, not trust them enough to get an update on what is happening, might be happening, or isn't going to happen?
Are we so much smarter than the rest of the team simply because we have a fancy job title?
How About You
Who are the leaders in your organization that are so stuck on their own greatness that they have completely missed the point of being a leader?
Share everything you can as quickly as you can. 100% of the time. You'll be amazed at the trust, credibility and loyalty you create.
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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I've worked in human resources for a long time. So long in fact, that when I make pop culture references with our team, most of the group don't understand my jokes. I also discuss policies and procedures as tools to guide the culture of the workplace. I get the same blank stares on this too.
What Changed?
In my early hospital HR roles I held my policy book so close that you would think it was my version of a security blanket. It drove almost all of my decisions, helped ensure I was "following the rules" and never wavered!
Um, that's not leadership by the way. I wish someone had told me that back in the '90s.
Those old school approaches to HR leadership don't mesh with the more sophisticated employees of today. Yes, I said sophisticated. Think about it, the world is dramatically different than it was when I was part of the "new generation of leaders" coming up through the ranks.
Now we have the most informed, most empowered, and most connected world ever. For those of us that have jumped on the wild ride of contemporary business strategies it is an exciting and wonderful period of time.
For my colleagues who still wish "being a yuppie" was a thing, you have sadly been left behind.
Relationships Rule, Policies Are (mostly) a Waste
The savvy leader today, regardless of age or experience, understands that their relationship with the team will define the organization's profitability and ultimate success.
How many of us have prioritized the experience our employees have working for us as our number one agenda item every day? Not the patients, not the customers, not the business partners...our employees, first.
Let that settle in. No one is more important in the universe than your employees. Now we should take that one step further:
- What would your corporate culture feel like if every employee felt maximum support from you?
- What would the turnover rate of your top talent be if they felt you would do anything for them?
- How hard would your team work if they knew they had miraculously found a job where leadership was completely focused on their success?
- What do you think your profits would look like with a super-charged team working hard for you every day?
How About You
The old world of finding safe harbor in your policy book is gone. Don't destroy your credibility and try to go down that path.
No one...including me...will think that you're paying attention to the modern world.
Employees come first. Employees drive our success. Policies are just (too many) words on a page. Which one will you focus on?
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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Let's peel back the layers here. What exactly happens when leaders hoard information? Is it an ego thing? Perhaps a power play? 
