For centuries, those who master information and communication have often held the power…
Examples in the political field are legion. This practice has been elevated to the level of an “art” by most dictatorships or regimes that come dangerously close to it, but it is not absent in companies…
Mastering information is essential in the professional context: anticipation, preparation and communication management are increasingly important in the face of numerous and varied challenges. External information is governed by rules and practices that are well known to communication professionals.
Internal communication is often much more uncertain, and practices differ greatly from one company to another. In this respect, it is interesting to note that transparency is often greater at the higher levels of the company’s hierarchy than at intermediate or lower levels. What could be the reason for this?
Let’s try to think about this:
• A middle management position is more exposed than a top position because it is often ‘sandwiched’ between employees and bosses who have different expectations
• To keep your managerial position, you must stand out, anticipate, and sometimes politicise being one step ahead of the others in terms of communication therefore becomes essential
• There is an adage that if you want to retain power over your staff, you need more information and you need it in advance
• Some managers exacerbate ‘competition’ between direct reports by distilling information in a targeted manner to create ‘emulation’. As a middle manager, it is therefore necessary to know how to avoid certain “traps”.
These are just a few guesses, but if you look at some companies more closely and listen to managers and staff in quite a few companies, the truth does not seem to be very far away…
It is interesting to see that these gaps in information (or communication) - intended or not - are often pernicious and deleterious for the people concerned but, more seriously, are infinitely damaging for the company.
Beyond the often (necessarily) strong personalities who run companies, the culture of secrecy and the desire to defend one’s sector or position play decisive roles.
Will generations Y and Z accept this model? It is difficult to say, but if we look at their approach to society and business, it is likely that the “old model” of not sharing information will sooner or later be forgotten. These new generations get involved when they understand and can embrace the concept. If they don’t, they quit. Is that what we want? Certainly not.
In conclusion, some leaders would be well advised to review their communication and information, otherwise they could quickly be faced with a desert crossing.
Happy New Year 2023, have a good week and good thoughts.
Translated with DeepL