In our ultra-connected world, there is a lot of confusion when it comes to communication. Some people or companies put transparency and discretion in opposition, whereas the two can perfectly complement each other with a minimum of subtlety and tact.
In a few years, social media have turned the world into a big playground where invective, misinformation, wild theories, putting people out to pasture and provocations are daily occurrences.
We no longer sort - or we no longer know how to or want to sort - according to importance and urgency: everything is ‘thrown around’ as a whole. The presumption of innocence required of everyone is totally flouted, even though we know that when information is disseminated, whether it is true or false, it is the latter that will be retained…
It will not escape anyone that companies, whether large or small, must today be perfectly transparent about their activities, their governance, and their operating methods. Conversely, it would never occur to anyone to demand that they publish manufacturing secrets or competitive advantages. Thus, a company can be transparent while acting with discretion. This is a fine balance to be struck.
Self-regulation in companies regarding communication no longer exists. Under the pretext of transparency, incompetence or dissatisfaction, some people give information to pressure groups, influencers, and the media.
As a result, companies are obliged to put in place technical, electronic, or physical mechanisms to protect their legitimate interests. They subdivide the teams so that none of them know everything, they install filters, blocks in the computer systems, they flood the information when most of them would like to be able to share more openly internally.
How to proceed? Here are some ideas:
• Train and explain how information is managed in the company.
• Explain the limits of transparency, sometimes motivated by legal requirements.
• Establish good governance in terms of communication.
• Sorting information by classifying it from “internal” to “secret.
• Set up information circles and train management.
• Find technical solutions to manage information according to the levels of the company and the sensitivity.
It should be noted that schools are faced with the same challenges: students must be trained in what information is, what disinformation is, what is and is not allowed. Isn’t it also the role of parents and relatives to provide this education? That is another debate!
The ridge between transparency and discretion is therefore very difficult to find because the interlocutors no longer “play the game”, everyone believing they have the right to know “everything about everything, and everyone”.
Unfortunately, it is a mistake to think that education is enough. It is up to each company to find the way forward, drawing on the experience and expertise of communication specialists. But one thing is certain for companies: ignoring this challenge means running the risk of very short-term trouble.
Have a good week, good thoughts and see you soon.