When you move into a formal management position, you quickly start to gain access to information you otherwise wouldn’t have known.
From the organization, you’ll learn of plans that may or may not be finalized. From your team members, you’ll hear of personal and interpersonal challenges if they think you can help resolve or mitigate them.
And with all of that extra information comes an additional burden of responsibility.
Your role gives you access to new facts, but possessing that knowledge doesn’t mean you own it. Instead, your formal leadership role makes you a steward of that knowledge, and that stewardship can be a heavy responsibility.
As an individual contributor, when you learned things that affected your work and that of your team, you had a lot of latitude in deciding what to share.
But now there are some things you’ll learn that you’re obligated to keep to yourself, and other things that you’ll be obligated to share with others.
Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to share and, if so, to whom:
🔵 Why did I learn this? Was it strictly personal, or was it because of my leadership role?
🔵 Who could be harmed if I share this information too early?
🔵 Who needs this information in order to make a good decision?
🔵 If the answers to the previous two questions are in conflict, to whom do I have the greater responsibility? (Hint: When you’re operating in an official management capacity, your obligation to the organization is greater than you obligation to an individual on your team, and that’s one of the toughest adjustments for most managers to make.)
🔵 Am I tempted to share (or refrain from sharing) more for my own convenience and comfort, or for the greater good?
If you’d like to explore a specific situation in more detail, let’s talk. Visit stevedwire.com/talk to start the conversation.
Leave a Reply