Information is power

While we have all heard this at some point in our personal and professional lives, I would like to take this moment to clarify that the type of information that is power is not gossip. Gossip, if not just weakens you, will backfire on everything you try to build, so if you must dwell in gossip, see it as entertainment only. We are all humans, and we all need some deflectors from the harshness of running from one side to the other, but when one speaks about habits, try not to make gossip a habit. More importantly, ensure you don’t rely on gossip to thrive in your career. Here, we can enter the realm of what is considered information and what is not, and again, the context plays a significant role. Still, if we focus on work (that is what LinkedIn is for, I believe), we will notice that while Chinese Walls may be a policy against innovation (and you can read more about this idea in the books The Power of Destructive Creation, and Netflix: No Rules Rules), the absence of Chinese Walls should not mean the absence of confidentiality and information levels. So again, when one speaks about a company organization here, what should be the aim? It all depends on factors such as Organizational Culture and how much a company relies on innovation processes to play its role in the industry where it is set and in the Markets. Still, if one goes for a policy of openness, it becomes essential to instruct everyone on how to use the information and, above all, how to pass it forward.

?

Because this article is not about culture, I will not dwell on this today. Still, it is essential to say that the absence of rules means the total presence of underlying rules that are not spoken about and yet do exist. This is OK if all the stakeholders can, at some point, be faced with the fact that there isn’t, in this world, an absence of rules. The greater example I can give you is that although there are no rules in Netflix’s company culture, some behaviors will open the exit gateway instantly. The downside of this policy is that you have no room for people who do not understand the rules, and this sounds quite witch-hunting even to me. Still, if you are not going to have rules, you must have some criteria to distinguish between good apples and rotten apples. So, what will these criteria be in a world where people are not so black-and-white? Maybe a reflection for another day; today, we focus on information!

?

Finally, we’ve reached that point where information is power: Facts, a well-conducted chain and flow of data, analyzed by people with the skill for it, with built reports to be looked at without bias. Of course, again, we are all humans, and some biases always go here and then, hence the importance of having an established flow of data collecting, analyzing, reporting, reviewing, and deciding. The results of this are the information that is power, and the ability to look at this, and at things, in general, avoiding bias is what makes you a valuable asset.

?

Of course, this is just my take on this, but before closing this article, I would like to ask you this question: In what environments do you think work flows better? One where every player knows what is asked of him and trusts the feedback he will receive, or one where everyone is anxiously trying to please that boss who loves juicy gossip?

So, if you are a leader and reading this, please know that gossip is only proof that you are a human. One must be a person to connect with others and give it just the importance it deserves in decision-making processes – which is 0 unless you prefer to surround yourself with pleasers instead of doers.