Why We (Unintentionally) Withhold Information—And How To Start Sharing It

Lately I’ve been writing and speaking a lot about trust. One of the foundation stones of building a culture of trust is information sharing. It’s so important that leaders share information, not just with our own department but across the organization. It breaks down silos, prevents mistakes and duplication of work, and lays the groundwork for good decision making. And, as I will share later, there are lots of other benefits too.

But first, let’s look at an important question:?Why don’t we share information??There can be many answers.

Sometimes it doesn’t occur to us to share. We don’t realize others need or want the information. Maybe we (wrongly) think they already know.

We are so busy we may forget to share it. This is especially true when information is complex and takes some time to compile, organize, and explain.

A big reason is there is so much information, and we don’t want to overwhelm already-busy people. There is the feeling that there is not enough time or resources to explain the information, especially the data—thus, people may not understand or may even misinterpret it. Hopefully the days of someone’s equating power with hoarding information are gone.

People, especially people in middle leadership, may not know it is okay to share information. When I was president of a hospital, in my first department meeting, I shared lots and lots of information. My assumption was the information would be cascaded. It was not. This was my fault. I had not been clear on expectations to share. Leaders were not comfortable sharing information without permission. Clarity around what to share is vital.

Sharing information has always been valuable. People have talked about the problems with silos for decades. But now, with all the disruption and rapid change happening around us, the free flow of information matters more than ever. It’s no longer a?nice-to-have?but a?must-have. The more people we bring into the fold, the better.

Information sharing revs up innovation. My colleague Dan Collard wrote a great piece on?frontline innovation ?back in the summer. The more people know, the more they can help solve problems and create better ways to do things.

It builds institutional memory and strengthens your bench. If a key person leaves, their knowledge stays.

It’s a vital part of development, which is so important to the current generation of talent. Sharing information sends the signal, We trust you and want to create a path for you to advance.

All of this is great for attracting and retaining good people. It’s important to everyone, but younger generations really want to be in the know.

Here are a few tips and tactics for leaders:

• Get intentional about sharing information. When you’re committed, you’ll find a way around the obstacles.
• Ask yourself, What stops me from sharing information? This may include doing some inner work. It might mean rethinking processes in your company that keep people siloed.?Sometimes companies keep doing things the same way out of habit when it makes sense to?rewire them.
• Remove the roadblocks. For example, are people compensated in a way that discourages delegation and information sharing? Do leaders need training in good communication?
• Every time you do something new, think, Who needs to know this now? Who might need to know it down the road? Whom are we leaving out?
• Look at your knowledge-sharing infrastructure. Can it be improved??This might mean putting in new channels or platforms that make it easier to access information (especially valuable for remote workers).?It might mean changing how you train and develop, or establishing a mentorship program.
• Go first. When others see you sharing information—especially when they see that it gets results—they’ll follow your example.
• When you share information, make a habit of asking people, “Do you know a better way? I really want your feedback.” This will help you innovate. Often the people on the front lines do know more than leaders—we need to encourage them to share information too. It is a two-way street and a valuable part of the rewiring process.

All of this might feel uncomfortable and weird at first. It might take a while to see results. But eventually it will become second nature. As information flows more freely, so will trust—and your organization will become a place where people feel they belong, where they engage more deeply in their work, and where they want to stay.

?? Questions? Contact me at [email protected]

?? Looking for additional articles? Visit www.HealthcarePlusSG.com/Articles

?? Tune in weekly to The Healthcare Plus Podcast to hear from the changemakers who are moving healthcare forward at www.HealthcarePlusSG.com/Podcast