Gonfidentiality in the information age

f I t Hr ncE ()l' alwal s ttn inlirt'tnlItion. thc lirre betucen puhlic and private is becoming increasingly blurred.

News proglams ancl articles are filled with unnarled sources divul-ving corporate secrcts and leaking policy decisions. Armics of paparazzi follow celeblities' cvcry move. tulnin-q the r.nost intimatc details of thcir lives into lirdder lirr tablord maguzint's.

The infbrrlation on MySpace and Facebook pages spreads across the Internet, tulnin-e pfivate information public without the original author's knowled-ge or conscnt. In short. noth- ing is confidential.

Only a generation ago. peoplc valued conl'idcntiality iind privacy. equating it with loyalty. Today. however. thc notion of confidentiality hardly cxists. People rarely keep sccrets: individuals share their private thoughts with total strangers in blogs and online forums. Thcrefore. it is rcasoniiblc to be concerncd that many in your I'amily-owned busincss will treat non-personal and confidential busincss infbrmation a1 least as nonchalantly.

Evcn if a strong scnse of privacy has eroded in our broader culture, businesses still nced ways to handle confidential information. This can be particularly challcn-eing in a larnily business. where the additional distinction betwccn business and family can acld con'rplexity to notions of confitlentiality. Besctl ott rny expcrience working with family businesses, I offer the following tips on handling confidential information in an age where confidentiality and privacy are increasingly undervalued.

Assume That There Will Be a Breach of Gonfidentiality

First, assume that most information will not be kept confidential. Many people do not understand confidentiality. The younger generation. in particular, has been raised in an environment where people rarely keep secrets. Assume that whatever you say, even behind closed doors or in a private meeting, can and will be shared with others.

For those decision makers with whom you must share confidential information, be explicit in your explanations of what you mean by "confidential ." Remind them that part of earning the full trust of leadership means demonstrating an ability to reliably keep necessary confidences.

In addition, assume that all electronic files will be shared. Documents, spreadsheets, and especially emails tend to have a life of their own, reaching far beyond their intended audience. Never use email when you need to communicate something privately, since emails can be forwarded with a simple click. Confidential information is most safely shared through face-to-face communication.

Close the Doors

Trust is often one of the greatest assets of the family business, so enterprising families have a lot to lose if they don't safeguard trust effectively. For any family business to succeed, the family must agree that what happens behind closed doors stays there.

As a consultant, I often teach family business owners that conflict and disagreements are fine, as long as they are worked through behind closed doors. When the stakeholders in a family business have a closeddoor conversation, no matter what type of conflicts or heated discussions may occur, they need to be able to present a united front as soon as the doors are reopened. Doing anything less violates trust and invites others to second-guess the business' leadership.

Family businesses cannot risk appearing divided when they are in front of their employees. Adopting a formal code of conduct that touches on these types of issues can be beneficial, because it sets rules and guide- lines for working through confidential matters while establishing clear consequences for violating those rules.

Seek a Common Definition of Gonfidentiality

In a multigenerational workplace, employees have very different understandings, assumptions, and expectations of confidentiality, even when they come from a single family.

Generations X and Y (people born between the mid-1960s and the early 1990s) have grown up in a culture that does not strive to maintain confidentiality. In general, they do not understand or respect privacy.

This is not a criticism; it is merely a fact. This is different from the world in which the older generations were raised, when privacy and confidentiality were respected and highly valued.

Because of these different assumptions and understanding, we must be more careful with our language. Stock phrases like "keep this under your hat" and "you didn't hear it from me" have lost their meaning. Today, we might be more likely to use these phrases to get others' attention and practically guarantee that the (Please turn to page 36)