Preserving Openness

Small organizations are like families in many ways. The members, regardless of where they fit in the hierarchy of the entity, know each other. Also, they often know, at least to some level, about the others. For instance, if someone has been ill or if two members have had some type of verbal altercation, then thanks in large measure to the entity's grapevine, word travels quickly. As social creatures, people like to talk. The result is secrets, in essence, are hard to keep for any length of time. While such a reality is ok and, generally, harmless, there are times when it is not acceptable for members to chatter about certain matters.

If, to cite one example, a member behaves in a way that is morally inappropriate and potentially illegal, then the less said about such doings the better. Particularly if a member has carried out some type of illegal behavior, then with that comes the possibility of legal and/or civil action. If that occurs, then not only is idle chatter not a good idea, it should be actively discouraged by the entity's leaders. The accused's right to a fair hearing or trial needs to be protected by all means possible. At the same time, however, there is also the need of an organization's members, including leadership, to openly discuss all issues that might threaten their level of cohesion.       

Such a dilemma represents a tough communication challenge for any entity's leaders and its members. If one member misbehaves badly enough to where legal action is brought against them, how obligated is the organization itself to share what is going on and being done about that? Instead, should a leadership that may normally practice and encourage openness suddenly clamp down on all dialog about that which may be affecting the behavior of its entire membership or staff? It is times such as this when effective communication is vital. By being forthcoming about the circumstance, including any legal restrictions, leadership can preserve the integrity of members' ability to remain open with each other.