In today’s episode of “The End of Silicon Valley As We Know it” our friend Mark Z is learning about confidentiality. Previously he’s learned lessons about the wastefulness of providing free everything and reigned in crazy perqs, and has also navigated (poorly) what we in the real world call layoffs.
Check out this article on Barron’s which describe’s Meta’s dismay that their employees share privileged information:
https://www.barrons.com/news/meta-fires-employees-for-leaks-amid-zuckerberg-s-trump-pivot-1575f5d9
If you are a leader in a firm outside of Silicon Valley, you may have learned on your way up that certain information has to be protected. The easy ones are personal data and proprietary information on company intellectual property and technology. Beyond that, discretion is needed even when you try to be candid with your people. There are times when leaders must hold back for any number of reasons. Leaks are inevitable, because everyone has that one special friend they want to confide in.
If there is something you don’t want to get out, don’t tell anyone. Wish you would have asked me, Mark!
Silicon Valley has had an undue amount of influence on US workplace culture in the last 25 years. There has been good and bad about this situation. Is it good that maybe it caused some workplaces to improve their perqs and onsite amenities? Sure. Were napping pods ever a good idea? Maybe not.
As these businesses mature, meet with new competition and deal with shareholders that are way past the honeymoon, they are doing what every other business in the US has had to do for decades. We knew it would happen.
“we try to be really open and then everything I say leaks. It sucks.” – The Zuck
My response: LOL and Duh.
Get yourself a good communications team and shut your pie hole, Mark.
What’s the rule of thumb for the rest of us? Internal communications has elements of art and science. Have a strategy that is clear, understood by leadership, and disciplined. Tell your people what you can, when you can, in a timely and regular manner which builds trust using platforms they are willing to engage. Don’t add risk by speaking about things that may not happen, risk the company losing the element of surprise competitively, are impacted by legal compliance or put anyone’s privacy at risk.
This old brick and mortar guy is thrilled to sit back and watch the Digiteers deal with hard reality. I don’t want them to fail; if they learn and prosper – wonderful. But I am getting some good giggles along the way…..
