As a team leader, I always like to share “inside” information with my team. Be it market situation, funding status, challenges we’ve met, the opportunities we are after, new projects we are planning, new government regulations that might affect their financial well-being, a new framework worth studying, a good book I’ve just read, etc, I always like to share it with my team.
Obviously, for some information, I have to caution them not to leak outside, but I always state that I trust their professional integrity.
By sharing inside information, what I am telling them is:
- I take them as my equal partners, and I consider them to be part of our inner circle of the company.
- I trust their personal and professional integrity, even though some information needs to be kept under lid, I trust them to do so.
- I have set up an open communication channel with them, and I’m willing to share inside information with them.
- I believe they are intelligent human beings, and that they are capable of understanding all issues involved.
- Regardless of the challenges we’ve met, I believe that they can make very constructive contributions to the company, that’s why I want them to be part of the inner circle.
- I show my respect to them, as professionals in equal standing.
People like to be engaged. By sharing inside information with them, you are telling them that they are in the know, and that you are trusting them fully. Action means a lot more than fancy words. It is more effective to raise a team’s engagement with this action than any magnificently written and eloquently delivered speech.