I was recently speaking with a business coaching client who lost one of their key team members to a cross-country move. Up until this point, my client had really enjoyed working with that team member and thought they were doing a great job.

But shortly after their departure things started to surface that were problematic. Turns out that that key team member had been engaging in secretism, which is the practice of hoarding knowledge, keeping information close to the chest and limiting its dissemination.

These actions had not only hurt the company's growth trajectory overall, but really set them back in terms of growth in the short term as well.

So today I wanted to delve into the concept of secretism and why it often goes unnoticed in the workplace.

Secretism may offer a temporary sense of control to leaders, but the long-term risks associated with it are substantial. Here's a glimpse of what can happen when knowledge isn't shared and team members aren't cross-trained:

1. Knowledge silos: When key information is confined to a select few, it creates knowledge silos within the organization. This leads to inefficiencies as team members are forced to rely on a limited group for critical data.

2. Dependency on individuals: Organizations become overly dependent on specific individuals who possess the coveted knowledge. This dependency creates vulnerabilities should those individuals leave the company or become unavailable.

3. Stifled growth: Without knowledge sharing, team members miss opportunities for growth and development. This stagnation can lead to disengagement and hinder the organization's progress.

4. Innovation roadblocks: Innovation thrives on the exchange of ideas and information. Secretism stifles creativity and can prevent breakthroughs that drive competitiveness.

5. Loss of institutional memory: When knowledge isn't documented or shared, the organization loses its institutional memory. Historical insights and lessons learned become forgotten, leading to repeated mistakes.

How to Prevent Secretism

To counter the dangers of secretism, it's important to actively promote a culture of knowledge sharing. Here are some strategies to foster openness and transparency within your business:

1. Lead by example: Leaders should set the tone by sharing information openly and encouraging others to do the same.

2. Establish clear communication channels: Create platforms and systems that facilitate easy sharing of knowledge and information across teams.

3. Recognition and rewards: Recognize and reward employees who actively contribute to knowledge sharing. This incentivizes the behavior.

4. Documentation: Encourage the documentation of processes, best practices and lessons learned. Make this knowledge accessible to all team members.

5. Cross-training: Develop cross-training programs that ensure critical knowledge is not held by a select few. This spreads expertise across the organization.

The key team member in question may have not had ill intentions with their actions. They may have acted in a way that they thought was appropriate to control the flow of information and ensure that things got done in a timely manner.

Secretism may offer a semblance of control, but its hidden dangers can have far-reaching consequences for organizations. Long-term risks include knowledge silos, dependency on individuals, stifled growth, innovation roadblocks and the loss of institutional memory.

To mitigate these risks, it's imperative that leaders actively foster a culture of knowledge-sharing and transparency. Prioritizing knowledge sharing not only ensures long-term success but also empowers teams to thrive in an environment of collaboration and innovation. Remember, the real power lies in what we share, not what we hoard.

Inc