Withholding of Information from Employers - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior?

[selena15]

Hi Covers
Missing this area so much...
hope all of you are doing well.
it seems that Human is just aware my attention, whatever is the view i take.

lastly, I've launched a discussion about the withholding of information.
to make it short: I've asked why do a person need to hide an information?

Off topic: sure, such persons cannot be users or the Cove, happily.

I got a tough answer: it is needed to keep a job, it is kind of powerless...etc.

To be honest, first of all, i start with the idea that it is behavior monitored fully by the person which is withholding the information, but now, i have a different view and this is the subject of my thread:

- I think that the Withholding of information process is " strategy" decided in higher level of the users of this behavior:
my argue is:
If the person which is withholding, if he find the "knowledge" that his close highest level get, available, and the promotion is encouraged within the org° in the manner that his promotion to his boss is possible if he show the proper potential while the boss promotion is possible with my highest level and so on.
As instance, when the company is small, the possibility of promotion is rare to not say not existing, so such strategy can keep people in their place and their biggest ambition become to keep their job.
what is your quote
thanks in advance
and have nice night
Selena

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Withholding of Information - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior?

This is all contrary to Deming's theory of a System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK)

I have lectured on a number of occasions about using SoPK as a key part of Change Management (Management Improvement.)

The question, of course, is
"How do you get the person withholding information to sit down and listen to why such a practice is counterproductive to himself and the organization?"

Most of these folks withholding info and creating silos within an organization are really insecure themselves, fearing they may be more easily replaced if they disclose their "secret information."

However, it's not very politic to go up to a boss at any level and say, "I think you are withholding information from me because you are insecure and afraid you will lose your job."

Any ideas on how to "help" a boss make the realization he is wrong to withhold information? The worst part, of course, is he may be right and he will lose his job for one reason or another once his boss realizes the guy is crippling the organization by withholding information.

 

[PotentCompoundSafety]

Re: Withholding of Information - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior?

There's a book out there called "Managing Knowledge Workers" by F. Horibe. In my Master's of Technology management course we used this book. There are many reasons people without information. In the science field, employees with the advanced degrees want their names on the patents. In some cases they without information because they are already thinking of a exit strategy to go use their newly founded idea. In other cases, they with hold information because they don't believe your smart enough to understand it anyway. In other cases, if it's bad information they don't want to get blamed for something so they are hedging their bets. It's a very interesting problem.

 

[Jen Kirley]

Re: Withholding of Information - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior?

The term that came to mind for your description was Office Politics.

Deming railed against it, and organizations that grow out of the self protectionism that has so much to do with Point #8 of Deming's 14 Points.

Human chess games like this are very difficult. I dislike them intensely and perform well only when I can do so instinctively. Good luck with this game.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Withholding of Information - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior?

The term that came to mind for your description was Office Politics.

Deming railed against it, and organizations that grow out of the self protectionism that has so much to do with Point #8 of Deming's 14 Points.

Human chess games like this are very difficult. I dislike them intensely and perform well only when I can do so instinctively. Good luck with this game.

Yep. They are difficult, but so satisfying to win once you recognize and understand them for the games they are. If you let yourself get too emotionally involved, it's nearly impossible to play because the other players perceive your emotion as weakness and deploy strategies to capitalize on that weakness.

I recall a quote from 45 years ago when one of the premier trial attorneys in Chicago was holding forth on the pleasures and pains of being an attorney.

The quote, posed as a Q&A:
Q: How do you know when you are winning an argument against an attorney?
A: When he begins to shout and scream.

The point being most folks get emotional (shouting, crying, punching, etc.) when they run out of logical, persuasive argument.

 

[somashekar]

Re: Withholding of Information - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior?

Hi Selena...
Good to see you after some time. From what you have started I recollect a famous line.
~~ Knowledge is not power, use of knowledge is power ~~
When someone is power hungry and does not care for the organization as much as about himself this behaviour unknowingly creeps into the person. When he begins to see that there are smart people around, he begins to get that little insecure feeling that someone who knows as much as him or even a little less will use that knowledge to edge him out and get the limelight. This is entirely wrong and detrimental to the organization. There are tests which are conducted to screen how much a person is a team player from the knowledge sharing angle.
Partially you have also got to blame the managements sometime who feel such persons are an asset to the company and somewhere going along this turns to a liability to them. You will find that sooner many persons will not stick with the organization seeing no opportunity for growth since such characters have the 'do as I say' type of deligating work.
From my experience I can say that this is first a personal behaviour which when either encouraged or is not trimmed before it becomes a deeprooted practice, the same persons them start developing it as a stratagic target. They are usually 'Yes' men to the management who have rather a very thin ethical business standards.

 

[selena15]

Withholding of Information - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior?

Hi all
thanks for replies
believe me, it was hard to get an answer in another area about the same topic. i cannot share it with you, it is in French.

..The question, of course, is "How do you get the person withholding information to sit down and listen to why such a practice is counterproductive to himself and the organization?"

This is the point Wes, it drive me crazy to find the way to convince people about that

"How do you get the person withholding information to sit down and listen to why such a practice is counterproductive to himself and the organization?"

Is it possible that the way of presentation of the SOPK to western magt is responsible to convince such person. It is tough to convince people that their behavior is counterproductive themselves before org.
is is enough monitored by the highest level in all its affiliated unit : mean the ISO audit is covering the quality requirement and also the human factor. But what it is just not enough focusing of to check if the rating of the western management had been reduced since the first kick off of the implementation the optimization management. As instance, the fact that the training process is implemented does not mean that it is effective or it isn’t considered as additional binding requirement than an improvement and progress step. Some postponed perpetuity their training program because they are overloaded.

Fear: it is the most common reason that worldwide arise: I would feel fear if I’m not enough self confident, enough skilled on my activity of some of it and fear to ask for explanation. It would bring me up to the manager again which is not encouraging the improvement. Fear to lose a job, why in this case the crisis period which is more risk for employee to lose a job do not have this effect on people to push them to improve to shown their adding value.
Another reason is difference between strategic info et possible one. It was one argue that I’ve presented to folks with whom I’ve discussed this topic: as any company, some data are strategic by definition and confidential because it is reason to exist but there is part of the knowledge of this company that she need to transfer to its employees, to train them on it to implement her view of business. If it may be considered idiot to present your new ideas, what would be the damage on share common methods, explain the reason of some way to work….etc
it is most of the time the situation Wes, people in general do not accept this behavior and their reaction is seen as weakness.

... In other cases, they with hold information because they don't believe your smart enough to understand it anyway...

stupid as reason to deserve share information: I've got it too in the others area. it is the hardest one to accept for me! such person is just full of itself!!! according which statement their judge person stupid, do not forget that employees principally is hired according their skills and competence. sometimes, yes some persons is hired for more personal reasons or interest reasons, but despite this, we cannot conclude that this person is idiot!


Hi somashekar
thank for welcome, happy too to come back
actually i would say your point is answer also many such situation

...~~ Knowledge is not power, use of knowledge is power

that means that you are agree when I'm saying that mgt is responsible to cut this consideration of use of knowledge as power. it is power in term of improvement not personal interest.

When someone is power hungry and does not care for the organization as much as about himself this behaviour unknowingly creeps into the person.

-- motivation root cause?

When he begins to see that there are smart people around, he begins to get that little insecure feeling that someone who knows as much as him or even a little less will use that knowledge to edge him out and get the limelight. This is entirely wrong and detrimental to the organization.

-- management by objective would encourage that i expect

There are tests which are conducted to screen how much a person is a team player from the knowledge sharing angle.

-- provide me some if possible please

Partially you have also got to blame the managements sometime who feel such persons are an asset to the company and somewhere going along this turns to a liability to them. You will find that sooner many persons will not stick with the organization seeing no opportunity for growth since such characters have the 'do as I say' type of delegating work.

yep, it is also to best way to turn the 'asset' person: soon or late, he will be overloaded with no retribution and we will become as others: successful conversion

From my experience I can say that this is first a personal behaviour which when either encouraged or is not trimmed before it becomes a deeprooted practice, the same persons them start developing it as a stratagic target. They are usually 'Yes' men to the management who have rather a very thin ethical business standards.

does any one of you had ever conduct an audit to check such topic. could you say the the QMS audit checklist can be the same for this specific topic. ?? is the multinational take such issue as strategic problem to resolve or since it is ongoing everything is okay. honestly many times, i notify that as parasitism organization, the western management can continue to live within one optimization management framework.

another possible reason: is it possible that the hierarchical organization encourage this behavior? as instance, if the victim of this behavior cannot pass his boss to get knowledge and be free from this behavior, how can himself feel not weak and just fade out?
have nice day
selena

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Withholding of Information from Employers - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior

Rarely is there anything about "silo management" (the practice of keeping individual employees or entire departments isolated from each other by limiting communication - either employee-to-employee OR boss-to-employee - about substantive matters of the organization) which will trigger an ISO nonconformance report.

Recognition of silos must be at the top and those at the top must realize the detriment to the organization. Those at the top may need outside help to dismantle the silos, BUT they have to remove their own fear of change before they can set the process in motion.

That is not to say some astute and alert third party auditor can't or won't recognize the silos, but

5 Management responsibility
5.1 Management commitment
Top management shall provide evidence of its commitment to the development and implementation of the quality management system and continually improving its effectiveness by
a) communicating to the organization the importance of meeting customer as well as statutory and regulatory requirements,

does not rule against silos - ISO has not adopted ALL of Deming's theories, yet! Therefore, an outside auditor cannot write a nonconformance against the practice. Even writing an Opportunity for Improvement might be viewed in some quarters as "Consulting" versus "Value Added Auditing."

 

[Statistical Steven]

Re: Withholding of Information from Employers - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior

Information is power. If you have information that others want then you have the negotiating chip. It is politics, it is counterproductive but it is how HR has set up compensation and assessment of your value. It will not stop until an organization says that withholding information is a negative, not a position of strength.

 

[selena15]

Withholding of Information from Employers - Strategic Target or Personal Behavior

Hi all

Rarely is there anything about "silo management" which will trigger an ISO non conformance report.... . Even writing an Opportunity for Improvement might be viewed in some quarters as "Consulting" versus "Value Added Auditing."

your quote arise some question Wes:
- is the fact that in auditing practices, to say that the human factor cannot be or could be the last root cause to consider, encourage or make the life of silo management easier.?
- the top management can consider this point if it can be include within their strategic or others stuffs objectives and risks.
- what is the part of hr management within the annual evaluation of the management of one unit ?

Information is power. If you have information that others want then you have the negotiating chip. It is politics, it is counterproductive but it is how HR has set up compensation and assessment of your value. It will not stop until an organization says that withholding information is a negative, not a position of strength.

---
if i try to estimate the gain to keep information and establish a silo management versus to share and encourage the communication of knowledge? how much could be this estimation, from your point of view, as obviously adept of sharing knowledge.
one of the hr assessment too is the team spirit and how employee is involved within his team. how this point can be considered without to check after the others behaviors???
i would consider that my adding value isn't the information that i have, but in the way that i assimilated and analyses it and use it, and this method is just mine method, my view, it can include a common method but the adding value is the human or genetic part of it and this is this part which is make me different from the others. also, sharing knowledge improve it, arise objection, argue and this definitely improve it.
- to come back to my question of hierarchical type of management: i wonder if the organization which adopt the freedom of employees and make the hierarchical link very light do not have this issue or succeed to banish it: as startup in silicone valley. does one of you have ever audit or work withing such organization? is such management can resolve this problem?

i think that even the ISO do not take into account this Deming points, there is many non conformance process which can arise that, as what I've listed above. it is just it isn't enough interesting to top management, the reason why I've asked about the estimation of these 2 management styles.

selena