The who, what when where why and how of information for Leaders

When building a business and an organization around it, there are many decisions to make that relate to the use of information.  By information, I mean data, but also opinion, perspective and experience.  Information is critical as it provides the context within which decisions are made.  Information is also a source of power for those who control it.  Leaders must decide what and how much information to give, when to give it, to whom and how it is delivered. 

In the start up phase, leaders are operating on and responsible for a number of levels.  They are responsible for the day-to-day work that builds the business and have a team in place that they oversees to manage that work.  They also must strategize at the organizational level to build the infrastructure to support the business as it grows. 
So when you are starting up and the team is sitting around the table to provide updates and engage in processes to move the business forward, the decisions about information disclosure arise.  How much, for instance, do you disclose about fundraising?  Here is the dilemna.  If you disclose all of the gory details, team members responsible for the more day-to-day aspects of the business may start worrying about fund raising and how it could affect their job.  If you don’t disclose anything, it is hard for people to feel a sense of ownership and engagement in the overall business.

The bottom line is, consider what you want people to do with the information you are providing.  Is the purpose an update?  Do you need action taken as a result?  How could they interpret the information given their perspective?  Leaders are the keepers of the whole puzzle.  It is up to them to communicate about the pieces in a way that keeps everyone’s piece fitting with the whole puzzle.