Question: does ‘acting in employees’ best interests’ mean with respect to communication?

Answer: It means that management commits to communicating even when it appears not to be in their best interests at the time. They communicate with their people even when it does not seem to be the most utilitarian or expedient thing to do. They tell it like it is even if there’s no advantage to them in doing so.

If they communicate when it suits them and stop communicating when it doesn’t, they won’t be trusted.

Secondly, they tell their people what they want to know, not what management wants to tell them. And what employees want to know is primarily two things: How is the business doing? And how am I / my team doing? Only when management consistently delivers on these two primary information needs will they be seen as acting in their employees’ best interests.

Thirdly, management never lies to their people but rather always speaks the truth. This is because when management lies, they destroy trust. They create the conditions that, going forward, their people can no longer take them at their word. As Frederick Nietzsche said: ‘What upsets me is not that you lied to me, but that I can no longer believe in what you say.’

Lastly, management goes beyond responding honestly to questions asked. They actively disclose and give feedback. They provide the ‘why’ behind their decisions. They share both their thoughts and their feelings, as well as the facts. They both tell their people what they expect of them and how well they are doing against those expectations.

Living up to these standards is not easy. The benefits to management, long-term, of doing so are immense, however.