Why Too Much Information is Bad for Business

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Dataceptionist,
Your comment raises a very important point: At what point does the owner/CEO have an obligation to give a heads-up to the employees so they aren't out making major purchases when they're on the verge of losing their jobs? As I understand the situation you described, the comments went beyond a heads-up and certainly didn't mesh with his assurances that jobs were secure. Credibility is key in such situations. One wonders what he hoped to achieve beyond sharing misery. You don't get people to turn things around by convincing them that things are hopeless. Classic historical example: Winston Churchill's speeches to the British people after the fall of France to the Nazis. He was candid but gave them real hope.

Michael Wade of AZ 11:24AM July 16, 2008

My company went through a rough financial patch. We were in heaps of debt (100K's of $$) and the business owner, in the guise of re-assuring us all, told us ALL about it. All it served to do was freak us all out. He was telling us with his mouth that our jobs were secure but the figures seemed to say otherwise. We've gotten past it all now but I wish he'd kept it to himself, I think he was simply unburdening himself.

Dataceptionist 7:21PM July 14, 2008