Managers live in a world where they are exposed to a lot of information that those who work for them aren't. You know, company direction, executive insight, business forecasts, and things of that nature. Of course it’s not an “us versus them” thing, just the reality of sitting through too many meetings. This is both a blessing and a curse, but how they use this information is one of the keys to being more than just a manager, but a manager who is able to build solid relationships with their staff through both good times and bad. The critical element to all of this is maintaining a balance between what they share and what they don't. Also how and when they share it can be just as important. So what does this all mean?

In times where company stability seems to be just a phrase, creating an environment where IT professionals feel they are valued and given open, honest information about the future of their organization and their stake in it is an inexpensive way to improve employee retention. Over time this builds trust (without guarantees) and helps solidify an employee’s perception of themselves within the organization. The end game is here to increase employee performance, minimize the number of “flight risks”, and get folks on the same page without the hassles of constant organizational gossip. Further, people will be more likely to take a managers advice and counseling when it comes to career choices since they see them as an honest broker. As an old wise man once told me, perception is reality. And hey, if you can use honesty to maintain your IT staff, then it just sounds like good sense to me.