We spend a lot of time training on and giving lip service to our confidentiality protocols. Did you know that any time you do not give your team members or your customers the benefit of the doubt OR do not speak on their behalf, you are breaking confidentiality? Remember, whenever you are telling someone else’s story and have intentionally put them in a negative light, you have breached your professional obligations.
Organizationally, you can be authorized to share confidential information between and among team members in an effort to help, serve and operate on behalf of your co-workers and clients. So imagine a nurse complaining to another nurse saying, “Can you believe that mother brought those two children in for treatment? They are absolutely filthy! What was she thinking?” Compare this to, “Hey, I have a mom who just brought her two children in for treatment and she could use our help getting them cleaned up. Would you help me come alongside her?”
Do you see how the second response honors the client, the organization and the professionals in the scenario? Breaking confidentiality is just a conversation away and it impacts credibility more than any other professional act. Contact FutureSYNC International at 406-254-2326, to learn more about personal accountability in the workplace.