STRICTLY SPEAKING

Most important information meant to be shared

Do you have important information that I need to successfully do my job that you haven't shared with me? Think about the last national major tragedies - the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping, the Columbia shuttle disaster, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Enron scandal, the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine High School, the Challenger accident. In every case there was information available that could have altered the outcome.

Why did the information not reach its intended or appropriate recipient?

Often the holder did not realize the importance of the information and failed to pass it along. In some cases, the information was put into a report which was never read. Agencies did not share information. In other cases, information was shared but too late to be useful. In some cases, information was not shared because of potential hostile reactions by higher ups.

How serious is this problem? Look at the results in the cases above. How widespread is the problem? Why are there not more whistle blowers? Consider what happens to them. In most cases, they become the victims. Is this just a problem on the national level? Lt. David G. Saben of the North Charleston Police Department said, "The failure to share information is the most serious problem in law enforcement."

Workers sit on information because they know supervisors will vent their displeasure on the messenger. Coaches withhold information for fear of sanctions. Husbands and wives avoid sharing information that could harm the relationship or give the other partner an advantage in case of the break-up of the marriage. Children withhold information for fear of punishment. Politicians withhold information because of possible negative reactions from the electorate.

How often have you had to ask for information that should have already been readily available to you? The last church board meeting I attended should have lasted an hour less than it did. Many questions were asked about information that should have been made available without questioning but wasn't. No questions were asked about the information that was made available.

Why is this such a difficult problem? It is complicated by the fact that not all information should be shared or shared with a large number of people. Some information should be guarded. There is much that we have no need of knowing. Learning to discern the difference is often a difficult and painful process. This truth only emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility when it comes to information sharing. I only have control over my behavior. I can't control what you do, but all behavior has consequences.

When I am in possession of information that should be shared, I must share it with the proper person, however, my responsibility does not end there. I must be certain that the information is received accurately. I may not have the authority to make certain that the information is acted upon appropriately, but I can inquire as to its disposition.

Only when each of us take responsibility for our role in the information chain will we be able to prevent such dire consequences as occurred in the Columbia accident or foster such achievements as occurred in the Smart case when Brian Mitchell's family realized that it had valuable information and contacted the proper authorities.