You Can’t Tell Anyone

1. Patton's value-based position was that of transparency and open communication

with all employees of the said organization. He believed trust is the foundation of the
organization's interrelationships, and this ethos helped him and his department,
internal communications, gain credibility in RothBabbitt. Withholding and limiting the
information to employees will only compromise their trust in their leadership as they
are "blindsided" by the news when released simultaneously internally and externally.
Patton believes that the public deserves transparency, and the first step to this is to be
open and honest with their employees. Maintaining credibility with its people will
translate into the company's long-term credibility with the public. In this manner, when
the team of Patton transcends the risks at stake in its current situation, the public view
is to trust the organization’s sincerity in the future.

2. When Patton spearheaded the evolution of RothBabbit's internal communication,

he convinced the organization's leaders that transparency, efficiency in information
sharing, and ease of knowledge exchange within RothBabbit were what the company
needed to build trust and facilitate long-term growth and success. When the crisis hit,
some leadership members (particularly Communications Head Lucille Givens and Head
of Legal Ray Downey) were more worried about aggravating the situation by being open
and honest with their employees. They wanted to limit the information and manage the
timing of divulging the issue internally to prevent external leakage. It was a backslide
from the culture of trust and transparency that Tom Patton helped build at RothBabbit.

3. Patton's value is commendable as it puts honesty and transparency in

communicating with the company's employees, which is a vital stakeholder in this issue.
Additionally, candid interaction with the public promotes consumer confidence,
strengthening the enterprise's brand. Regardless of how admirable Patton's intentions
are, they must be reviewed with his immediate boss and the senior leadership group to
balance the business's many interests.

Patton's boss and the senior leadership team will only see him favorably if he acts after
first obtaining their buy-in or consent. No matter how righteous, this may be a career-
limiting move for Patton, leading to a breach of trust from top management. Proper
communication and approval are essential in a hierarchical organization such as a
company like RothBabbit. Company employees must follow proper communication
channels and approval processes, a crucial governance pillar.
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4. The best approach would be "manage up the chain of command." Suppose Patton
truly believed in his accomplishments in transforming RothBabbit's culture into an
enterprise of trust, transparency, open communication, and accountability. In that case,
he must trust that all employees of the organization will be able to understand, accept
and manage the information internally without leakage. If employees are "all in" on this
new ethos, they will appreciate management's full disclosure and will not betray the
trust and confidence the leaders have bestowed upon them.

In conjunction, Patton needs to inform the department heads internally about the
breach and trust that the heads will disseminate said information carefully and
accurately to subordinates and the rest of the employees. Furthermore, he must trust
that this full disclosure be kept and safeguarded internally until the CEO makes his
public announcement. For this, the employees will return this trust and value the
transparency shown by management, which is a better alternative to being "blindsided
"and learning the news nearly simultaneously to the public.

To follow the above strategy, Patton needs to look for allies in the organization to
support his cause, such as Chief People Officer Laurie Boone and right-hand woman
Serena Davis to back him up as he sets meetings with the company leadership.
Foremost, he should explain his side and views regarding the issue to his immediate
manager, Lucille Givens, as a starting point. He must immediately present this
conversation to his direct boss since he has only 24 hours to formulate the company's
internal communication plan. Bypassing his manager without first discussing his views
and opinion on the matter would not be ideal and may create trust issues between him
and top management. Then, he may also engage with HR and Legal as it involves
employee concerns and legal matters for proper guidance. It is a must for Patton to
convince Givens and Downey that the company culture built by his group is solid and
resilient. He should show this to his direct boss and the legal beneficial effects to
RothBabbit of being open with all employees and trusting them with the information to
better understand the crisis. Once there is "buy-in" from Givens and Downey, Patton
can present their proposal to CEO Rollins. If the company has a board of ethics, the
group can also be consulted on the proper action to take to strengthen further the
position that they will be taking.

Tom Patton has some valid concerns about being transparent and honest about the
situation with their employees, which needs to be discussed with his boss. Blindsiding
them on this significant issue may not improve employee morale and company culture.
The world's most admired companies prioritize internal communication first on critical
matters with their employees before making public announcements.
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His manager and senior leadership team may have more insights into why they want to
minimize the information that will be provided to the employees. The situation is a
significant crisis for the company and may have a huge impact on the organization’s
reputation, exposure to lawsuits, regulatory penalties, and maybe its existence. That is
why top management wants to minimize communication to avoid any information
leakage at the early stages.

Nonetheless, the long-term solution to this crisis is for RothBabbit, being a publicly-held
corporation, to be honest with its employees and, subsequently, be transparent to the
public. Mistakes happen, and the best way to win back the trust is to come clean and
discuss action plans. The instant situation is similar to car companies that issue
voluntary recalls in the spirit of sincerity and transparency.

If management loses the trust of its people, who will rally to support and protect the
company from the public's sentiments? Suppose RothBabbit appears too reserved and
limited in its disclosure to the public. In that case, the public will never believe its future
commitments to improve, correct, prevent, and become better in the future. Business is
an infinite game, and RothBabbit wants to hurdle this mountain and become more
robust and credible. Givens and Downey want a short-term solution, but this will hurt
the organization long term.

Indeed, how the current dilemma should be addressed will need some careful balance.
Key stakeholders' interests must be considered, and they should be allowed to voice
their opinions. The team should come together to support the company's action plan to
solve the issue after deciding on the course of action to take.