[Hammock Parties]

***** sure read this part!

Maintaining Confidentiality Within the Organization

The need for strict confidentiality concerning specific matters and circumstances within the organization is critical. Surprisingly, many clubs fail to place a sufficient
amount of emphasis on this factor.

One organization which has addressed the issue in a serious way is the Oakland Raiders. Traditionally, the Raiders have had a reputation for an absolute (some
individuals would claim—paranoiac) policy of extreme secrecy.

While many people have scoffed at and ridiculed this seemingly unnecessary organizational stance, the Raiders' approach makes much more business sense than the
policies of the large majority of NFL franchises (indeed, of most professional sports organizations).

In reality, the layers of employees who have access to critical internal information is often farreaching.

Disturbingly, because many of these individuals would like to
have others believe that they have a heightened degree of importance within the organization, they inherently can't control the urge to divulge sensitive information.

The net result is an almost complete loss of confidentiality in the organization. In the process, the organization's decisionmakers
are disarmed and severely
compromised.

Even offhand
remarks gossiped from one secondlevel
employee to another can have negative consequences. The employee who was the recipient of the gossip then
proudly takes the information (often after embellishing it) to his/her decision maker.

Such a loose, apparently uncontrollable environment makes it very difficult to coordinate and successfully implement organizational strategies. When everybody knows
everything that "might" occur within an organization, disturbing and disruptive scenarios can arise.

Accordingly, the organization's general manager (CEO), DOO and head coach must precisely define and institute a policy that makes a breach of confidentiality a
"capital offense."

Such a breach will result in the offending employee losing his/her job.

Because leaking information or personal assessments to the media or to another organization by a single employee can figuratively bring a club to its knees, a
concerted effort must be made to minimize the likelihood of such a problem occurring.

In this regard, it is critical that the organization has a written policy on confidentiality, engages in an ongoing internal discussion of the importance of the matter, and is
alert to potential sources that may violate organizational policy in this area. No exceptions should be allowed or tolerated toward the organization's policy on
confidentiality.