1. Indicator 3.02
Use communication skills to foster open, honest communications.

2. Providing false or misleading information can lead to….
Law Suits
Employee termination
Customer Disloyalty
Low Employee Morale

3. Loss of Customer Goodwill
Potential impact of providing half-truths
Deception
Customer disloyalty
Employee termination
Loss of Profits
Loss of Customer Goodwill

4. Providing information out of context can impact honest communications
Due diligence is crucial as employees should get the facts first.
Ask questions
Do not make any assumptions.

5. Withholding information can be harmful
Loss of Profits
Lack of customer loyalty
Law suits
Fines

6. Topics that should not be discussed with a competitor
Prices
Products and services
Business practices
Territories
Distribution
Channels
Customers

7. Topics that should be avoided with coworkers
Religion
Politics
Personal Life
Problems with your spouse, children or parents
Your career aspirations
Your health problems

8. Importance of a business’s proprietary information
“Proprietary information is sensitive information that is owned by a company and which gives the company certain competitive advantages. Proprietary information assets are critical to the success of many, perhaps most businesses. The importance of this property, while too often not yet “formally valued” by many companies, is highly valuable. In today’s highly competitive global marketplace, it is recognized by many managers that the intellectual assets of business are highly sought-after commodities.
Proprietary information, also known as a trade secret, is information a company wishes to keep confidential. Proprietary information can include secret formulas, processes, and methods used in production. It can also include a company's business and marketing plans, salary structure, customer lists, contracts, and details of its computer systems. In some cases, the special knowledge and skills that an employee has learned on the job are considered to be a company's proprietary information.”

9. Examples of a business’s proprietary information
“Financial information such as:  production and overhead costs, profit margins, sales and order volumes prior to quarterly release, budgets, quotas and targets, information on a particular product's sales, orders or projections.  Marketing information such as:  product-introduction plans and dates, market share and competitive position, short- and long-term market strategy or customers.  Research and Development information such as: technical and performance specifications, technical reports, product plans, projects in progress, project problems or product code names.  Manufacturing information such as: vendor names/relationships, production and inventory levels, future plans and sites, material cost, product failure rates, chemical formulas, or manufacturing processes.”
Examples of proprietary information include:
■ Written or oral agreements between the Company and employees, agents, strategic partners and/or other third parties,
■ Intellectual property – such as trademarks, patents, copyrights and trade secrets owned by the Company,
■ Company financial information (e.g., invoice registers, payroll records, financial statements, accounts payable summaries, vendor listings, price and cost information, etc.),
■ Financial and other business information about potential acquisitions,
■ Engineering drawings for current or potential new products, and
■ Customer lists and agreements, market share data, supplier agreements, strategic plans, etc.

10. Why employees should avoid posting company information in chat rooms, forums, or blogs
“Employees who create blogs set up a direct way to communicate about their company with the public, because customers and clients can stumble across a blog. Bloggers may spill trademark or copyright material on their sites, they may post pictures of yet-to-be-released products, and they may libel or slander another employee or a client.”
As a result, employees may be fired or reprimanded.
Many companies are accessing blogs prior to hiring employees to gauge their ethical standards prior to be hired.

11. Reduced employee turnover
Need to follow company policy regarding communications with the media
Higher morale
Reduced employee turnover
Stronger public image

12. Employee practices that would hamper confidentiality
Leaks of information

13. Methods businesses use to protect their proprietary information
Need to Know” policies
Password Protected Servers
Non-disclosure agreements
Restrictive Covenants
Mark Documents “Confidential”
Patents, Copyrights, and trademarks