Trust people with the truth

Why this rule exists

When you manage adults, treating information as too fragile to share insults them and rarely works anyway. People sense reorganizations, budget pressure, and looming decisions long before you confirm them, and the gap between what they sense and what you'll say fills with rumor. The rumor is almost always worse than the reality. Sharing the real situation, including what you don't yet know, lets people prepare and make good choices. Withholding it protects your comfort, not their interests, and they can tell the difference.