Keeping Confidences

• Be prepared to say, “I’m sorry, that’s confidential and I’m committed to honoring the confidence.”
• Don’t blindly agree to keep a confidence. Administrators must be prepared to disclose criminal or immoral behavior. Better to say, “I’ll discuss your issue if it will be helpful, and together we might decide what to do about it.”
• If someone shares information that you think should have been kept confidential say, “I’m not comfortable with this information. It feels like something that should not be shared. I don’t believe I can make constructive use of it. If there’s any more I’d prefer to be kept in the dark.”
• If someone pumps you for confidential information about Louise, suggesting that it’s important that he or she knows, say, “I don’t have Louise’s permission to talk about this.”
• If someone asks you about a confidential matter you might even try asking, “Can you keep a secret?” When they say yes, you can say (with a wink), “So can I.”