Every year, several studies are published by large companies in the Human Resources field that focus on the most sought-after skills in the various sectors. Some of these studies also end up revealing which characteristics, in the professional context and in this globalized, digitized and mechanized world where we live, will allow us to stand out and become essential, avoiding the more than natural replacement by any algorithm created in Silicon Valley.
Soft Skills, emotional intelligence, creativity, resilience, ability to deal with stress and teamwork are just some of the most highlighted in the various reports, practically becoming skills considered “sexy” and of which the vast majority of professionals boast of possess, even if they don’t understand if they want the meaning of any of them.
Despite agreeing with the importance of all these characteristics in the professional market, and even on a personal level, based on my experience there is a skill that is essential to be present in organizations, especially at the levels considered more Senior, and that without it no professional may be considered for a higher position. I miss Confidentiality. According to Priberam, Confidentiality is “the quality of what is confidential”. Our ability to keep information is nowadays less and less valued, however all companies have business secrets. Secrets that guarantee your competitive advantage. Information that, if disclosed, could ultimately lead to the termination of the business.
Secrets are part of companies and businesses. It is an absolute truth, which must be assumed as a whole, and that nothing is wrong with it. In the same way that people are the “soul” of the business and that make it grow, it is no less true that without confidentiality many businesses could not survive at the risk of losing their competitive advantage. The secret of Coca-Cola’s recipe is still one of the best kept secrets in the business world, although there are theories that it has already been revealed.
If we think about it, companies unfold to create Non Disclosure Agreements between their employees with confidentiality clauses with more than 5 years after the end of the contract, all so that the information that has been obtained over the years is not revealed. Singer Adelle, recognizing the importance of having high-trust people with her, carries out several confidentiality tests with her closest members in order to verify who is passing information to the outside.
Like all other skills, this is a skill that can and should be worked on by all of us. We can start with the smallest things and then work our way up. However, anyone who thinks it’s easy to develop is wrong. If it were, it wouldn’t be mentioned in the requirements for top positions and would be seen as inherent in all of us.
Thousands of euros are spent every year by large companies in creating systems that allow for as much sensitive information to be kept indoors. Only professionals with the ability to keep information to themselves, however desirable it may be to share it with others, will be able to aspire to top positions. All the aforementioned skills such as emotional intelligence, teamwork, soft skills are fundamental, but they can only take us so far in our career. Confidentiality is the least sexy of them all, but it will be the one that makes the difference.
PS: Don’t make this article confidential, share it.
By Vasco de Matos Ramos
Vasco Ramos 
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