What do you do with information that others give you?

Most bosses want their employees to be open and honest with them. But depending on what you do with the information they provide, you may have already found that they've stopped giving you anything more than the absolute minimum.

In fact, it's pretty well known that if you "shoot the messenger" - that is, yell at someone who gives you bad news - people will stop giving you ANY news that you might even CONSTRUE as bad. Similarly, if someone gives you some information and you use it to embarrass or discredit them, or make them feel less, it won't take long for people to realize that you just can't be trusted.

It's a thin line to walk. But an important one because having access to NEW INFORMATION is a key component of being a better boss. Without it - or without much of it - you've got nothing to synthesize into new insights and ideas. (Read: no value-added.)

Since it's so much harder to solve a pesky problem if all you CAN know about it is what you already DO know about it,

• How do you keep the flow of NEW INFORMATION coming?
• How do you maintain your trustworthiness even though you sometimes have to use the information you receive against the very people who share it with you?
• What do you do to encourage people to continue communicating with you notwithstanding the consequences?
  

Please share your insights and ideas so others may benefit from them.