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Jocko Underground: Full Transparency is a Violation of Privacy.

By Jocko DEFCOR Network

In this Jocko Podcast episode, Willink explores how to handle employee reassignments and demotions effectively in the workplace. He examines the nuances of communicating organizational changes to teams, focusing on the importance of framing these transitions positively and emphasizing employees' technical strengths rather than treating changes as punishments.

Willink delves into the balance between maintaining organizational transparency and protecting individual privacy during workplace transitions. He shares insights about delivering difficult messages with consideration for team morale, taking ownership of reassignment decisions, and determining which conversations belong in public versus private settings. The episode offers perspective on managing workplace changes while preserving trust and respect within teams.

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Jocko Underground: Full Transparency is a Violation of Privacy.

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Jocko Underground: Full Transparency is a Violation of Privacy.

1-Page Summary

Handling Employee Reassignment/Demotion Due to Performance Issues

Willink discusses effective strategies for communicating employee reassignments and demotions, emphasizing the importance of positive framing and strategic positioning.

Rationale: Employee Strengths and Role Suitability

When discussing reassignments, Willink recommends emphasizing the employee's expertise and technical knowledge as reasons for the move. Rather than treating reassignment as punishment, it should be presented as a strategic realignment that allows employees to contribute more effectively based on their skills.

Balancing Transparency and Respecting Privacy

Willink advocates for a careful balance between organizational transparency and individual privacy. While it's important to provide explanations for organizational changes, he suggests keeping the focus on positive aspects, such as the employee's technical expertise and leadership qualities. He emphasizes handling performance-related discussions privately in his office, similar to how a parent might address a child's mistake – positively in public, but saving critical feedback for private conversations.

Communicating Changes Effectively to Maintain Trust and Morale

In implementing reassignments, Willink and Babin stress the importance of presenting changes as deliberate, well-considered decisions rather than spontaneous reactions. Willink describes his approach of taking ownership of reassignment decisions while framing them positively for the team. He emphasizes handling terminations privately to maintain respect and trust, ensuring that even difficult messages are delivered with compassion and consideration for team morale.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Counterarguments

  • While positive framing is important, it can sometimes lead to misunderstandings if employees perceive the reassignment as a purely positive move when there are underlying performance issues that need to be addressed.
  • Emphasizing an employee's strengths during a reassignment could potentially overlook the need for improvement in other areas, which could be critical for their professional development.
  • A balance between transparency and privacy is important, but too much emphasis on privacy can lead to rumors and speculation, which can be damaging to team morale.
  • Handling performance-related discussions privately is generally a good practice, but it can also create a lack of accountability if the rest of the team is unaware of the reasons behind certain decisions.
  • Communicating changes as deliberate decisions is important, but it is also necessary to ensure that there is room for feedback and discussion, as top-down decisions can sometimes lead to resentment or disengagement.
  • Presenting reassignments as positive and well-considered decisions is ideal, but it is also important to acknowledge and address any negative impacts these changes may have on the team or individual employees.
  • Handling terminations privately is respectful, but it is also important to consider how the departure of an employee is communicated to the team to prevent the spread of misinformation and to maintain morale.

Actionables

  • You can create a personalized script for reassignment conversations that emphasizes the employee's strengths and future opportunities. Start by listing the employee's achievements and areas of expertise, then draft a message that aligns these with the new role's requirements. For example, if an employee is moving from sales to a support role, highlight how their communication skills and product knowledge will enhance customer satisfaction.
  • Develop a feedback tool that allows for anonymous input on reassignments and terminations to gauge and improve team morale. This could be a simple online survey sent out after such announcements, asking team members how the change was perceived and how it affected their view of the company. Use the feedback to refine future communication strategies.
  • Practice delivering reassignment and termination news with a trusted peer or mentor to ensure the delivery is compassionate and maintains morale. Role-play different scenarios, focusing on tone, body language, and immediate follow-up actions. This will help you become more comfortable with difficult conversations and better prepared to handle them in real-life situations.

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Jocko Underground: Full Transparency is a Violation of Privacy.

Handling Employee Reassignment/Demotion Due to Performance Issues

Discussing the sensitive topic of employee reassignment or demotion, Willink provides insight into how these changes can be communicated effectively.

Rationale: Employee Strengths and Role Suitability

"Highlight Employee Expertise and Leadership For More Effective Contribution Through Relocation"

Willink emphasizes using positive language when discussing the change. Statements like "he has more experience in this area," "we needed his expertise in this subject matter," or "he has better technical knowledge" can underscore the benefits of an employee's relocation rather than focusing on any negatives.

Align People With Roles Strategically, Not as a Punitive Measure

The practice of reassigning a manager to a new p ...

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Handling Employee Reassignment/Demotion Due to Performance Issues

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Counterarguments

  • While positive language is beneficial, it must be balanced with honesty to avoid miscommunication about the reasons for reassignment.
  • Emphasizing benefits can sometimes be perceived as insincere if the employee feels the reassignment is indeed a demotion.
  • Strategic alignment is ideal, but it may not always be possible due to organizational constraints or lack of suitable roles.
  • Reassigning managers based on their skills is logical, but it may not account for their personal career goals or job satisfaction.
  • The idea of placing each employee where they can contribute most effectively assumes that the organization has a perfect understanding of each individual's capabilities, which may not always be the case. ...

Actionables

  • Create a "skills and interests" profile for yourself to identify where you might be best reassigned. Start by listing your skills, strengths, and areas of interest. Then, research different roles within your organization or industry that align with your profile. This self-assessment can help you proactively suggest or seek reassignments that play to your strengths.
  • Develop a personal narrative that frames your career moves positively. Whenever you discuss past or potential reassignments with colleagues or in interviews, focus on the growth opportunities and the value you brought or can bring to the new role. This shifts the conversation from the mere fact of change to the benefits and strategic fit of your career trajectory.
  • Volunteer for cross-functional ...

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Balancing Transparency and Respecting Privacy

Heading:

The focus in balancing transparency is to both promote understanding within the organization and respect individual privacy, especially when it comes to reassignment of employees.

Reasons For Reassignment: Leveraging Employee Strengths

Advisors recommend that, when discussing reasons for an employee's reassignment, executives should foreground the positive aspects. By emphasizing the manager's technical expertise and leadership skills, the rationale for the move can be framed constructively. It's essential to leverage employee strengths without delving into specifics that could be sensitive or demoralizing.

Avoid Publicly Airing Employee Performance Issues to Prevent Damaging Their Team Standing

Jocko Willink advises maintaining a balance between transparency and privacy is crucial when addressing reassignments due to performance issues. He suggests that while it's necessary to prevent rumors and provide explanations for organizational changes, the framing should remain positive. Detailing the negative reasons behind a reassignment could undermine the credibility of the manager and potentially damage their standing with their team.

Willink practices this approach himself by avoiding "publicly hanging" an employee for underperformance. He ...

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Balancing Transparency and Respecting Privacy

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Counterarguments

  • Transparency can sometimes be more beneficial than privacy in promoting trust within an organization, as employees may value openness about the reasons behind decisions.
  • Overemphasis on positive framing might lead to a lack of accountability, where employees do not receive clear messages about areas where they need to improve.
  • Not addressing performance issues publicly, when appropriate, could contribute to a culture of secrecy and speculation, potentially leading to more rumors rather than fewer.
  • There is a risk that avoiding public discussions about performance could inadvertently lower overall team standards by not clearly establishing expected performance benchmarks.
  • While protecting an individual's dignity is important, there may be situations where the team's right to understand the full context of reassignments outweighs the individual's right to privacy.
  • The analogy of handling a child's mistake may not be fully appropriate for adult professionals, as it could be seen as infantilizing and not recognizing the capacity of adults t ...

Actionables

  • You can create a "strengths spotlight" during team meetings to focus on what each member does well, which can help when reassigning roles. By regularly highlighting different team members' strengths, you foster a culture of appreciation that can make transitions smoother. For example, if someone excels at client relations but struggles with paperwork, you might commend their interpersonal skills in a meeting before moving them to a role that capitalizes on those strengths.
  • Develop a feedback tool that allows for anonymous peer-to-peer recognition, which can be used to bolster morale and focus on positive contributions. This tool could be a simple digital form where employees submit kudos for their colleagues, which are then shared in a weekly roundup email. This practice encourages a positive view of each team member and can soften the blow if someone needs to be reassigned due to performance issues.
  • Implement a mentorship program where employees can volun ...

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Communicating Changes Effectively to Maintain Trust and Morale

Calmly Deliver the Message, Focusing On Benefits

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin offer advice on how to communicate team reassignments and terminations in a way that maintains trust and morale.

Deliberate and Well-Considered Decision, Not Spontaneous

Willink advises focusing on the manager's strengths when explaining a reassignment, utilizing phrases that highlight expertise and the necessity of skills in a new role. When Jocko moved a team member to a different position, he made sure to announce the change while emphasizing the new duties the team member would be focusing on, thus avoiding upsetting the rest of the team. He described the manager's reassignment as a "deliberate decision," demonstrating that it was thoroughly considered. Willink clarifies that the reassignment wasn’t abrupt but was a reasoned decision, and he briefed the employee privately about the reasons, asserting the move was a genuine reassignment because of performance issues.

Echo, another team member, supports this approach by comparing it to child-rearing, where mistakes are corrected through deliberate action, not spontaneous reactions.

Own the Decision and Present It Positively For the Team

Willink stresses the importance of owning the reassignment and presenting it positively to maintain trust and team morale. When announcing to the crew, Jocko to ...

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Communicating Changes Effectively to Maintain Trust and Morale

Additional Materials

Counterarguments

  • While focusing on benefits is important, it can sometimes come across as disingenuous if employees feel the negative aspects of a decision are being ignored or glossed over.
  • Deliberate and well-considered decisions are crucial, but there may be situations where a more agile or spontaneous response is necessary due to rapidly changing circumstances.
  • Highlighting a manager's strengths in a reassignment is positive, but it's also important to acknowledge and address any potential gaps or concerns that other team members might have about the reassignment.
  • Emphasizing new duties to avoid upsetting the team might not always be effective if the team perceives the reassignment as a loss rather than a gain.
  • Comparing correcting mistakes to child-rearing could be seen as patronizing to adult professionals who expect to be treated as equals rather than children.
  • Owning the decision and presenting it positively is important, but transparency ...

Actionables

  • You can practice delivering messages with a positive spin by role-playing with a friend or family member. Choose a scenario where you need to communicate a difficult decision, such as reassigning household chores or changing plans for a group outing. Focus on explaining the benefits of the change and how it reflects a strategic choice. For example, if you're reassigning chores, emphasize how the new arrangement plays to each person's strengths and contributes to a more efficient household.
  • Develop a decision journal to enhance your decision-making process. Whenever you face a significant choice, write down the options, potential benefits, and the reasoning behind your decision. This practice will help you become more deliberate and considerate in your decision-making. Later, review your journal entries to assess the outcomes and learn from your experiences. This can be particularly useful in a work setting where you might need to explain your decisions to others.
  • Create a feedba ...

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