Who are the HR Capitalists? They're a group of HR Pros who like free markets, pop culture, high performing talent and a business plan with upside. They look for the big win in every organization they serve, and if a big win isn't available or tolerated, they'll be gone in the next 180 days - even in a crappy economy.  They represent 9.2% of the entire HR population, and this series is designed to answer the question every HR Pro should ask when faced with a scenario that sucks and might threaten their career - what would an HR Capitalist do?

"Three can keep a secret if two are dead".  Benjamin Franklin

"I am Jack's complete lack of surprise".  Narrator from Fight Club

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Secrets.  They're everywhere inside organizations, and let's just say that some people are better than others at keeping them.  To get you warmed up, let's run down a list of folks who are good at keeping secrets, then contrast it with those who can't keep a secret, otherwise known as the finks/tortured souls/mouth-runners:

Good at keeping secrets: Dick Cheney, Bruce Wayne's butler, Tony Soprano, anyone who worked for Dick Cheney.

Bad at keeping secrets: Tiger Woods (texting - really?), the mistresses of Tiger Woods, terrorists interrogated by Jack Bauer, Anakin Skywalker.

If you're working a gig as an HR Manager, chances are that you're exposed to a lot of confidential information, otherwise known in the business as "secrets".  If you've evolved to the Director or VP level, chances are you've learned the following lesson from Tyler Durden:

You do not talk about Fight Club confidential information.

Until you need to, or course.  Then it's your street smarts that tells you the Vinnie Barbarino (who, what, when, why and how) of sharing confidential information that keeps you alive in your organization. Of course, if you decide to share confidential information at any point in time, you do it for one reason and one reason alone: Leverage that results in a kick-ass outcome for your organization.  And you mask that information in way that protects the identity of the innocent, gives nothing of true value, but maintains the power/threat/plea that the disclosure creates.

Confused? You're an HR Pro that needs to read this series 4 times.  Nodding your head in agreement? You're part of the elite corp. Play on, player. 

PS: Your access to confidential information over the course of a decade will leave you jaded and sans the ability to ever be surprised by human nature.  Kind of like Tiger's limo driver.

I'm just sayin'...