ベンジャミン・フランクリンは、かつて、「3人で秘密を保つただ一つの方法は、2人を殺すことだ」と言いました。当然のことながら、殺人が秘密を守るベストな方法とは言えませんが。悪いことに、人はあなたに、何をしているかなど尋ねて、あなたの秘密を見つけ出そうとします。もしあなたが、コンサルタント、弁護士、或いは、銀行員であるならば、仕事の内容は極めて秘密性が高いはずです。皆さんはご理解の事とは思いますが、皆さんが話をする相手は、そうではありません。彼らは、皆さんの仕事の内容や、取引先などについて多くの質問をするかもしれません。
秘密を保つつ失礼にならないように話すには？
そういう質問への良い対処方法、悪い対処方法をご紹介します。もちろん、英語での。
The bad way
I think that a poor way to answer questions about projects is to say something like:
I cannot tell you. It is confidential.
Why is this bad?
People usually ask about your work to make conversation and answering like this dismisses the question. It kills the conversation. That's not good if you want to establish rapport with a person.
Furthermore, it can make the person who asks you feel bad. They could feel that they asked a sensitive question and put you in a difficult position. This could make them feel guilty. Worse still, you could give the impression that you think that the person is being nosy or spying, or that you are not interested in speaking with them.
Talking like this to a client or a date (when they just want to make conversation) is a bad idea.
The good way
Let's assume that the person asking is not a spy.
Most people will ask you about your work to make conversation, or because they are interested. With that in mind, you should try to answer the question somehow (without saying anything that will get you into trouble!).
So what can you say? Most of the time you can talk about the following:
- the theme of the work you are doing;
- the industry that the client is in; or
- your specific tasks.
I am sure there are other approaches you can use. Do have any other ideas? Leave a comment below if you do.
When it comes to confidentiality, it is important that you do not reveal the name of the client or so much information that the person can guess who you are talking about.
Let's imagine that you are working on a branding project for a company. If someone asks about your client, following the three strategies above, you can say something vague like:
- I'm working on a branding project at the moment. Our client wants to revitalize their corporate image.
- I'm working for a client in the (electronics/automotive/pharmaceuticals... etc.) industry.
- I'm researching brand revitalization and trying to find some successful and unsuccessful examples of rebranding.
These are good ways to talk about your work without being specific or getting into trouble. You can also direct the conversation towards something you can discuss (the industry or theme).
Dealing with direct and follow-up questions
Once you engage the person in conversation, they are likely to ask you more questions on the topic. They could ask you a follow-up question or a direct question that you cannot avoid.
For example, you might be directly asked the name of the client.
In that case, you can politely answer like this:
I am afraid I cannot say.
But do not leave the conversation there. There is one important tactic you can use to keep the conversation going and avoid an uncomfortable silence: ask them a question.
I am afraid I cannot say. And how about you? What are you working on these days?
On The English Farm, we will always ask you tough questions so you can practice answering them politely and professionally. Try these techniques in class with your teachers!
—
IANAL (I am not a lawyer), so please use caution & common sense when speaking about confidential information.
