Confidentiality of what is said between Forum members is a fundamental aspect of what creates psychological safety for a group. Confidentiality always allows members to share at the deepest level, because they know what is said in the group, stays in the group. To better understand Forum Confidentiality, here are the three levels that most Forums adhere to:
Level 1 – Default Confidentiality – Level 1 confidentiality is the default level expected within a Forum. This level of confidentiality implies that whatever is said in the group, between members, stays in the group between members.
Level 2 – Only With Me Around – Level 2 confidentiality allows someone to share something with the group, and the rest of the group agrees to only talk about that topic if the person is around. The group agrees to not have side conversations with each other without the person.
Level 3 – Never Again Unless… – Level 3 confidentiality allows someone to share something with the group and the rest of the group agrees to never talk about the topic ever again unless the person brings it up. Topics at this level are often very personal and private things. These are topics that the person needs to say to get them out, but doesn’t want to, or isn’t ready to, talk about yet. When the time is right if ever, they will choose to bring it up again to the group.
As I mentioned above, Level 1 is the default level of confidentiality. It’s up to each person to declare if what they are about to say is Level 2 or Level 3.
Forum confidentiality covers what you hear from everyone else in the group and is not available to be found via Google.
You, of course, can share your own story with whomever you want inside and outside the Forum. It’s your story, after all.
But what about…
- Your Spouse? You still aren’t allowed to share info about other Forum members based on the levels of confidentiality above. But when it comes to your own story, each person is going to choose how they want to handle this situation. I talk more in-depth about this topic in another post > https://tinyurl.com/yb5gc4gx
- Your Forum Mate’s Spouse? For many, this is a challenging interaction. You should treat them as if you don’t have any prior knowledge. But keep in mind that it’s also going to feel awkward for the spouse as well. This is especially true if the Forum member doesn’t share their update with their spouse. It’s good to tread lightly knowing that this can be a challenge.
- The Law? What happens if someone in your Forum gets indicted for tax fraud and you are summoned to share what you know about the situation with the court? Is Forum confidentiality above the law? No, it is not. There is no spousal privilege with Forum. You should consult your lawyer as to what you should do. By the way, this is a true story that actually happened to a Forum.
Confidentiality is critical to a well-functioning Forum. When confidentiality is broken, it’s a big red flag for the health of a Forum. It will most likely mean the violating member will be voted out of the Forum. I’ll share more on how to remove members in another post.