COMPETITIVE EFFECTIVENESS AND SECRECY
by Liles W. Creighton
SUMMARY
Secrecy about facts opponents need to know enhances one's effectiveness and degrades that of opponents. It is vital to success. It aids preservation of the initiative, enables achievement of surprise, supports maintaining security, contributes to superiority, helps to learn opponents' secrets, and provides the foundation for efforts to influence opponents.
Several precautions pertain. Unjustified secrecy can create disunity and opposition to one's courses of action and goals. Internal restrictions that deny personnel facts one needs to know reduces their abilities and may create resentment and low morale. Excessive secrecy is wasteful. Controlling observable things and persons so as to maintain secrecy must be planned to ensure effectiveness.
“... want to read the full article? – Join OPS or order a Journal.”