Company updates aren't just about news events; they're also great opportunities to reiterate your values, goals, or vision Dear Bob …We recently hired a new system administrator, and he was checking out the IT org chart which is posted on our intranet. Most of us had never seen it or not seen it for a long time, and we were surprised to see another new employee and an exisitng employee who had been promoted to front-line supervisor. Both of these events occurred without so much as a peep from the IT director or middle management.[ Also on InfoWorld: Bob has some ideas on how to mix friendship and business in “You’re hiring, and a friend needs a job — now what?” | Get sage advice on IT careers and management from Bob Lewis in InfoWorld’s Advice Line newsletter. ] Personally, I am having trouble understanding why the IT director would not tell everyone how he promoted someone from within to a supervisory position. I would think this would be one of those win-win situations. I spoke with the person (I used to work with him), and he said even the people at his location aren’t aware of his promotion. And don’t even get me started about how he didn’t get a nickel in compensation for the new responsibilities.So what makes managers, especially high-level ones, so averse to informing the rest of the minions when promotions or new hires take place?– Puzzled Dear Puzzled …In some circumstances, being discreet about a promotion can make sense. Mostly, leaders do this when the promotion is a trial run and both parties want to be able to undo it if it doesn’t work out without causing any embarrassment.This situation is clearly different: There’s no way to promote someone to a supervisory role without at least their new direct reports knowing about it. What’s worse is that it’s a missed opportunity: When a business leader hires or promotes someone, it’s for a reason. Communicating the event provides an opportunity to reinforce values, strategic goals, organizational mission or vision; these announcements are rife with opportunities to remind everyone of something that matters beyond the bare news of the events themselves. Also, they help create an atmosphere of inclusion — to build the relationship between employees and the organization they work for.I’d chalk it up to ignorance. I’m guessing the IT director has never had a decent education in leadership and might not even be aware that it’s a subject for which education can be useful. Communication is, of course, one of the eight tasks of leadership, one he clearly fails to understand or appreciate.– Bob This story, “New hire? In-house promotion? Tell everyone about it,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Bob Lewis’s Advice Line blog on InfoWorld.com. Careers