I aim to be forthright but discreet. There are gains for the customer in frankness: it leaves no room for disingenuity.
One of my publications (Reed, 1987b) was based on quite a number of consultancy studies in flood frequency estimation. It was published only after clearance by the relevant clients.
Some of the tales in the Interlude to Volume 1 of the Flood Estimation Handbook verge on the indiscreet. But one cannot really teach good practice without hinting at the bad. It was a question of saying enough to carry the message. I have had no complaints about what was included, nor thanks for what was left out. Some of the tales stem from the thousand or so technical queries that I fielded in the 1980s and 90s, in support of the Flood Studies Report.
As an Independent Consulting Hydrologist, I recognise the need to maintain a client's trust and to meet specific confidentiality requirements.