When establishing your company’s culture your goal should be to find and build upon the shared values of your team. Companies that say what they are, and mean what they say, foster a more tuned-in and trusting workplace. Aligned with this ideal is the concept of transparency, where changes, decisions and feelings are discussed forefront and openly among the entire team.
Understand It
In more and more workplaces transparency models are being implemented. Why? Well first of all, technology has advanced people to deeper levels of insight. Employees can smell when something’s cooking and the access to information on the internet only turn up the heat, easily fueling rumors and speculation.
Considering how sensitive people are to change and how workplace fluctuations can impact them, a transparent form of communication could make all the difference for your staff. Studies have shown that people who work in a transparent environment are happier, more productive, and less likely to look for another job because they can trust in a company that keeps them out of the dark.
Define It
So what does it mean to be transparent? As mentioned, transparency is based on trust; that trust is built by working and collaborating in reality. What sets transparency apart from truthfulness? Timing.
Transparency is not just the sharing of information, its being forefront by sharing information without solicitation. Such proactive admissions keep everyone in the loop, and in addition to trust, build a level of intimacy among your team members.
By keeping things real, problems have the ability to be solved a lot faster and the chance of tension caused by misunderstandings is cut down. People can collaborate together a lot easier because strengths and weakness can be discussed freely. Relationships also have the ability to be more authentic because perceptions and opinions are openly shared.
Do It
Employees who are new to the transparency model might resist it at first, fearful that the encouraged open communication policy might turn around and bite them. This is why things must happen from the top down; as the leader it is your responsibility to open up first if you want others to join in.
Transparency has been resisted by leaders in the past because they are hesitant to “pull back the curtain.” You might be wondering the same thing - without a sense of mystery and elusive power, how will people continue to respect you? In-tune leaders will respond with the understanding that respect is earned and is often prompted by a built foundation of trust and loyalty.
As a leader, your team is looking for you to be forthright with everything related to the company, their position within it, and the collective’s future. Give them what they crave; comfort them with your willingness to be transparent and the respect will soon follow.
For a team manager this may mean less inter-office memos and more face-to-face communication. Make sure people understand the facts, that their expectations are based in reality and that you and your team are on the same page when it comes to productivity and development.
Notice when describing transparency the phrase “brutally honest” is never used. That is because even when implementing a method of transparency, caution and careful deliveries are still needed. In transparent moments, people are exposed and vulnerable. They need a leader who can effectively carry out this approach with common sense and thoughtful consideration all the way through.
What have been your experiences when working transparently?
Kelly Gregorio writes about topics that affect small businesses and entrepreneurs while working at Advantage Capital Funds, a merchant cash advance provider. You can read her daily business blog here http://www.advantagecapitalfunds.com/blog/.