Tinted Transparency

Big buzzword of the last few years: “Transparency”. Big question – how do you define the word?

The challenge is, some people have a skewed view of “transparency”. My top five on what transparency is not (despite what you might see in your own organization):

1. Answering a question truthfully, knowing that the person wasn’t actually asking the right question.
2. Announcing the truth, but weighting it in such a way that it could be misunderstood on the receiving end.
3. All doom and gloom. It simply is reality, shared as a puzzle ready to be solved.
4. Worthy of only a select few. Not everyone needs to see the PnL from last month, but your whole team should understand where you’re at relative to your goals.
5. Negotiable.

Communication – honest and complete – is essential to the lifeblood of a fast moving, innovative company. We need to know where we’re at – what tools we have at our disposal, and potential roadblocks on the horizon – in order to operate at maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

As we strive to build organizations of Salaried Entrepreneurs, we need to appreciate that the people on our teams are adults – capable of handling the truth, and willing to work their guts out when they feel respected, trusted, and a key part of the team. Which, if we believe them to be the right people – is exactly how they should feel. Or they should be gone.