Much has been written about transparency in business. When I work with senior executives they talk about wanting an organization that is “more transparent”. When I work with directors and managers, they voice concerns about the “lack of transparency” throughout the company. And, frontline supervisors and employees—well, the further removed you are from the actual decision-making, the less likely it is that you feel that the organization is actually transparent (at least in many companies). So, why is that? Why do we long for transparency, often build it into our corporate values, and yet fail to follow through in our day-to-day actions.
I don’t think the answer is an easy one. I think it is multi-faceted, multi-layered. Perhaps it is the corporate culture itself, getting in the way of open communication (e.g., years of mistrust or a system that doesn’t support the sharing of information, or rewards the wrong things). Or, maybe it is the lack of actual communication skills; competing agendas/priorities; and/or lack of time. I often find that people are well intentioned, but the impact of their actions and behaviors fail them.
What do you see? What gets in the way of transparency and what steps can we take to be more open individually or organizationally?
Tags: Beyond the Jargon, Calibra, communication, corporate culture, decision making, Diane Hamilton, Leadership Development, senior executives, transparency, values
