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TRANSPARENCY
4 min read
Big Organizational Challenges
Can Be Overcome With
Transparency
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JULY 29, 2014
With five different generations active in the
workforce, it is more important and difficult
than ever to keep morale high, employees
engaged and turnover low.
According to a 2012 report by Bersin and
Associates, $720 million is spent annually on
employee-engagement activities alone, and
that is expected to increase drastically to
about $1.5 billion.
However, the real solution is relatively simple
and completely free, yet very few companies
embrace the concept: organizational
transparency.
At ClearCompany, we conduct annual
goal-setting and alignment meetings with
presentations by executives and department
heads, as well as quarterly check-ins to report
on progress. As a result of this company-wide
transparency, we have a highly-engaged team
and amazing morale. Very few people leave.
Related: Radical Transparency Can
Re-Energize a Company's Culture and
Deliver Results
Getting started on the path to transparency
might be easier than you suspect. Follow
ANDRE LAVOIE
CONTRIBUTOR
Entrepreneur; CEO &
Co-Founder,
ClearCompany
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ANDRE LAVOIE
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6 Alternatives to
Micromanaging
Employees
1. Bring everyone together in an informal
setting. One of the most powerful aspects of
transparency is the clarity it brings to the
workplace. Without both transparency and
clarity, employees can feel overlooked and
confused about their role within the company.
Bring small groups of management and
employees together in an informal setting.
Present the opportunity as one in which
employees can express general concerns, share positive
experiences and have an open conversation about what is working
and what isnt.
Beginning the dialogue can be as simple as discussing interesting
happenings in the industry and your teams take on them. Then, lead
the conversation into current projects, milestones, and areas of
difficulty that need to be overcome.
Dont come into these meetings with a formal agenda, but allow the
opportunity for your team to speak freely and feel comfortable
engaging. Just by introducing transparency within a company,
employee morale increases exponentially.
2. Identify and share the 5 W's of company decisions. When
business decisions are made -- whether big or small -- fill employees in
on the details. If information is consistently withheld, it is difficult for
employees to understand the strategy and trajectory of the company
and their role within it. As such, their work can easily become
misaligned or out of scope.
Related: What Mozilla's Chief Forgot About 21st Century Leadership
Share the 5 Ws -- who, what, where, why and when -- of company
pivots. This not only engages employees and helps them feel valued,
but also clarifies how they will be impacted by the changes. Also,
make sure management is available and able to answer questions.
To remain engaged, productive members of your corporate
community, employees must understand what their personal
responsibility is relative to any changes coming down the pike.
Being open and transparent about company challenges also allows
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your teams will proactively introduce new and creative ways of finding
solutions.
3. Be transparent about turnover and encourage mentorship. If
employees are continually watching team members come and go with
no understanding of the cause, retention will suffer.
Remain transparent about employee departures. Clearly
communicating team changes in a timely manner will keep employees
confident in the team you have worked hard to put in place. They will
feel secure not only in their jobs, but also in their specific role and
contributions.
Also, leverage transparency to build more collaborative processes.
Encourage your leadership team to be true mentors and take an active
interest in improving employee skills. Try setting long-term personal
goals for each employee that affect the company and their continued
growth within it.
By valuing and championing transparency like we have at
ClearCompany, you will naturally develop a culture of honesty,
collaboration and strong leadership, helping everyone grow. This type
of transparent and value-driven culture will see employees stick
around for the long haul.
Related: Win the Talent War by Opting for Transparency
Leadership Managing Employees Company Culture Transparency
Employee Morale
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