Transparency is all about being open and honest with everyone in the company. It's about sharing important details such as the company’s financial health, dealing with issues together, and giving honest feedback to the team.
When there is transparency in communication and decision-making processes, it fosters trust among employees and their leaders. When employees feel they can rely on the authenticity of the information shared by their managers and colleagues, it’s a sign that the organization is built on foundations of trust. Trust encourages employees to feel empowered and accountable for their work, as they believe in the organization's intentions and values.
Trust and Transparency are two of the most essential pillars of any workplace culture. These elements shape one's professional journey and create a thriving growth environment for people to work collaboratively.
When the feeling of trust is mutual between team members and team leads, it creates a sense of psychological safety, fosters positive relationships, provides autonomy and learning, and essentially helps in overall well-being.
Let us look at why workplaces need these two virtues:
As a manager, you want to acknowledge the team’s hard work, progress, and achievement. You want them to feel seen and empowered, eventually leading to high employee engagement.
You want to be open to ideas and guide them in their journey - when employees feel seen by the organization, they will feel a sense of safety in communicating their ideas with you.
A team that feels empowered makes better decisions.
Trust decreases stress levels, hostility, and micro-management at the workplace.
It builds teamwork, collaboration and increases loyalty.
With the help of the check-list below, take a moment to identify if you uphold these values at work:
You listen to the team’s grievances, suggestions, and feedback.
You are open to including employed in decision making.
You treat everyone with the same level of respect and dignity.
You hold frequent catch-up meetings with the team.
You are open to sharing both the organization’s achievements and losses.
You appreciate and acknowledge the team’s efforts.
You feel heard and valued by the organization when you share feedback, opinions, and suggestions
If you ticked off all of the above: Congratulations! You use trust and transparency to positively impact the workplace by making them the essential guiding principles.
If you ticked some of the above: It is completely alright. Building trust and transparency is an ongoing journey, not a one-time event. Here are a few points to get you started:
Be open to communication. Feeling heard makes people feel safe and they share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas without fear.
Lead by example. Share information with the team, and do not shy away from admitting mistakes. It will set the tone that it is okay to make mistakes and you are there for them if you fall back.
Include team members in decision-making to ensure they feel valued and respected.
Do regular check-ins, provide feedback, and appreciate the team’s efforts and achievements.
Before you sign off, here’s a check-list that will help you identify if your workplace upholds these values:
You are empowered to take necessary actions and make decisions within your role.
You have access to important information about the company's performance and direction.
The organization communicates openly about its policies, decisions, and changes that may impact employees.
Mistakes or errors are acknowledged, and there is a culture of learning and improvement.
There is a clear and transparent process for addressing concerns and resolving conflicts.
The organization encourages and supports a healthy work-life balance.
You feel that there is fair and transparent compensation, promotions, and performance evaluation processes.
Remember, it requires consistent effort and commitment from everyone within the organization to cultivate a culture of trust and transparency. You can always take the first steps in prioritising trust and transparency, to create an environment where employees can thrive and contribute to the organization’s collective success.
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