Transparency: It’s Not Just About Sharing Information
There’s a lot of talk in the world – particularly in leadership circles – about the need for transparency. Generally speaking, what this means is that people like to be “in the know” around decision-making, challenges, and issues that have impact on them. In my experience, most leaders are actually proponents of the concept of transparency in theory. So why is it that so many “followers” (for lack of a better word) feel like there is a lack of transparency by said leaders?
Here's my take:
Transparency is a great concept and an important one. While the popular cliché would have us believe that ignorance is bliss, most of us actually want to know what is happening around us rather than be ignorant of the situation, especially if what’s going on is going to have any sort of impact on our lives.
The challenge is that transparency is not the same as sharing ALL of the information available. Some information actually isn’t helpful for everyone to know. Other information isn’t appropriate for everyone to know. Which means that leaders have the somewhat challenging responsibility of having to discern what information must be shared, what is appropriate, and what needs to be held back. Depending on where you stand on whatever issue is being discussed, there can be differing viewpoints on what transparency looks like in this paradigm.
So, knowing that some information may not be share-able, the real issue at hand is one of trust. When someone asks for “more transparency” what is often being said is “I don’t trust you”. Or, “I feel like you are hiding something.” Or, “based on the information I have, your actions don’t make sense” (but they don’t have all the information, so they can’t actually be sure of what does or doesn’t make sense).
The more trust that exists between leaders and their teams, the less the demand for “more transparency”. There’s enough of a track record established, so that folks trust the decision-makers and don’t question what might not be said.
When there is a request for more transparency coming forward, the most effective response isn’t to just start doling out more information (although sharing some more information might be helpful). Instead, it’s an opportunity for leaders to start asking “what can I do to build/create/establish more trust?”
True, there might be a very real opportunity to look at your communication strategies and adjust accordingly; but there might also be a need to think more broadly.
Maybe it’s time to check out how present and accessible you are to your people.
Maybe you need to do a scan of your past actions and see when/where/how you’ve dropped the ball or been disingenuous.
Maybe there are ways that you’ve actually been untrustworthy.
Maybe you haven’t actually done what you’ve said you’re going to do.
Maybe some information that you withheld has now made its way into the world, and what you really need to do is account for that.
Or maybe it’s something else altogether and what’s needed is a frank discussion with folks to determine what they are actually wanting/needing/seeking when they ask for transparency.
What I know for sure is that when there is trust built in any system, the request for transparency diminishes. It’s not that transparency isn’t required – it absolutely is. And, transparency isn’t simply about sharing all the information with all the people. As leaders our actions must align with our declarations; our presence must be visible and obvious to those around us, and the information we share must be shared for a purpose that is more than simply information-dumping.
Bottom-line: if you attempt to build trusting relationships without sharing sufficient information, it won’t work. And if you attempt to share all the information without acting in a manner that fosters trust, you’re no further ahead. Leaders, it’s time to understand that trust and transparency go hand in hand. You truly can’t have one without the other.