Why You Should Practice Radical Transparency in the Workplace (And in Your Life!)
Radical transparency is a relatively new concept in the business world. In the past, businesses kept the doors closed between departments and with the public. Now, the tides are changing and you should too!
What is radical transparency in the workplace? It’s a new level of openness in communication at work. You should be able to discuss your thoughts, feelings, emotions towards a specific topic.
Copper Chronicles defines radical transparency as:
“The belief that everyone that works at a company should be completely honest about their work, the company data they have access to, and in the way they communicate with one other. In other words, no information is kept only to select employees—it’s shared with everyone.”
HOW RADICAL TRANSPARENCY CAN BENEFIT YOU AND ALLOW YOU TO LIVE YOUR ULTIMATE BEST LIFE:
The separation between management and the rest of the team has always been obvious.
I mean, it’s frowned upon for employees to discuss their wages with each other. Why? Because it benefits the employer to not have the team comparing notes and demanding more equal wages.
These days, employees are taking back more power than ever. As the individuals who are doing the work day in and day out, this makes a lot of sense. Without radical transparency, employees can feel like they’re being left in the dark.
Here’s what Zenefits said about why open communication can help employee morale:
“Employees to feel knowledgeable about the inner workings of the company as well as feeling respected and valued. They also know how much they're earning compared to their peers, which is unusual for companies of all sizes.”
Radical transparency can also help you feel more supported. If a project is more than you expected, you can discuss this with the team without fear of rebuttals. That way, you will get the help you need and everyone wins when a great outcome happens!
And all of this will play into your overall happiness. How many times have you come home from work and felt anxious about returning the next day because you got a passive-aggressive email? How good would it have felt if you could have an open conversation with that person instead?
Seriously, transparency can be the tool you need to see your career in a whole new light!
5 WAYS YOU CAN BOOST TRANSPARENCY IN THE WORKPLACE:
Once you’re on board with more transparency at work, there are a few things you can do to get the team on the same page. Here are my top 5 recommendations:
Formulate clear boundaries of what is acceptable versus what isn’t in terms of communication.
Be open about expectations, experiences, & goals of each member of the team.
Honesty is the best policy, so everyone should feel comfortable being open about how things are going with a project, task, or situation.
Stay objective and be more open without being more emotional about your point of view.
Meet with your manager and direct reports on a weekly or biweekly basis to discuss how things are going.
Once you implement these strategies, let me know how they work out for you! My hope is that you feel FREE and confident enough to practice these tools. Remember: people who practice transparency, reep the benefits and respects from their friends, colleagues, and coworkers.
YOU GOT THIS!
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