Clearing the murky waters of organizational non-transparency

Imagine this: You've packed your gear and sunscreen for a perfect day at the lake. The sun is shining brightly in the clear sky, promising a glorious day of kayaking, swimming, and basking in the warmth.

You arrive at the lake and your excitement turns to disbelief and horror. The once crystal-clear lake that you had so eagerly anticipated was now murky, clouded by a noxious cocktail of pollutants. You feel confused, angry, and helpless, and go back.

This is exactly how your emplyees feel when there is a lack of transparency in an organization, and it's just as destructive. It can cloud understanding, foster mistrust, and obstruct progress.

According to Forbes, 50% of workers feel that the organizations they work for are being held back by a lack of transparency.

Nevertheless, there is hope. It is possible to clean up the murky waters of your organization as well, like the initiative of cleaning the lakes. Here's how you can do it:

1. Identifying the Source of Pollution

   - Just as you need to identify the sources of pollution in a lake, you must pinpoint the sources of opacity or lack of transparency in your organization.

Some key culprits include unclear communication, hidden agendas, or a lack of information sharing.

2. Monitoring and Testing Water Quality:

   - To clear water pollution, regular monitoring and testing of water quality are essential. Similarly, in an organization, you must continuously assess the organizational culture and communication channels to understand the levels of transparency.

This might involve employee surveys, feedback mechanisms, and performance evaluations.

3. Filtering and Treatment Processes:

   - In water pollution management, filtering and treatment processes are employed to remove contaminants from the water.

In an organization, creating transparency requires establishing open and honest communication channels, which act as filters to remove misinformation, rumors, and barriers to information flow.

4. Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

   - Managing water pollution often requires collaboration among stakeholders such as government agencies, environmental organizations, and local communities.

Creating transparency involves fostering teamwork and leadership that encourages open dialogue and a collective commitment to transparency.

A Harvard Business Review study informs us that 70% of workers say that they're most engaged in their job when senior management communicates openly with them.

5. Long-Term Maintenance vs. Continuous Improvement:

   - Maintaining water quality in lakes is an ongoing process. Similarly, creating transparency within an organization is not a one-time effort but a continuous journey of improvement, adaptability, and addressing new challenges as they arise.

Research suggests that when employees do perceive transparency at work, they show a 12x greater job satisfaction to those who don’t.

Just as clearing water pollution is essential for the health of a lake ecosystem, establishing transparency is crucial for the health and success of an organization, fostering trust, accountability, and ethical behavior.

What's been your experience with transparent/non-transparent organizations?

Share it in the comments.