Joe Gerstandt | keynote speaker, freedom fighter, freak-flag flier

One of my Twitter friends Jamie Notter, has touched on the idea of transparency recently over at his blog, which is always a good read. I was especially interested to see the issue of transparency being looked at as I see transparency as an important part of an inclusive organizational culture. I am working on a couple of posts that really re-examine the idea of inclusion, but a decent place to start are these Attributes of Inclusive Organizations from the Workplace Diversity Network at Cornell University:

• Demonstrated Commitment to Diversity

• Holistic View of Employees and the Organization

• Access to Opportunity

• Accommodation for Diverse Physical and Developmental Abilities

• Equitable Systems for Recognition, Acknowledgement and Reward

• Shared Accountability and Responsibility

• 360 Degree Communication and Information Sharing

• Demonstrated Commitment to Continuous Learning

• Participatory Work Organization and Work Process

• Recognition of Organizational Culture and Process

• Collaborative Conflict Resolution Processes

• Demonstrated Commitment to Community Relationships

I think that this is a pretty good list and it gives a decent framework for examining organizational inclusion. In reflecting on these attributes, I see transparency as a pretty strong theme…access, shared, information sharing, participatory, collaborative…these all involve or demand some degree of transparency. And accordingly, I would consider transparency as a fundamental component of an inclusive organizational culture.

How transparent is your organization? More importantly how transparent is your personal leadership?

Transparency is one of those things that is easier said than done, and if we are going to be transparent we have to be committed. In the short term, it is much simpler to not be transparent. It is simpler and quicker to not share information, to not make processes and decision making participatory…and because of this, the best of intentions can lead us to be non-transparent. Too much on my plate right now, too many deadlines looming…transparency is one of those things that always is a little more appealing when we reach the mystical land of “being caught up on stuff.”

“Wonderful and unpredictable things happen when ordinary people get access to primary materials.”
-Rick Prelinger

Obviously, we cannot get there overnight, but I am a big proponent of transparency. As far as I am concerned there is no information that should not be available to every employee of an organization. Access to information is empowering and provides greater ownership. Not only does it change the nature of the employee-employer relationship, it also raises the bar for management. Poor managers are able to maintain an inauthentic power position over employees through control of information…transparency takes this crutch away from those that should not be in management to begin with.

I believe that in the long run, greater transparency leads to:

• a much stronger, more authentic employer-employee relationship

• an inclusive organizational culture that supports greater employee engagement and retention

• leadership that is based on “power with”, rather than “power over”

I came across some interesting thoughts regarding transparency at one of my favorite blogs,

Fact #1:

Trust is what makes a company exist. Without trust no customer, no investors, no suppliers, no place in society.

Fact #2:

Transparency equals trust. That simple.

Here is a great article on how to create a transparent organizational culture written by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman and Patricia Biederman. Among other things they say in this article is “the best way for leaders to start the free flow of information is to set a good example.” Go share some information.