In the workplace, being transparent is all about open and honest communication with one another. This means the free flow of information, knowledge, and other resources among team members.
Although many organizations claim to be transparent with their employees, for most it remains aÂ
lofty aspiration. But as a people manager, being transparent should be one of your top priorities.
Why is transparency important?
By being transparent, companies find greater success in ways both expected and surprising. If a business chooses to be transparent and encourages an open environment for employees it can:Â
- Increase engagement and cooperation between team members.
- Foster a stronger work culture built on trust, honesty, and values.
- Boost creativity, innovation, and productivity.Â
Being transparent makes faster project completion possible. It often inspires people to get more invested in their work and perform at a higher level. Thereâs just something about knowing what the rest of the team is doing and that theyâre equally contributing (and committed) to one shared mission, outcome, or goal that keeps team morale high from a projectâs start to its completion.
Like any skill or expertise, being transparent is something that requires dedication and practice. Long before it becomes an everyday reality, being transparent at work will require mindful effort.
Ways to be transparent with your team
When it comes to being transparent, the constant flow of communication, ideas, and resources is key. In the workplace, this often takes the form of routinely scheduled employee meetings.
1. Conduct frequent stand-ups and 1:1s with team membersÂ
To be transparent involves holding regular stand-ups with your team. Daily stand-up meetings offer everyone the opportunity to talk about any current projects, individually and collectively as a team. Stand-ups keep people in the know on one anotherâs progress, raise concerns regarding potential issues or roadblocks, and modify team workflowsâall while making better use of time.
Staying informed sets a firm foundation for what it means to be transparent as team members.
Likewise, the 1:1 meeting is a vital aspect of being transparent with your team. Especially once you realize that up to three out of four Americans say that their boss can be âthe most stressful part of their workday.â By allowing for regular back-and-forth feedback, alignment on objectives, and follow-up discussions, 1:1s foster a stronger, more meaningful manager-employee dynamic.Â
Surprisingly, only about half of employees receive regular 1:1s. So make a point to be transparent by scheduling set 1:1s with team members.
2. Create a single source of truth and make it readily accessibleÂ
A single source of truth, or SSOT, isnât just a tool, strategy, or framework. Try to think of it more as a state of being. Essentially, itâs the practice of taking data from the different systems within the organization and aggregating it in one location. The goal is for that knowledge to be accessible to everyone from a common reference point.Â
For an organization, setting up a single source of truth helps avoid the confusion inherent to having multiple versions of documentation living in multiple locations (or with multiple users) at once. Itâs what ensures that team members can readily access the most current, accurate information to get their jobs done right.
Itâs easier to be transparent in the workplace with relevant, standardized data at your disposal across the company. Besides connecting departmental silos, other SSOT benefits include:
- The reduction or elimination of human errors like duplicate data entries or file versions
- Availability of role-appropriate, real-time data access to stakeholders or team members
- Consistency for corporate processes and protocols for faster learning and onboarding
- Ability to systematically identify bottlenecks and other areas needing further refinement
Setting up a single source of truth is not only a critical step toward being transparent, it provides the groundwork for communicating procedures and policies, making critical decisions, and addressing problems as a company.Â
3. Use software that allows for both real-time and asynchronous collaborationÂ
In organizations composed of remote and hybrid teams, often working from different locations across several time zones, not everyone is online at the same moment. But each team member still works and contributes as part of the teamâwhich is why visual collaboration software is a must.Â
The Lucid Visual Collaboration Suite, with Lucidchart and Lucidspark, is ideal for coordinating both group work conducted within independent schedules as well as those opportunities when real-time collaboration is possibleâwhether face-to-face or through a video or a phone call.
Lucidchart is an intelligent diagramming application that empowers teams to clarify complexity, align their insights, and coordinate efforts faster. As an intuitive, cloud-based solution, it enables people to work visually and collaborate asynchronously (or in real time) by using templates and tools to build flowcharts, mockups, diagrams, and more.
Lucidspark is a virtual whiteboard that helps you and your team collaborate to bring innovation to light. It comes packed with all of the sticky notes, freehand drawing tools, and infinite canvas space you need to capture your next big idea. Like Lucidchart, itâs built for collaboration. Think of it as a space where your team can bounce ideas around and create together in real time.
Whatever software you use, itâs about achieving the end goal of being transparent, improving the way your team works together, and finding effective strategies to solve problems together.
