The Workplace Coach

One of the latest buzzwords floating about the internet is “Radical Transparency”.  This means different things in different organisations, and while for some it means sharing the inner workings of the company with all employees to give them sense of ownership and involvement for others it amounts to little more than publicly naming and shaming people.  

The US investment management firm, Bridgewater, is one such example.  There is a fairly well documented story of a Bridgewater offsite leadership event at which a list of “Worst Managers” was put up on a screen for all to see.  If you were working at Bridgewater and saw your name in lights at the top of the list, how would that make you feel? 

Would you feel energised and motivated to improve?  Or would you be motivated instead to leave the organisation? It is interesting to note that Bridgewater has a turnover rate of new employees of around 25% per annum within their first 18 months. 

If you are wondering what might qualify a manager to be ranked as the ‘worst manager in the company’ you might take a look at the 13 characteristics of bad managers as listed by the Forbes Business Council. It is no surprise to anyone who has experienced a bad manager that they can “put a damper on the morale of an entire team, and even bring the business down”.

So getting back to the concept of radical transparency, in some places it might relate to making everyone’s salaries public knowledge, or as at Qualtrics, providing open access to how individuals are tracking against quarterly objectives and weekly targets. The idea is that if nothing is hidden, then people will trust each other, the Executive, and their managers.  It doesn’t always work out this way though. 

You could make the argument that if people would just trust each other to do the right thing in the first place then the need for radical transparency is negated.  Angela Knox, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, says “Radical transparency is put forward as the best thing ever – something that’s going to solve all our problems. In reality, it could very easily breed a culture of fear and intimidation.”  

We can probably all agree trust is the foundation of any positive organisational or team culture, but there are ways to build trust other than full exposure.  The research has shown that extreme-transparency policies can leave employees feeling vulnerable and exposed, making them less confident, and consequently, less productive.

What if we could establish formal systems within organisations that allow employees to provide candid feedback without feeling vulnerable. “Research demonstrates that these initiatives yield increases in productivity and job satisfaction, and reduce turnover.” If you really want to find out what people think of you as a manager then one of the best ways to do this is to find a way for your people to feel safe while being constructively honest in their appraisal. 

One of the tools we use at The Workplace Coach helps people to provide detailed feedback in a safe manner. It pulls together a very clear picture of how you see yourself vs how your people see you, expressed in clear and relatable behaviours. Our very experienced and senior coaches will then work with you to help shift your leadership style towards more ‘constructive’ behaviours, improving the culture and performance of your team. 

For more on how we can help you be seen as ‘the best manager in the company’, contact us at info@theworkplacecoach.com.au

The Workplace Coach