How to Encourage Team Transparency?
Publié le 13 December 2021
Are you a company leader wondering how to encourage team transparency? This is an important question that can lead to a workplace based on respect and honesty.
A transparent work culture facilitates a nurturing environment that results in increased productivity and job satisfaction. But business leaders find themselves asking exactly how to encourage team transparency? Moreover, what do we really mean by team transparency?
Team transparency does not just happen by chance, but rather it is a creation of a company culture where employees must make an effort to promote openness, trust, and honesty while working together. Team transparency results in the development of mutual trust among the team members, and ensures that the team works as a cohesive unit towards achieving their goals.
Not every organization has the same structure, however, and therefore there is no single formula or series of steps to follow which will lead to team transparency. For many organizations, transparency means sharing all the information is fully disclosed to all employees. While for others, it might mean creating a system that allows all members to access the required information as they need it.
Despite these differences, there are certain common elements to help you get started. Let’s examine how to encourage team transparency by keeping a few important factors in mind.
Let Your Company Policy Take Command of Team Transparency
The very first thing that can help you when wondering how to encourage team transparency is including it in your company policy. This helps send a clear message that your organization strongly believes in transparency by putting it at the core of your corporate values and that everyone must adhere to transparent work practices.
Making team transparency a core value will ensure that employees are aware of this expectation from the moment they join the company.
If you have the authority to make changes in the company policy, then do so without any delay. However, if you do not have the power to change your company policies, you can still take steps to improve transparency within your team. You can hold workshops, training videos, encourage the team to speak their minds, involve the members in decision making, facilitate the open sharing of information and more to encourage team transparency..
Encourage Team Members to Speak Up
One of the most crucial things to do while encouraging team transparency is to motivate every team member to speak their minds without worrying about judgment. You can also ask your team members to share their work experience through Facebook posts or LinkedIn posts, this way you can improve your social media presence too. As per an article published in Forbes, many employees shy away from speaking in front of peers with a fear of being judged or mistreated.
As a leader, you need to create an environment where people are not afraid to speak their minds.
You can arrange fun in-person and online activities to create an amicable atmosphere. A lighter mood during fun times gives the team an opportunity to open up, create a little friendly competition and improve camaraderie.
People who withhold information do not set a good example for others. Even if the information being withheld would negatively affect team morale, it results in distrust and a non-transparent work environment. A good manager leads by example, and always encouraging others to speak their mind will inspire all team members to do the same.
Appreciating those who are already acting to create a transparent work culture is also important. Opening acknowledge an employee’s efforts to promote team transparency and highlight the tangible benefits that resulted will motivate other team members to do the same. As approval and praise are some of the most effective motivational tools, you can use them to promote team transparency.
Routine “Ask Me Anything” Sessions Encourage Team Transparency
Whether it’s your colleagues or subordinates, everyone needs space and opportunity to share their thoughts or express their doubts and concerns about projects or other matters. Most of the time, such questions or suggestions never have the opportunity to be discussed openly. A good manager would ensure that they are always available to listen and answer.
In large organizations, many team members never even get a chance to get acquainted with others, a problem also experienced by remote work teams. Holding frequent Q&A sessions open up a gateway for employees who would like to know you. Even small or new businesses can use this employee management technique to attain transparency within the team.
Holding sessions where your team members can ask you any open-ended question, encourage them to express their thoughts and find proper answers is a highly effective way to promote team transparency. It also shows that you as a leader are not afraid to disclose important information. Team members feel more confident and become more productive when they are assured of transparent communication.
Open Communication Channels
In the quest to encourage team transparency, it is also important to empower them with tools to do so. Using work management software like Monday, Slack, Basecamp, email clients, and other apps , facilitates quick and easy communication, even among teams working remotely or in a hybrid working model. Make sure to keep an open channel for the entire team so that the whole department remains updated about the latest developments .
When your team knows that everyone is easily reachable when required, it relieves them of unnecessary stress and anxiety. With such open communication, they are also motivated to work openly, and will have a better chance of achieving important business goals.
Easy Access of Information for All
In some large-sized organizations, information disclosure is limited on the basis of seniority or rank. While it may actually be important to keep certain details confidential, a certain level of information can be divulged within the team so that they are aware of the general direction of the company and feel a sense of the role they play. It might be at a leader’s discretion to choose what information to disclose and what to keep confidential, but care must be taken to do so in a way that does not lead to animosity.
At times, employees need access to information to do their jobs. For this, they are required to check with their peers. Almost every CRM software is equipped with programs that restrict some information set based on the employee’s position. You can create a system where relevant information is available to all your team members easily. It shows that you trust every team member with open information availability.
Sharing the information without compromising confidentiality is possible if you have a transparent work culture. Your team trusts you to share the information with them, and in return, you can expect a better level of loyalty from them.
Active Involvement of Your Team in Decision Making
Decision making can no longer be the prerogative of a single boss or leader in a modern workplace based on team transparency. If you strongly believe in a transparent work environment, you must encourage your team to participate in the decision-making process.
There are numerous ways through which you can involve your team in decision-making. For example, you can hold polls to get the inputs from your team. You can also have a brainstorming session to help you make a collaborative decision. Not only will you inspire team transparency, but you will also make a better decision after considering diverse viewpoints.
It shows that you are not afraid to consider their suggestions and are ready to discuss them openly. Active employee engagement in the decision-making process also improves their overall performance. Your team would realize that you will not keep them in the dark regarding important decisions.
For leaders wondering how to encourage team transparency, this is a very important step. If you set a good example yourself, others are likely to follow in your footsteps. Show them that you are a transparent leader and you can expect the same level of openness from your team.
Make Your Team More Responsible and Accountable
You can save a lot of time and enhance productivity if you show the confidence to give your team members more responsibility. Moreover, it encourages them to be more transparent because, with increased responsibility, you also imply increased accountability.
Employees pride themselves when they are entrusted with important work. As per hbr, employees who feel respected are more loyal to their companies. They want to feel responsible for something important as it gives them a feeling of being an integral member of your team. Giving them more responsibilities demonstrates that you have confidence in them. It encourages them to be more open about their tasks, as they will be accountable for its success.
Disclose Results Openly
Employees really appreciate openness when it comes to learning the results of their work. After all, it is their efforts that resulted in the outcome. Leaders are open when sharing their initial plans and targets, so why not when sharing the results?
It is important that you share such figures or results openly, even if the outcome was not exactly as desired.. The most important thing is that you do not keep the information confidential.
When you disclose the results openly, it shows that you transparently address the team. It also means that you would give open credit to their efforts and which is likely to enhance their job satisfaction. This gives them an opportunity to work harder as a team which is only possible with the transparent work culture.
Final Thoughts
The success of the organization can be attributed majorly to its employees. If your team is happy and confident, they can help your businesses reach greater heights. Promoting team transparency leads to content and a poised workforce, and their combined efforts attract success.
Our write-up focused on various tips and techniques that address how to encourage team transparency. Based on your existing work environment, you can choose the methods that you find suitable, put them into practice and work together towards increased transparency within your team.
