Creating a culture of trust
One of my CEO leadership coaching clients naturally has a very participatory coaching leadership style. However, in this difficult economic climate he made the strategic decision to be much more directive with the members of his senior leadership team. He was very transparent with the members of his senior team that he was going to be much tougher on them to get through this difficult economic period. He needed to instill a sense of urgency.
The CEO also needed to make it clear to his senior leaders that they would be responsible for removing any roadblocks that impeded employee performance. He inspired confidence by being open about his intention and answering each and every question.
The CEO needed to involve his people emotionally without instilling fear. The culture of the company needed to maintain its ‘fun and playful atmosphere in which people could be optimally productive’.
7 steps to transparency
Warren Bennis and James O’Toole offer seven steps to developing a culture of transparency in your organization:
1. Tell the truth
While this is the most obvious step, it is also fraught with nuance. Each of us has the urge to tell others what they want to hear. Instead, keep it simple and honest. Leaders who are sincere and predictable tell everyone the same thing and don’t need to check their stories.
Consistency and truthfulness indicate that the rules of the game are the same for everyone and that decisions will not be made arbitrarily. When people feel confident about this, they are more willing to take risks, go the extra mile, and help leaders achieve their goals.
2. Encourage people to tell the truth to power
It’s never easy for us to be honest with our bosses. It takes courage to speak up as it carries risk. But encouraging people to share their honest opinions is critical if leaders want to build trust and open communication. Of course, this sometimes means that executives will hear unpleasant information.
How you ask the questions is paramount. If you don’t ask crucial questions of your people in a way that encourages openness and candor, you will never discover the truth.
How you respond, if you can keep an open mind and a clear head, is vital. Trust is a symbiotic relationship. Leaders must first trust each other before the favor is returned.
3. Reward opponents
How easy is it for people to challenge the assumptions of the company and the leaders in your organization? If you make it acceptable, are willing to listen to opposing points of view, and promise to consider the merits of others’ arguments, it paves the way for a culture of transparency.
Your company won’t innovate successfully if you refuse to acknowledge and challenge your own assumptions. Find colleagues who tend to be opposed, listen to them carefully, and create the conditions to think differently. “Thinking outside the box” should have a pragmatic meaning, even if the catchphrase is used too frighteningly.
4. Practice having unpleasant conversations.
Few people stand out for offering negative feedback during performance reviews. Giving negative feedback upward to the boss is even more challenging, and that’s why it rarely happens. There is no way to make negative comments fun for either the bearer or the recipient.
The best leaders learn to deliver bad news with kindness so that people don’t get hurt unnecessarily. It’s certainly not easy, unless practice opportunities are provided. Training and practice can help people learn to offer constructive feedback.
5. Diversify sources of information
Journalists and anthropologists know that if you want to truly understand a culture, you must speak to a variety of sources that have different biases. Everyone is prejudiced, no exceptions! – and everyone has an opinion. Communicate regularly with different groups of colleagues, workers, clients, and even competitors to gain a nuanced and multifaceted understanding of the perceptions of others.
6. Admitted errors
Sincerity is contagious. When you admit your shortcomings or mistakes, you pave the way for others to do the same. Simple admissions can disarm critics and encourage others to be transparent as well.
7. Generate organizational support for transparency
Protect whistleblowers, but don’t stop there. Other rules and sanctions should encourage the expression of the truth, including open door policies, ethics training, and internal blogs that give a voice to people lower in the hierarchy.
Executives are selected more often for their success in competition with their peers than for their proven teamwork. Therefore, they are not usually willing to listen to opponents or share information freely. This requires a different mindset.
Do you work in a company or law firm where leadership creates an environment of trust and transparency? Does your company or law firm provide leadership training and development to help leadership develop open communication and trust? Leaders must model openness so that followers are fully engaged.
One of the most powerful questions to ask yourself is “Do I lead by being transparent and trusting others?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive training and leadership development for leaders who want to be more transparent in their communications, thereby developing trust.
Working with an experienced executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments like Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you be more open and transparent, increasing the level of trust in your organization. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, inspiring people to fully commit to the vision and mission of your company or law firm.
