Transformational Leadership: Why Consistent Transparency Matters

Playing hide the ball with my shelties was always a fun pastime. Try as I might to hide it in the hardest place I could find, they would always discover the location of the ball. The game was fun for them and a delight for me to watch their investigative sniffing at work. 

But when it comes to the workplace and inspiring a workforce to accomplish objectives it is a different story. Playing hide the ball with verifiable news, updates and important information with employees breeds distrust. Can you feel the frustration temperature is rising today? People are fed up with command and control, lack of transparency and disrespecting employees’ privacy and civil liberties.  Thus, there is a sinking feeling of something called the “great resignation” that is on the horizon for organizations worldwide.    

Consistent transparency matters and urgently so. Savvy leaders can learn from the mistakes we observe happening in society today: 

1. Lack of verifiable, truthful, or uncompromised information 

Where there is a lack of verifiable, truthful, or uncompromised information people will draw their own conclusions, like it or not. It is also important that the information given out as “fact” is backed not just by one source, but verifiable through different unrelated and uncompromised sources. People are asking questions and will do their own research as they should. If the information given out does not measure up and can be honestly explained then trust will remain elusive.

2. Controlling or restricting the content people see

Multiple surveys prove that the majority of the US population does not trust the media, and this includes social networks. Trying to restrict what people see especially while not satisfactorily providing verifiable information as mentioned in the point above breeds not just distrust, but absolute disgust. This industry is ripe for disruption like we’ve never seen before. 

3. “Just trust me and do as you’re told”

The “just trust me and do as your told” response, indicates a lack of respect in the eyes of hardworking employees and the population in general.  People won’t just trust because they are told to especially now post pandemic. In fact, the opposite is true, and distrust will only get deeper in this scenario. 

4. Threatening employees

Threatening employees to do something they are not comfortable with or face getting fired is a way to accelerate the “great resignation” for your organization. Look at the Hospital in Texas who required their employees to get the COVID vaccine or be fired. That decision resulted in 150+ sudden position vacancies through resignations or terminations. For an industry that is already facing a workforce shortage they no doubt will have to rely on high expense contract labor to take care of patients. That is a multi-million dollar hit to the bottom line. Not to mention a potential derailment of quality of care and positive patient experience. 

5. “Do as I say and not as I do” 

The “do as I say and not as I do,” has always been a bad manager trick. Leading by example is a gold standard best practice. 

6. “The Lady doth protest too much methinks”

Blocking or complaining about information gathering, sharing, auditing, investigating only serves to raise eyebrows. The phrase from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” applies to modern day trust ailments. When I investigate workplace complaints and observe managers attempts to interfere or block the process of uncovering the truth, only serves to bring about more questions. Questions that simply will not go away and compound over time. 

7. Innovative cultures at risk

Getting rid of or shutting down truth tellers breeds only more questions and distrust. Leadership credibility is in dire risk if engaged in this unfortunate practice. Innovation depends on environments where it’s safe to speak up with differing opinions. Cancel culture or practices like that mentioned in the point above, threatens innovative or creative culture to thrive. Creative problem solving is at risk and ushering in toxic behaviors and cultures is inevitable. There are only healthy growing or toxic cultures, there is no, in between. 

Businesses and leaders that embrace consistent transparency and respect employees’ civil liberty rights will win over talent shortages. If leaders have lost ground with employee engagement and trust it’s not too late to regroup and re-energize your workplace. But leaders have to be willing to engage themselves and regenerate above and beyond their own crisis fatigue. Leaders must envision a better day and commit to a better way. 

To start on the path of rebuilding organizational trust start by utilizing this self-assessment checklist: 

1. Talk straight – drop the corporate speak and relate to one another human to human
2. Demonstrate respect – this goes without saying
3. Create transparency – make it safe to speak up and even when you are not in the room
4. Right the wrongs – no matter how painful righting the wrongs goes a long way towards trust building
5. Show loyalty - when faced with financial strain do everything you can to save jobs
6. Consistency – uncover and arrest inconsistent practices
7. Confront reality – uncover head burying in the sand responses to crisis or issues
8. Clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations – do this repeatedly if necessary
9. Active listening – It’s time to put the smart devices down when people are talking
10. Keep commitments and promises – even if they weren’t your own promises made

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Tresha Moreland

Tresha Moreland is a 30-year organizational effectiveness and strategic workforce planning expert. She partners with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results. She has held key organizational leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Tresha is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC (www.hrcsuite.com). HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results. She has received a master’s degree in human resource management (MS) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification. She is also recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.

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