By David Harder on June, 6, 2017

Can Anyone Get Away With It?

There is one common theme in the news this morning – our reaction to the new transparency. Individuals, political and business leaders, most everyone is adjusting to a new reality and a new idea:

Everyone can see you.

My readers know that I support people with their work and organizations on being great places to work. Today’s savvy employment candidate knows more about the hiring manager than many of the employees. They know whether the green initiative is real or fake. They know why the last person left and often what they were making. I tell organizations that if they want to have an engaged environment, make the place fully transparent because guess what? It already is. If the CEO has something to hide, eventually everyone will know that.

When it comes to transparency, we can’t have our cake and eat it to because there is no longer any cake. Eventually, whatever someone is trying to hide, if there is any compelling reason for the world to hear it, word will get out. Those who believe in an alternative now have to explain the embarrassing remnants of icing + cake crumbs on their lips.

The government watches all of us but arrests someone for leaking documents. Harvard rescinds several acceptances because kids post racist rants on FB & Twitter. Our nation is privy to the early morning musings of a President without the benefit of filters. Democrat or Republican, American or Russian, CEO or service rep, if we have something to hide and it is important, it will come out.

It took years to bring down a political figure in the 70’s, now it could take months. We used to lock secrets in a file; now it is in the cloud, on “personal” computers, and we don’t have one person meeting a reporter in a parking garage, we literally have hundreds of leaks pouring in like flood waters. Whatever the motive, whether it is covering one’s ass or acting in the public interest? The trail is there.

We need leaders with nothing to hide.

Will there be payoffs when we adjust to a fully transparent world?

Organizations that adopt full transparency encounter a new freedom and an entirely new way to support engagement. And, eventually, transparency will be required if they hope to get any good talent at all.

It is healthier to live as if we have nothing to hide. We stop casting shadows.

In the end, this is progress! Transparency is good.

But man, we have some adjusting to do.

Brought to you by David Harder, President – Inspired Work, Inc.

P: (310) 277-4850 / E: david@inspiredworkservices.com