3 Effective Ways to Create Workplace Transparency

How can you make sure your employees are engaged, productive and aligned with your company’s objectives? It’s all about good communication. Here are three easy ways to shift your workplace culture toward openness and transparency.

1. Sometimes You Win, and Sometimes You Learn

Whether your business closed its largest deal to-date, or your biggest legacy client just churned, it’s important to acknowledge these milestones as a team. Share your company updates in real time — and in person, if you can. Invite your team to ask questions or provide feedback openly. If you only celebrate wins or dwell on mistakes, you’re only showing your employees one side of the coin. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn, and a common understanding of the team’s successes and challenges will shape how your employees approach projects going forward.

2. Empower Employees to Take the Stage

Many businesses host regular companywide meetings or Town Halls, and they’re a great opportunity to share strategy and budget updates, discuss commitments to policies, address concerns or raise any other topics that apply to the team at large.

Typically, executives and senior management will lead these meetings — but have you thought about featuring employees who’ve worked on key projects or have expertise in a particular area of the business? Hearing from a peer in another department is a great way to learn about their day-to-day work, and other efforts you might not be aware of.

By empowering your employees to take the stage and present certain updates to their colleagues, you also help create a more level playing field, where all team members have the opportunity to participate, as equals. They’ll be more invested in these types of company discussions, and an extra benefit here is a chance for your employees to practice their presentation skills.

3. Integrate Employees, Regardless of Rank

Relationship building, regardless of employee rank or title, is an important effort. For junior employees and senior executives alike, regular interaction can be enriching for both sides — it promotes open communication, idea-sharing and opportunities to learn from one another. Here are a few ideas:

• Establish an open-door policy — even for higher level executives, it’s important to show employees that you’re available, and that you welcome others to stop by and chat, even if it’s not work-related, and even if it’s for just part of your day.
• Plan regular team building activities to help your employees interact and get to know one another outside of the workplace. Volunteer opportunities, group fitness classes, or even just a team lunch every once in a while can help boost morale and improve your team’s communication.
• “Skip Level” meetings can be a great way to get junior employees and senior executives in a room together to share their points of view on current projects, pain points or new ideas.

These are just a few examples of how to create a more open and transparent work environment. Better communication across your organization can help improve your company culture, where top talent can thrive.