Transparency builds trust. When an organization is transparent with employees on key aspects of the company roadmap – the goals, the performance, and key objectives – they create an atmosphere in which trust develops. Trust leads to a higher level of employee engagement and productivity. Here are 3 innovative ways that you can build a more transparent organization:
- Posting/sharing minutes from executive meetings
Yes – we understand that some information just can’t be shared for legal reasons. We’re not suggesting you tell everyone about that confidential merger or acquisition that your company is investigating, but there is some information that can – and should – be shared. Financial results, market share, or customer satisfaction results are aspects of the business that everyone contributes to. These are key markers that you want people to be talking about. Not only will talking about these make them top of mind for everyone, sharing this information will go a long way in building a more trusting and transparent organization.
- Open Employee Suggestion Box
Company feedback from outside sites like Glassdoor can quickly reach thousands of people. Some organizations have been willing to share this feedback and to respond to it directly either on their own intranet, or via social media channels like Facebook or YouTube. It signals to clients and to employees that the company is open with the public about their feedback process.
Using a tool like Soapbox, is a great way to automate your internal employee feedback process. Soapbox allows employees to submit ideas online; or vote on other employee suggestions. This puts the opportunity to provide feedback directly into the hands of individual employees – there is no more waiting for the front line employee to say something to their manager, who then takes it to their manager.
Built-in criteria can help companies screen and evaluate each idea, then update the status and follow-up with the employees via online newsletters, on any action taken. This completely transparent process allows all employees to see the evaluation and response process – from anywhere in the organization.
- Consistent company updates
Consistent, regular company updates helps to set expectations with everyone across the organization. A public schedule for updates provides a good foundation for building trust. When employees know that every quarter there will be an update, you can often cut the rumour mill off at the pass – and minimize the need to make assumptions. This allows an open forum for employees to ask questions or address any concerns they many have for the executives. Trust develops most easily when individuals know what to expect.
How are you doing?
Do you know how your organization measures up, when it comes to trust?
It’s difficult to know if you’ve improved in an area, unless you can measure it. The Trust Index is one of the key measures in the Great Place to Work survey. It is a great tool to use to gauge the level of trust within your organization. As an independent organization, they can provide you with an unbiased result, as well as allow you to benchmark your company against other top employers in the market – or even your competition.
Productive organizations work to keep everyone moving towards shared goals. In a more transparent organization, employees have a clear picture of what those shared goals are. Building trust, therefore, leads to increased engagement and higher productivity.