{"id":4892,"date":"2020-09-09T09:48:21","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T13:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=4892"},"modified":"2020-09-09T14:01:07","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T18:01:07","slug":"elevating-team-transparency-builds-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=4892","title":{"rendered":"Elevating Team Transparency Builds Trust"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Do you work on a team where both leaders and colleagues hide their true intentions? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The outcome of hidden agendas is distrust and inertia, as goals become guesswork and the fear of making a mistake increases.<\/p>\n

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Last week, as part of our Zoom Lunch & Learn members of our Trust Alliance convened to discuss the topic of team trust, transparency & hidden agendas. We addressed four questions during the hour:<\/p>\n

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  1. How do you define the role of transparency in the context of a team? (We define it as follows: We reject hidden agendas. We are transparent wherever and whenever possible.)<\/li>\n
  2. What causes hidden agendas?<\/li>\n
  3. How can transparency be elevated within a team?<\/li>\n
  4. Why is transparency frequently cited as the main cause of low trust, even though it is not?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What did our Trust Alliance members have to say about Question #3? How can transparency be elevated within a team?<\/p>\n

    The following were some of the key take aways:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    1. Both leadership and team transparency “rules” must be clear with no ambiguity.<\/li>\n
    2. Lack of rules around transparency creates a lack of respect, often leading to either acquiescence or a challenge to decision making.<\/li>\n
    3. Heightened transparency keeps team members more honest, efficient, innovative and collaborative.<\/li>\n
    4. Have a policy of openness (not to be confused with transparency.) Always share as much as you can.<\/li>\n
    5. Avoid lumping other trust busting behaviors into the transparency category. Know how to identify them and address them separately.<\/li>\n
    6. Uncomfortable conversations are okay. People are resilient and able to absorb negative news.<\/li>\n
    7. Elevating interpersonal skills like listening enhances transparency.<\/li>\n
    8. Complaints and their resolutions should be shared with employees.<\/li>\n
    9. Cowardice in some industries allows leaders to hide behind regulations as an excuse for lack of transparency.<\/li>\n
    10. Addressing transparency issues in family businesses requires a different skill set.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      A final comment:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      While courageous and empowered cultures have fewer transparency challenges, transparency alone won’t get a team to the trust “finish line.” In fact, transparency is only 1 of 12 behaviors that elevate trust in teams and organizations. And in the many organizations we have surveyed, transparency is not the #1 cause of low trust. To find out what is, spend 1 minute answering this question<\/a> and see the results from over 500 respondents.<\/p>\n

      For more information on how to assess the level of trust on your team or in your organization Tap into Trust<\/a> and access our simple survey tools<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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      To participate in future Lunch & Learns, apply to join our vetted Trust Alliance<\/a>. Our next session<\/a> is September 23.<\/div>\n
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      Thank you to Bart Alexander, David Belden, Natalie Doyle Oldfield, Charlie Green, Nadine Hack, Olivia Mathijsen and Bob Whipple for your insights. Until next time!<\/div>\n
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      Copyright 2020, Next Decade, Inc.<\/div>\n
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