Q11: transparency: what are you afraid of?

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postcard_11.jpgNo doubt most of us have heard about the web-wide transparency trend. When it works, it's great - a giant free focus group where positive feedback and innovative thinking flow. When it doesn't, your brand goes up in flames, fast. But when companies first adopt a transparent philosophy behind the relative safety of their firewalls, they can get the best of both worlds without getting burned.


Sure technology makes transparency possible, but launching wikis and blogs is the easy part. The biggest benefits of transparency, leveraging the hearts and minds of every employee, are realized when companies embrace a fundamental change in the way they think. They establish a culture of collaboration, and they nurture the belief that great ideas can come from anywhere within the organization.


Here's an example of how powerful internal transparency can be. While prepping for a big event, we worked with our clients to survey their 1500 employees on lots of subjects. As the results rolled in, we started to see some interesting patterns. We were getting all these really passionate, amazing answers - full of personality and integrity. We suggested using this material as fuel for a meeting opener video. Management was cool enough to go for it, warts and all. The results were impressive; 1500 people were kind of looking around saying: "Wow...I had no idea we were this smart, this cool, this dedicated."


The rewards that come from open and honest internal communication often yield far-reaching results. Think about it, when employees work in a transparent environment, it's likely they'll begin interacting with clients in similar ways...openly and collaboratively. These quality interactions create deeper customer relationships, and that generates brand loyalty.


It takes guts to be transparent, but without honesty employees and clients alike will see right through your messaging as nothing more than propaganda. Bottom line...before you implement the tools that make transparency possible, get real with your brand and with the people who have to make good on your brand's promise.

posted by: Mark Baltazar
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strategic communications planning
meetings & events
brand experiences
leadership development / employee engagement
learning & performance improvement
digital/social media
creative collateral
healthcare
media & entertainment
consumer
financial services
technology
hospitality
Questions Insights
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20Q questions | insights
written by Mark 06.01.07
Today we're launching a post card campaign called 20Q questions | insights. The campaign was born of conversations we have all the time...


20 Questions
Q14: can you put a price on a "Eureka" experience?
Q13: Short Answer: how do I rev up my site’s ranking on the top search engines?
Q13: Deeper Insights: How do I rev up my site's ranking on the top search engines?
Q12 - in an online world, has print lost its power?
Q11: transparency: what are you afraid of?
Q10: Short Answer: when does online video become must-see tv?
Q10: Deeper Insights: when does online video become must-see tv?
Q9: Short Answer: how do you make PowerPoint slides say more with less?
Q9: Deeper Insights: how do you make PowerPoint slides say more with less?
Q8: Short Answer: who owns your company’s story?
Q8: Deeper Insights: who owns your company's story?
Q7: Short Answer: are your emails “…zzzz” mails?
Q7: Deeper Insights: are your emails “…zzzz” mails?
Q6: Short Answer: how can we create learning experiences that stick?
Q6: Deeper Insights: how can we create learning experiences that stick?
Q5: Short Answer: when I make a small change to my website, why do I get a big invoice?
Q5: Deeper Insights: when I make a small change to my website, why do I get a big invoice?
Q4: Short Answer: what’s the most underrated tool for making your next meeting successful?
Q4: Deeper Insights: what’s the most underrated tool for making your next meeting successful?
Q3: Short Answer: parlez-vous 2.0?
Q3: Deeper Insights: parlez-vous 2.0?
Q1: Deeper Insights, Part 2
Q2: Short Answer: shhh...are you listening to what your customers aren’t saying?
Q2: Deeper Insights: shhh...are you listening to what your customers aren’t saying?
Q1: Short Answer: unlocking your brand's true potential
Q1: Deeper Insights: unlocking your brand's true potential
20Q questions | insights