Its critically important to transparent in you decision making process. a It’s about
providing context and clarity which promotes understanding. A quote that has
stuck with me since one of the first classes within this degree program is
provided by Newstrom (2015) when he says, “communication is what the
receiver understands, not what the sender says” (p.54). This background
information provides the foundation to understand the entire story behind a
decision or action. This not only gives greater meaning but also demonstrates
to the personnel affect that they have value as a person and not just a number
in the organizational machine. Giving this personal value promotes trust
through understanding. Trust is paramount to relationship building which
ultimately is needed for effective two-way communication. a As explained by
Reina and Reina (2015), “when information is shared, people develop clarity
they need to do their best work, extend information to other in good faith, and
enjoy the blossoming of collaborative relationships” (p.47).
One example that quickly comes to mind at least in my work environment, are
critical real time decisions that need to be made by a supervisor without the
benefit of group debate or time for reflection. As a supervisor, post-incident it’s
so important to give a group debrief and during this time you can provide the
context of your decision-making process. It can greatly reduce tension if there
was disagreement with the decision as with most, its never a simple yes or no
but a balancing of many factors.
Leaders may discussion information whether it directly or indirectly affect
employees. It is obvious that all details will be discussed amongst other leaders.
The information may not reach the employees depending on what the subject
is but most information that will directly impact employees should be disclosed.
I have always been a fan of having open communication, even as a previous
supervisor. The employees that I supervised directly seemed to trust me with
guiding them both professionally and personally. When you have employees
that share their personal world and trust that you take their information with
the upmost respect, is a win-win. According to Chron, 2023, the more open
leaders are with their employees, the more the employees will feel a sense of
purpose and connection. The employees will also feel engaged, inspired, and
motivated. (Chron, 2023)
transparency is very important to have within your organization and with your
employees. I think sometimes there are certain things that don’t need to be
shared that may cause unnecessary stress if something is not likely to happen.
However, I believe and have experienced that transparency leads to greater
trust, connection to the company, and likely talent retention. Transparency can
increase the likelihood of a more collaborative workplace and feeling of being
able to count on coworkers and also to be responsible for your impact on the
organization (Reina & Reina, 2015). I agree that it is important for leaders to be
transparent on specific tasks and projects because this can help employees
understand how their work directly impacts company goals and see why their
work matter. It can also put employees at ease to understand why certain
things are asked of them and why it is important to do things a certain way.
Even if employees are not directly impacted knowing what is going on at the
leadership level can create a sense of trust and create an open environment
where one wants to work and dedicate their time to. Explaining decision
making can also prevent employees from assuming anything and jumping to
negative conclusions about why certain things are occurring.
Reina, D., Reina, M. (2015). Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace : Building
Effective Relationships in Your Organization: Vol. Third edition, revised and
updated. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
https://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?d
irect=true&db=nlebk&AN=846281&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_45 a
Chron (2023) Communication and Leadership in the Workplace.
Retrieved from: a https://work.chron.com/impactful-manager-10006.html
Dennis Reina PhD, & Michelle Reina PhD. (2015). Trust and Betrayal in the
Workplace : Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization: Vol. Third
edition, revised and updated. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Newstrom, J. (2015). a Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. 14e.
McGraw-Hill. VitalSource Bookshelf. a a a a
