Working in different industries tend to portray the different aspects of business culture. While
working in the financial industry, money was a strong motivator, whether it was internally or
externally whereas hospitality led a culture focused more on the feelings of others, both internally
and externally. The biotechnology space and startup atmosphere are one of innovation and “go
with the flow” mentality as things are determined on a federal bases in certain cases. The
successes and failures tend to lay in the hands of FDA submissions or outperforming competition in
the space.
One of the common occurrences I have found regardless of industry is communication.
Transparency is the key to success, in my opinion. As mentioned in Trust and Betrayal in the
Workplace, when information is not shared people begin to feel left out or betrayed. Transparency
not only prevents bad behaviour it also promotes ambition. When trusted with important
information, employees are more likely to provide their best versions of themselves through their
work as well as speak their minds in times of concern. Many of my colleagues who began their
careers in public accounting have mentioned the lack of feeling a part of something. When working
on an engagement, there is a task at hand and once the task is complete, the engagement is over.
When working for a company rather than performing engagements such as audits or tax services,
an employee has something to work towards if they feel they are a part of something bigger. This
sense of pride also fosters loyalty, leading to longer tenures and better reputations for companies.
Working in the non-profit has taught me so many things about business and yet I feel that there is
so much more I need to understand in order to reach my career goals and align that growth with
my organizations mission and vision. A fundamental component of effective leadership is
communication transparency, which is also essential for creating a supportive and productive work
environment. a Transparency primarily promotes trust and gives a leader credibility amongst
organizations staff. a When an employee feels safe emotionally and financially, they are more open
to cooperate and support management with creating a culture of teamwork, sustainability, and
inclusiveness.
Lack of transparency by leaders can result in gaps in information needed for systems in place,
which can then cause assumptions, false information, and employee confusion. This will ultimately
affect supply and demand, create a toxic work environment, and bring employee morale down in
any field of work. A leader must share proactively for employees to have a strong understanding of
process and choices in order to make decisions on their own interests as well.
My name is Deb Hester. I am a single Mom of three living just north of Dallas. I have stayed at
home with my children for the past thirteen years. a When not chasing after the kids, I play
volleyball, hike, and tackle home improvement projects. a This is my last regular class with SNHU. a All
that is left is the Capstone. The countdown has begun to graduation. a My undergraduate degree is
in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting. a Before staying at home, I had fifteen
years of professional experience as a Staff Accountant, Internal Auditor, and Senior Accountant. a I
have recently decided to open my own bookkeeping business and just received the state LLC
approval certificate last fall. a I want to travel in three years when the last kid has flown the nest. a
Having a mobile career and making my own schedule will fit right in with my life balance goals.
Started working in a time when whole companies operated on a ‘need to know bases. a It drove me
nuts. a Directives would come down from the top and the workers in the trenches would come back
and say that it will not work because of A, B & C. a Sometimes it created more costs and more
inefficiency which frustrated those whose job was affected by it the most. a It festers into such an
‘us against them’ resentment between executive and non-executives and between departments.
Best efforts in creating a team atmosphere in both my home and office environment. a I believe one
of the cornerstones for that is to make sure everyone knows the goals, why we have those goals,
and what steps are needed to achieve them. a I believe in brainstorming with groups because
everyone can bring their experiences and perspectives. a “Trust of Communication helps you create
workplace relationships infused with positive energy, a sense of community, and shared purpose
(Reina, D. & Reina, M. 2015). a If team members understand ‘the why,’ and feel heard when they
give input, they are more motivated, productive, and loyal. a The one thing I do need to add to my
own tasks is follow up evaluations to identify any mistakes and make notes of what was successful
to use in the future.
Leaders should provide information about their activities and decision making because everyone is
a cog in the machine of a business or organization. a The cogs need information and reasons for
decisions, so they understand the what and why they are working. a Leaders may think they have a
grasp of what directly affects an employee or how an employee can contribute, but that is not
always true. a Case in point, we had a system integration meeting. a At the time, I was in the internal
audit department, but this integration did not affect the branches I worked with. a My manager
asked me to attend at the last second because she was not able to stay for the entire meeting, but
wanted to have one of us there. a Years previously, I had worked in the financial statement
accounting department and the customs accounts were my responsibility. a The room was filled with
about 30 people from various departments. The integration coordinator explained the issue. a I was
able to provide the solution for isolating certain types of transactions within the integration
because I knew how we tagged certain customs transactions to different accounts on the financials.
I remember how quiet the room got because they were surprised that someone who was not
affected by the issue (and was not a department manager) had the solution.
So, this story covers how it was good to get everyone together and share the goal and information
for the goal, it gave an opportunity for many different voices to be heard, and the solution came
from voice that probably was not supposed to be there in the first place. “When a manager takes
the time to evaluate, analyse and explain decisions, they also display thoughtfulness and
trustworthiness” (Indeed, 2022). a a This mindset creates a repour between everyone and closes the
‘us vs them’ divide.
References:
Indeed, Editorial Team, (2022, June 24). Why is Decision Making and Important Leadership Skill?.
Indeed.com. https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=db78b35b-
e0ea-4505-924a-
8de3fa4ee947%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=846281
&db=nlebk
Reina, D. & Reina, M. (2015). Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace: Building Effective Relationships in
Your Organization. Vol. Third edition, revised and updated. Barrett-Koehler Publishers.
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.
