In the last year, I have been getting to know my clients and they have been getting to know me. Those that I have been working with for a while, know they can be totally honest with me about their worries, fears and concerns or about what really happened, and they wont be judged! Rather than the version of events that I am sometimes given which I know is possibly not quite what really happened!  With my clients who are really honest with me, I feel that I owe them that honesty in return.

This sometimes means that we don’t always feel comfortable having these discussions, or agree with each other, but we will talk things through and come to an agreement about how to tackle a particular issue or problem that works for us both and that we are both comfortable with.

Now, I want you to ask yourself if honesty is the same as transparency?

Honesty is defined as, “truthfulness, sincerity or frankness. Freedom from deceit or fraud”. Oxford Dictionary.

Transparency is defined as “an honest way of doing things that allows others to know exactly what you are doing and why”. Macmillan Dictionary

I think there are pretty similar. However, I feel it’s become a bit of a buzz word and a bit of a cop out! A lot of my clients talk to me about being transparent with their employees, and what they really mean is they want to be honest with their employees. I get frustrated by this when the reality is far from the truth!

This phrase is becoming over-used and is even becoming a core value of so many organisations, yet they struggle to have what I consider to be honest and frank conversations with their employees about how they are doing in their roles, why they haven’t got that promotion or pay rise or just why the company won’t be having a bonus this year.

If you want to be transparent, then mean it, live it, do it and follow in the footsteps of Rand Fishkin, the CEO of software company; MOZ who publishes his own appraisal on line. In his last appraisal he was told and I quote; “you need to work harder on your communication, coping with disappointment and your strategic thinking. “ Now there’s a frank and honest bit of feedback, or is it transparent?!

Want to work with someone who is honest and transparent and who can help you to create this culture within your business? Then get in touch with me today.