How can you create a culture of openness and transparency to increase organizational commitment?

Organizational commitment is the degree to which employees identify with and support the goals and values of their organization. It is a key factor for enhancing performance, retention, and innovation. However, creating a culture of openness and transparency, where employees feel valued, respected, and informed, can be challenging for project leaders, especially in times of change and uncertainty. In this article, you will learn some practical tips on how to foster a culture of openness and transparency in your project team and organization, and how it can benefit your project outcomes and stakeholder relationships.

1 Why openness and transparency matter

Openness and transparency are essential for building trust, collaboration, and engagement in your project team and organization. When you are open and transparent, you communicate honestly and clearly, share relevant information and feedback, and invite diverse perspectives and input. This way, you create a positive and supportive work environment, where employees feel empowered, motivated, and aligned with the project vision and objectives. Openness and transparency also help you manage expectations, resolve conflicts, and address issues proactively, which can improve your project quality and delivery.

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Rida Batool
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Openness and transparency matters because it puts an employee at ease. They are not walking on egg-shells, hence the anxiety inducing 1:1s, company All-hands and announcements are put to part of the job and not an extra prepare yourself you are about to get slashed off. It also helps build trust and confidence in leadership. You are no longer questioning and suspecting all the time. You can genuinely focus on the work you are being hired for and get it done instead of having to worry so much about the rest of the dynamics.

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Diego Brito, Esp.

Audit | Management of indicators | Projects and Processes | Operational risk analysis
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Abertura são sinais que indicam propensão ao diálogo e feedback. Transparência é entender o problema como parte comum e por toda a sua percepção na mesa para resolver. Sem abertura não seria possível a transparência visto que, o temor de estar ultrapassando ou invadindo limites, que não foram definidos, pode desencadear a ocultação de informações relevante e por conseguinte afetar a tomada de decisão. Não há de ser falar em distinguir os dois ponto mas andam conjuntamente e são muito importantes para finalizarmos quaisquer projetos.

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Sandra Kienzle

E-commerce manager
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Mit gutem Beispiel vorangehen! Wenn man Offenheit und Transparenz erwartet, sollte man nicht selbst Informationen bewusst zurückhalten. Zudem ist es wichtig, sich der Einflussfaktoren wie Unternehmenskultur, Workload des Projektteams oder Betriebsklima bewusst zu sein.

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2 How to assess your current culture

Before you can improve your culture of openness and transparency, you need to understand your current situation and identify the gaps and opportunities. You can use various methods to assess your culture, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observations. You can ask questions such as: How often and how well do you communicate with your team and stakeholders? What information do you share and what do you withhold? How do you solicit and provide feedback? How do you handle disagreements and mistakes? How do you recognize and reward contributions? How do you involve and empower your team in decision making?

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Diego Brito, Esp.

Audit | Management of indicators | Projects and Processes | Operational risk analysis
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Cultura se mede com resultados. Resultados concretos onde há proatividade de todos e visão geral dos processos instalados. Há de se ver as medidas de controle se estão operando de forma autônoma e eficaz. Modo como podemos perceber as devidas formas de concretização da cultura. A qualidade das informações e exposição de erros com tratativas rápidas e eficientes é um exemplo claro de como a cultura está posicionada na dia a dia.

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3 How to set clear and consistent expectations

One of the first steps to create a culture of openness and transparency is to set clear and consistent expectations for yourself, your team, and your stakeholders. You can do this by defining and communicating the project scope, goals, roles, responsibilities, processes, and standards. You can also establish regular and frequent communication channels, such as meetings, reports, updates, or dashboards, to keep everyone informed and aligned. Moreover, you can create a feedback culture, where you encourage and welcome constructive feedback, both positive and negative, and act on it accordingly.

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Sandra Kienzle

E-commerce manager
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Hier lohnt ein Blick auf Agiles Arbeiten wie zum Beispiel dem Framework Scrum. Dort ist Offenheit einer von fünf zentralen Werten, nachdem die Teammitglieder arbeiten. Transparenz ist dagegen eine von drei empirischen Säulen. Transparenz sorgt unteranderem dafür, dass geleistete Arbeit im Team betrachtet und verbessert wird.

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Diego Brito, Esp.

Audit | Management of indicators | Projects and Processes | Operational risk analysis
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Feedbacks constantes e acompanhar resultados em sprints parciais nos dão uma boa noção do que precisa ser ajustado durante a jornada. É importante definir um foco principal para então definir prioridades e operacionalizar e retroalimentar o sistema de feedback. A cultura do erro deve ser monitorada de perto para que quaisquer erros sejam tratados como falha no processo e não falhas nas pessoas. Somente assim conseguimos ter consistência nas análises e entregas diárias.

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4 How to share information and knowledge

Another key aspect of creating a culture of openness and transparency is to share information and knowledge openly and effectively. You can do this by using various tools and platforms, such as wikis, blogs, newsletters, podcasts, or webinars, to disseminate relevant and timely information to your team and stakeholders. You can also create opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning, such as workshops, seminars, mentoring, or coaching, to enhance your team's skills and competencies. Furthermore, you can promote a culture of curiosity and innovation, where you encourage your team to ask questions, explore new ideas, and experiment with different solutions.

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Maria Laura Orellana

Founder at Parmonia Consultores | Getting the best of people and companies | Change & Transformation | Podcast Host | 1st Latin American Accredited Official Partner of Agile PeopleOps Framework™
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Taking things one step at a time is the best approach. First, we established our usual communication channels. Then, we asked each member which channel they preferred besides the formal wiki. We customized the communication channels for each team member. We also created a new one to share specific news. Also, we encourage each member to decide which tools they want to use for creating, developing and improving their FAST Goals and Wheel of Life. They decide to share their progress publicly, with a select group, or keep it private. We constantly ask for feedback to improve communication at all levels: peer-to-peer, company-client, personal-professional, leadership and team, providing room for new ideas and solutions.

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5 How to embrace diversity and inclusion

Creating a culture of openness and transparency also requires embracing diversity and inclusion in your project team and organization. You can do this by acknowledging and appreciating the different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and opinions of your team members and stakeholders. You can also foster a culture of respect and collaboration, where you listen actively, empathize, and support each other. Additionally, you can leverage the diversity of your team to generate creative and innovative solutions, and to adapt to changing needs and expectations.

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Rida Batool
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I definitely agree with this and to add to this, I believe showing and understanding diversity truly is a step further in empathizing as well. For example, women biologically are different and therefore female employees have days/months where their bodies are being affected whilst they are putting a brave face and coping with work as if everything is normal. These dialogues should be brought up and acknowledged that there is more. It will promote a healthy mental health and great work ethic.

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6 How to lead by example

Finally, creating a culture of openness and transparency depends largely on your leadership style and behavior. You can lead by example by demonstrating openness and transparency in your actions and interactions. You can do this by being authentic, honest, and vulnerable, and by admitting your mistakes and learning from them. You can also show trust and confidence in your team, and by delegating and empowering them to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Moreover, you can recognize and celebrate your team's achievements and contributions, and by providing them with growth and development opportunities.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you create a culture of openness and transparency to increase organizational commitment?

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1 Why openness and transparency matter

2 How to assess your current culture

3 How to set clear and consistent expectations

4 How to share information and knowledge

5 How to embrace diversity and inclusion

6 How to lead by example

7 Here’s what else to consider

Project Leadership

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How can you create a culture of openness and transparency to increase organizational commitment?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Why openness and transparency matter

2 How to assess your current culture

3 How to set clear and consistent expectations

4 How to share information and knowledge

5 How to embrace diversity and inclusion

6 How to lead by example

7 Here’s what else to consider

Project Leadership

Rate this article

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