Concluding this series of five articles that comprise our first Management Development Series: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Employees, we present Building Fairness and Trust Through Transparency. If you’ve reached this article before reading its companion articles, Crafting Precise and Attainable Goals & Cultivating a Feedback-Driven Culture & Recognizing and Rewarding Exemplary Contributions, & Constructively Communicating with Underperforming Employees, take a few moments to go back through these previous features before reading our final article and series conclusion.
Fairness, Trust, and Transparency can be viewed as the trifecta of organizational harmony. In any organization or society, the glue that binds relationships, ensures collaboration, and leads to success is often an intricate interplay among fairness, trust, and transparency. But which comes first and how do they interact?
Fairness is the starting point. Imagine the world as a vast playing field. For any game to proceed, rules are essential. These rules ensure that every participant knows what’s expected and has an equal chance to succeed. This is the essence of fairness—a level playing field where actions and decisions are meted out impartially, where everyone, irrespective of their position or background, is treated justly.
Trust emerges out of the practice of consistent fairness across the system. Once the rules of the game are established and consistently applied, players start to have confidence in the system. They believe that they’ll be treated right and expect the same for others. This sense of confidence is trust which results from repeated and predictable fairness. It’s the belief that, even when not directly observed, the rules will be upheld, and fairness will prevail. This is also referred to as organizational justice.
Transparency sets the stage for both fairness and trust and safeguards their existence within the organization’s structure and culture. But how do we ensure that fairness is consistent? How do we nurture and protect the trust that comes from it? Transparency ensures that decision-making processes governing fairness are visible to all, leaving no room for doubt or speculation. More so, it acts as a feedback loop, constantly refining the system, addressing concerns, and strengthening trust.
Organizations with a high level of fairness and trust, fostered by transparency, often witness better performance outcomes as employees are more engaged, motivated, and collaborative. Such organizations are more resilient in facing challenges, are agile in adapting to changes, and have a loyal workforce and customer base that can drive consistent growth.
Conclusion
Long-term organizational success is rooted in engaged, productive employees and the managers that lead them towards achieving shared goals that are strategically aligned with those of the organization. Ensuring those goals are precise and attainable, encouraging a feedback-rich environment, implementing a balanced recognition and rewards system, constructively communicating to encourage development, and using transparency to develop fairness and trust are key components of sustainable success.
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Written By,
Patrick Endicott
Patrick is the Executive Director of the Society for Advancement of Management, is driven by a deep commitment to innovation and sustainable business practices. With a rich background spanning over a decade in management, publications, and association leadership, Patrick has achieved notable success in launching and overseeing multiple organizations, earning acclaim for his forward-thinking guidance. Beyond his role in shaping the future of management, Patrick indulges his passion for theme parks and all things Star Wars in his downtime.