August 9, 2023
When business owners embrace transparency just for the sake of it, they might be stepping into risky waters they didn’t expect.
Sure, sharing certain behind-the-scenes deets of your business can foster a sense of unity among your team, but it’s a double-edged sword. It might make them feel part of a grander vision, yet it also has the potential to trigger unwarranted panic, pushing you into damage control mode.
Picture this: you’re managing a creative team within your company, and you think, “Hey, let’s share that email thread discussing our project challenges and feedback.” It sounds like a great way to promote openness, right? But things don’t go exactly as planned.
Instead of giving everyone the full behind-the-scenes scoop, this well-intentioned move unintentionally can create a bit of a rough patch. It’s like a game of telephone where wires get crossed, and suddenly someone feels like they got thrown under the bus.
The friendly vibe among team members might take a little hit. They might start second-guessing sharing ideas or thoughts, worried they’ll end up in the spotlight too. Because let’s be real, who wants their creative work on display without the proper setup?
This type of transparency can hinder collaboration and creativity within the team, ultimately hampering productivity, trust, and the quality of work produced. Not the goal.
A Better Approach to Transparency
In this scenario, a better approach to transparency would be to consider why you’re sharing that email thread:
🤔 Is sharing that level of detail really necessary to convey your message?
🤔 Is there relevant information that can be shared with your team in other ways, without exposing a team member’s critiques and feedback?
🤔 Can you address project challenges without attaching them to one specific person’s work product?
Being intentional about how and why you’re being transparent, instead of sharing for the sake of sharing, will help maintain a positive team dynamic and drive your business forward.
Intentional Transparency in Action
On this week’s episode of The Up & Up, SEO duo Andrea Barnhill and Tyler Cooper join the podcast and share how they’ve worked hard to use transparency – between themselves and their team – to their advantage.
They share a lot with their team (eh ehm, ever heard of open accounting?) but they do it with specific intentions. And that’s what makes all the difference.
Andrea and Tyler are the Co-Founders of Socratrik, an SEO Agency that helps small and large businesses get found on Google. With 15+ years of SEO and digital marketing experience, their team helps businesses get ahead of the industry-unique SEO challenges, and helps them stay there.
Andrea, Tyler, & Kira cover:
☀️What it takes to successfully run a business as a partnership;
☀️Building a team when your business has a lot of moving parts;
☀️Why working in an echo chamber isn’t helpful for your business;
☀️How and when to be transparent with your team;
☀️What small steps you can take right now to start improving your SEO;
☀️How you know your business might be ready to invest in an SEO strategy;
☀️SEO scams that can actually put your website in jeopardy.
Tune into The Up & Up as we dive into business partnerships, embracing transparency, and getting found on the internet!
Listen Now!
Links Mentioned
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