Through the years there have been catchy business phrases around customer service, transformation, and transparency. These terms are straight forward, but for many reasons difficult to pull off. 

Globalstar’s focus is on candid communication and transparency, which starts at the top. When senior leadership is open, honest, and candid, the organization tends to culturally embody their lead, and becomes more open and transparent as a result. The key is for leaders to consistently walk their talk and remain open and receptive to any and all feedback from within the organization.

I’ve witnessed many a leader through the years who has forgotten where they came from. No one starts at the top. Experience comes from time and effort, as well as good and bad decisions along the way. When someone’s ego gets the best of them and they forget that they once walked in the shoes of those they now lead, they have lost sight of what’s important. I call this curious occurrence, “Reading their own headlines…” They have “arrived,” but can no longer relate to what they consider the little people—the people who are the fabric that holds an organization together. These type of leaders tend to move further and further away from what they once believed in, and are now closed off from the pulse of what makes a business grow. It’s people. Product and company are important, but people are by far the most important asset of a business entity. 

I see these same companies with marketing campaigns that talk about their organizational transparency, but then when you interact with them, you realize that the right and left hand are not communicating with one another. Sometimes it may be a case where senior leadership is only sharing what they consider “real information” with other senior leaders, and then deliver a different message to the troops. Basically, the troops become the mushrooms. 

The problem with this organizational structure is that your client-facing, field personnel become ill informed. Therefore, they lack accurate information, and are put at a disadvantage. As a result, frustration, disillusionment, and distrust kicks-in. This is not only felt by the employee, but also the end customer. The key is to create a culture where 97% of all information is non-proprietary, and flows openly throughout the organization, and in a timely manner. The more informed your people are, the more effective, dedicated, and happier they will be. But this takes confident leadership and someone who is secure within their own skin and about the greater good of everyone involved. That is true leadership!