There is what I refer to as In Vogue messaging in the business world. You know, catchy phraseology that is intentionally used to market both internally and externally. For example, back in the day, “Customer Service” was promoted in every conceivable form. You’d see customer service prominently displayed on mission statements and advertising of all sorts. You’d also hear companies touting customer service on the radio, TV, and from every salesperson you had the pleasure of interacting with. The problem was companies rarely lived up to the most basic principles in the way of customer service. It’s as if they didn’t understand the concept, felt it was unnecessary, or worst of all thought they were delivering great service but weren’t even close.
Even though Customer Service is no longer In Vogue per se, it’s still huge in relation to the experience we have related to business transactions. Nowadays, we have In Vogue words like “Transformation, Transformative, and Transparency. All having “Trans” as a prefix, which means across one language or understanding to another. My focus in this write up is on Transparency, which is the process of being open, honest, and straightforward about various company operations. Like customer service, Transparency is frequently talked about and promoted, but rarely do you see organizations operate in a transparent manner.
There are many reasons why Transparency is more of a pipe dream than a reality, and it all starts at the top within an organization. I’ve always felt that roughly 97% of what happens within an organization should be transparent and open intracompany. There are some items that should stay within those company walls, for competitive reasons, but not many. Leaders who operate in a less than transparent manner are NOT leveraging the power of their team members or their customers and partner base. Transparency breeds trust and confidence.
Think about it. If you have nothing to hide, then why not openly discuss what matters internal and external to your organization. To lead in a transparent manner requires staying strong and steady when lesser-resolved leaders are running for cover. It follows that running a business transparently requires highly secure individuals in key positions. None of this “Every man, woman, and child” for themselves stuff, where at the first sign of trouble, people shutdown and become secretive in the way they operate. The thing is people know if your organization is walking what you are talking in an integrity-based manner. At Globalstar, we are all about Transparency and always have been. We feel it gives us a leg up as an organization, because the right and left hand know what the other is doing, all the time. This type of lock step synergy allows for exceptional collectiveness that Team members, Clients, and Partners appreciate. There are no surprises because everyone is transparently on the same page.
