03: Work in the open
Working in the open builds trust, a prerequisite for high-performance teams. Working in the open turns bottom-to-top information funneling into autonomy-enabling information sharing. Working in the open keeps stakeholders and adjacent teams up to speed without asks and interruptions.
The theory
Everyone wants to build high-performing teams or be part of a high-performing team. One of the fundamental requirements of high performing teams is trust. You simply can’t get the former without the latter. How do you build trust amongst a group of people who don’t work together directly and might not ever meet face-to-face? By building a culture of transparency, where everyone works in the open.
Working in the open stops “what is that person/team even doing?” in its tracks, promotes natural accountability, builds empathy for other disciplines, and gives people clear venues to talk about the work they did and why they did it.
In most traditional organizations, information flows in one direction: up. The lower you sit in the hierarchy, the less information and context you have. Transparent organizations invert that model by giving everyone unfettered access to information, maximizing context and minimizing red tape, interruptions, and waiting for answers.
Building a transparent organization requires leadership, but you can’t lead if you can’t be seen. Leaders and managers working in the open serve as powerful role models for the behavior you want to see, building trust by constantly shining a light on their own questions, course-corrections, and decisions.
Further reading
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Duhigg, C. (2016, February 28). What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team. The New York Times Magazine.
This article discusses the findings from Google’s Project Aristotle, a research project aimed at understanding what makes a team effective. The research found that psychological safety, where team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other, was the most critical factor in successful teams. This conclusion highlights the importance of trust and open communication in team dynamics.
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Gino, F. (2017, October 10). Radical Transparency Can Reduce Bias — but Only If It’s Done Right. Harvard Business Review.
Examines Ray Dalio’s practice of “radical transparency,” its implementation, and the ways in which social science research confirms its core ideas.
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Bock, L. (2015). Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead. Twelve.
Encapsulates Google’s revolutionary workplace culture, highlighting the pivotal role of transparency in enhancing employee empowerment, trust, and organizational success.