Transparency in Business Practices

20 years ago, transparency was seen as a risk. Today, it's become the strongest currency in building customer trust. Take ANITA DONGRE's brand- Grassroots. By being completely transparent about their: > Organic fabric sourcing > Fair wage practices > Sustainable production methods  They've built unprecedented customer loyalty. 65% of shoppers now switch brands based on supply chain transparency (FMI- The Food Industry Association Report, 2024) Transparency has become a cornerstone for fostering customer loyalty, and brands like Anita Dongre’s Grassroots are setting a powerful example. By openly sharing their methods and practices, they build trust with consumers who prioritize honesty and ethical sourcing. Today's customers invest in values, caring about product origins, makers, environmental impact, and fair labor. But here's what most brands miss: transparency isn't just about sharing information—it's about building trust. With over 20+ years in retailing across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, I’ve learned that: > Being transparent about challenges, processes, and mistakes turns customers into trusted partners who understand our value and commitment. > The future belongs to brands brave enough to open their books and share their stories. Because in today's connected world, the most valuable thing we can offer isn't just quality products—it's authentic transparency. What transparency practices would you like to see more brands adopt? #RetailStrategy #CustomerTrust

"Won't such transparency create problems?" This was the question posed to me by a leadership team years ago when I proposed publishing our annual increment process in detail – from performance ratings to its linkage the increment % to market corrections. The organization had never done this before, nor had they heard of others being so open. But my rationale was simple: if we're confident that our compensation practices are fair, objective, and the best we can do within our constraints, why hide them? We only hide things we're unsure of or lack authenticity in. This argument resonated. We went ahead and published the entire process, and the results were remarkable: ✅ Zero compensation grievances that year. ✅ Engagement scores on trust and transparency soared to all-time highs. ✅ The organization has continued this practice for over a decade. Transparency isn't just about openness; it's about building trust. When employees understand the 'why' behind decisions, it fosters a sense of fairness and respect. How do you drive trust and transparency in your organization? I'm eager to hear your thoughts and experiences. Feel free to connect if you'd like to explore how to implement similar practices in your workplace! #transparency #trust #compensation #HR #leadership #employeengagement #organizationalculture

Radical transparency isn’t a buzzword—it’s the survival test for agencies. The future isn’t in secret boardroom decisions, sugarcoated reports, or vague team updates. It’s about tearing down silos and confronting hard truths openly. But are you ready for it? Radical transparency exposes weaknesses and weaponizes them for growth. It rewrites leadership and shatters comfort zones. Here’s how we did it: 👉 Tore down silos Everyone, from intern to CEO, got access to everything—retention stats, sales figures, leadership pay, even failures. ✔️ Results? Leadership became collaboration. Employees turned into invested contributors. Engagement rose 40%, productivity climbed 15%, and turnover halved. What worked: Brutal honesty—owning financial setbacks and leadership missteps. What failed: Comfort. Transparency kills “business as usual.” The biggest lie? Thinking withholding truth motivates. Vagueness breeds distrust, distrust kills ambition. When teams see the full picture, they innovate and execute with ruthless focus. Here’s the hard truth: Transparency will challenge your leadership. If you can’t handle that, someone else will—and their agency will thrive while yours collapses under secrecy. Radical transparency isn’t easy. It’s revolutionary. Ready to lead?

Keeping employees in the dark doesn’t protect your company—it undermines it. A study from MIT found that companies with high transparency saw a 38% increase in engagement. But many leaders still operate on the flawed belief that withholding information prevents distractions, confusion, or resistance. They’re missing a critical truth: When people don’t have the full story, they don’t just disengage—they create their own worse version of reality. Psychologists call this ambiguity aversion: we prefer even bad news over uncertainty. And when information is scarce, the scarcity principle kicks in, making withheld details seem far more important than they actually are. The irony? The very secrecy meant to prevent panic often fuels it. The best leaders I’ve studied don’t just share decisions—they explain them. They understand that people are far more likely to agree with a conclusion if they can see how you got there. They trust that informed employees make better decisions, not worse ones. Transparency isn’t a risk. It’s an accelerant for trust, engagement, and performance. What’s one piece of information you wish leaders would share more openly?

Executive directors hiding funding issues? It happens more than you think. I've seen a nonprofit leader who rarely cashed paychecks to help with finances. And another who took out personal loans to donate to the organization. While these actions stem from good intentions, they often create more problems than they solve. Here's why: 1. Hiding financial struggles prevents boards from fully understanding the organization's health. This limits their ability to provide strategic guidance and support. 2. Leaders forgoing paychecks can lead to burnout and resentment. And of course, there are some labor law issues, putting the nonprofit at risk. 3. Personal loans to the organization blur professional boundaries and can create conflicts of interest. By concealing financial realities, leaders unintentionally make it harder for boards to provide effective oversight and support. This lack of transparency can erode stakeholder trust and hinder the organization's ability to address challenges proactively. This is why I advocate for a culture of openness in nonprofit financial management: - Regular, detailed financial reports to the board - Open discussions about fundraising challenges and successes - Clear policies on executive compensation and benefits Implementing these practices offers several benefits: 1. Improved decision-making: With accurate financial information, boards can make more informed strategic choices. 2. Enhanced donor confidence: Transparency builds trust, potentially leading to increased donations and long-term supporter relationships. 3. Better resource allocation: Understanding the true financial picture allows for more effective budgeting and program planning. 4. Stronger partnerships: Open communication about finances can lead to more productive collaborations with other organizations and funders. By fostering a culture of financial transparency, we're creating an environment of trust and collaboration. This allows nonprofits to focus on their core missions without the burden of hidden financial stress. Remember, transparency isn't just about sharing numbers – it's about creating a culture of honesty, accountability, and shared responsibility for the organization's financial health. What steps is your nonprofit taking to increase financial transparency?

"𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞" This was the worst advice I ever received as a founder. And if I had followed it, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Back in 2015, when we were still figuring things out, we believed in one simple principle—𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭. We were open with our team about our numbers, challenges, and even vulnerabilities. But many seasoned founders at the time told us: "𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮." "𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴—𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬." "𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳." "𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵—𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦." We were shocked. And honestly, it hurt to be judged like that. But we followed our gut. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝. Instead of hiding and restricting, we shared our challenges and educated our team on business impact. The result? 💡 A team that thinks like owners, not employees. 💡 Developers who build with business context, not just code. 💡 Sales teams that sell what can actually be delivered. 💡 A culture where people feel valued, not used. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭? 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. Not every piece of advice—deserves to be followed. Trust your instincts. Build the company you’d love to work at. And your people would fall in love with. #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Transparency #Startup

Transparency isn’t a press release. It isn’t a ribbon cutting or a staged Q&A. It isn’t a reactive email after public pressure or a cherry-picked report designed to calm the noise. Real transparency is something else entirely. It’s built upstream. It begins with how your organization thinks, how it plans, how it prioritizes, and how it protects the public trust when no one is watching. It’s a willingness to be seen before the outcome is polished. It’s not vulnerability for show. It’s structure with nothing to hide. Real transparency isn’t a response to controversy, it’s the absence of fear that one might arise. And that kind of confidence only exists when internal systems are tight. Not perfect, but principled. Not flashy, but functional. Not immune to criticism, but designed to grow from it. Most organizations chase legitimacy through marketing. But legitimacy that must be branded will always be brittle. Real credibility is earned when your actions, your data, your budget, your decisions, and your results all align with what you say you stand for. When your meetings aren’t just recorded, they’re productive. When your metrics aren’t just posted, they’re explained. When your employees aren’t just trained, they’re empowered. When your processes aren’t just compliant, they’re coherent. That’s when transparency becomes transformational. Because when the process is sound, exposure isn’t a threat, it’s a confirmation. And when people can see the how behind your what, trust starts to grow roots. This is where self-correcting government begins. Not in grand gestures, but in systems that reflect, respond, and recalibrate without needing a scandal to trigger reform. It’s how you shift from damage control to direction, from reacting to leading, from the illusion of accountability to the infrastructure of it. #Leadership #PublicService #Transparency #AuthenticLeadership #StrategicLeadership #ThoughtLeadership #ChangeManagement #PerformanceMatters #ProcessImprovement #LeadWithPurpose #Innovation #CityManagement #PublicAdministration #MunicipalLeadership #CityManagerLife #LocalGovernment #GovernmentLeadership #PublicSectorExcellence #ExcellenceInGovernment #GovernmentInnovation #SmartCities #ResilientCities #HighPerformingGovernment #LeadershipInGovernment #ReformStrategy #SelfCorrectingGovernment #TransparentByDesign #SystemsThatWork #BuiltNotSpun #AccountabilityInAction #MissionDrivenLeadership #NoSpinNeeded #TruthThatBuilds #CultureOfIntegrity #OperationalExcellence #BeTheStandard #BaldrigeFramework #BaldrigeInAction #ContinuousImprovement #OrganizationalExcellence #PerformanceExcellence #QualityLeadership #ResultsWithIntegrity #ExcellenceAlways #LeadershipWithBackbone #PublicTrust #FixTheSystem #LeadershipThatLasts #PurposeDrivenLeadership #LeadTheChange #NextGenLeadership #BuildWithPurpose #TruthOverTheater #CommunityFirst #GovReformDoneRight #RealNotReactive #PublicLeadershipMatters

Your team is more perceptive than you might think. They pick up on subtle cues, shifts in tone, and changes in behavior long before any formal announcement is made. Trying to hide or delay information only fuels speculation and creates an environment ripe for office politics. As a leader, embracing transparency not only builds trust but also keeps your team aligned and focused. When people sense changes but are left in the dark, uncertainty takes over, leading to distractions and unnecessary stress. By being open about decisions, challenges, or shifts in direction, you eliminate the guessing game and foster a culture of clarity and collaboration. Even when the news is difficult, honesty earns respect and shows that you value your team as partners in the journey. Transparency isn’t just about sharing information; it’s about showing authenticity and care. Lead with empathy, involve your team in the process where possible, and communicate openly. When you prioritize clarity over control, you create an environment where trust outweighs politics, and progress takes precedence over rumors. #ppinsights #mondaymantra #leadershipskills #leadership #transparency #TransparencyMatters

Transparency: The Backbone of Effective Management and Strong Corporate Culture When I was CEO of Tele2 Kazakhstan, I strongly believed that corporate culture is not decoration — it is a crucial producing asset. One key pillar of a strong culture is transparency. At some point, I discovered that one of my Leaders was holding 5-7 hour meetings every Monday with his team. The purpose? To prepare him for our Tuesday management meeting. Essentially, 20% of the team’s working time was spent preparing one person for a meeting. This was not just inefficient — it was a clear barrier to information flow. To solve this, I simply introduced one more management layer (CEO-2) into our weekly leadership meetings. This simple structural change had a major impact: ✅ Improved information flow across the company ✅ Allowed a wider audience to witness and participate in key operational discussions ✅ Strengthened transparency, ensuring decisions were made in an open and collaborative way Of course, such openness requires maturity and resilience from top management. It demands confidence in one’s expertise, a willingness to be exposed, and the ability to engage in discussions that extend beyond the comfort of cabinet walls. Unfortunately, culture shifts quickly — and often, the first victim is transparency. 🚀 Transparency is not a luxury; it is a necessity for effective leadership. #Leadership #CorporateCulture #Transparency #Management #Efficiency

👋 It's time for HR to stop hiding. Transparency is a superpower that should be applied to all aspects of the hiring process, including when employees exit the company. When star employees leave, many leaders go quiet. Silence in an organization breeds speculation, and speculation drives attrition. Stela Lupushor and I created Principle #20, "Telegraph the Right Message to the Company," to encourage HR practitioners to acknowledge departures instead of hiding them. When others on the team see you celebrate an exciting employee's contributions to the company, it's not just the right thing to do, it's good strategy. Here's why: 🔹 It models maturity and respect across the organization. 🔹 It positions your company as resilient and people-centric. 🔹 It reduces anxiety for remaining employees, breaking the cycle of turnover. 🔹 It reinforces the personal value equation for those who stay, signaling that their work, contributions, and future at the company matter. 🔹 It keeps the door open for boomerang employees as well as brand ambassadors. Transparency in times of transition affirms your organizational integrity and strengthens employee trust. Transparency provides meaningful signals about each employee's own value in the company and gives them confidence about their future there. Your message matters. What are you doing to future-proof your workforce? #HumanizingHumanCapital #HumanCentricWorkforce #HumanResources