Transparency - a magic word that means nothing, except when it means everything

Ever since the coronavirus, "transparency" has entered the top five words in the corporate vocabulary. Naturally, this trend spilled over into our market, so we often hear: "We are a transparent company", "We have transparent communication with employees", etc., and behind the scenes, most employees' hair stands on end, because companies and leaders are often transparent only when and as much as it suits them.

But why is it difficult for us to be transparent? Do we even know what that means? Do we know what it looks like in practice and does our Serbian mentality make it difficult?

Transparency is, in essence, very simple. It's about honest, open communication and sharing information that matters to everyone. This does not mean telling everything, but giving people clarity, context and understanding of a particular situation.

However, most often, no matter how simple this is, when the moment comes that we need to be transparent, all the heroes let no one down. Why?

Fear of consequences. People fear that telling the truth will cost them their job, reputation or peace of mind in the workplace. And this is a historically based fear in our people. If transparency means "telling the boss that his idea is bad" or "telling the employees openly how many of them will be laid off", then thank you very much, but no thank you.

Employees are still treated like children, and by God, some are still children. Many companies operate on the principle that information is kept at the top, because "the less you know, the less problems you have." But employees are often not flowers either, because they are guided by the old principles of "shut up and mind your own business" or "I want to know what my colleagues' salaries are, but I wouldn't really want everyone to know mine."

A tendency towards "tavern" transparency. It is interesting that we are extremely open and honest in informal situations. Everything will be said during the push-break, in the bar, but not at the meeting, where, in fact, it would be the only thing that would make sense.

Why is transparency so important and why is it being overlooked?

In practice, transparency can really improve your work environment and thus your entire business. When your company really shares important information in a timely manner, employees' trust in management and colleagues grows, stress and uncertainty are reduced, people are motivated, they know what their priorities are, and you prevent unnecessary conflicts.

In order to live transparency in practice, it is necessary to fulfill several conditions:

• To have an efficient internal employee information system that distributes information to everyone in a timely and accurate manner;

• That your business management culture is transparent, and this implies: clear management decisions without mysterious dismissals and unexpected changes, the possibility for employees to express their opinion without fear, less talk - more substance, "open wages" (I know this sounds like science fiction in Serbia, but it will arrive in the EU this year and is knocking on our door);

• That all managers are transparent in the way they work and communicate with people. If you have one black sheep, get rid of it.

There are many reasons why we struggle with transparency, but actually, as long as we think that communication is a tra-la-la thing that can be done by the assistant to the general director, and not a serious business process that can systematically and systematically help the business, not much will change.

And can we, as a people, be transparent?

Serbs love the truth, but only when we talk about others. When the moment comes to be completely open about our decisions, plans and finances, things get more complicated. We are not used to sharing information, often because we think someone will use it against us. But if we want better companies and healthier work environments, we need to stop using "transparency" as a buzzword, start changing inside and make it mean what it really means.

On the other hand, the world is moving towards greater transparency, whether we like it or not. The generations of young people coming to us have higher expectations from both the state and employers. They want to live and work in an environment where there are no games and hidden rules, they want responsibility and open communication .

And the current student protests tell us that so clearly and vividly. Everything started from a demand for transparency, and it turned into a movement for freedom. Now imagine that you are the employer of those young people. Use it as a "meter" of your transparency and initiate change as soon as possible.

True transparency is not when everyone knows everything, but when people have complete clarity about what's going on, trust in you to do the best for them and that no one suspects that you are hiding something from them.