In this episode of Big Questions, Short Answers, we’re talking about transparency. Do we need to share every tiny detail—or only let people in on the highlights?

Transparency is the foundation of trust, but it can be tricky to figure out how transparent you should be with the people around you. If you have employees, being honest with them is critical for building strong relationships. When you don’t communicate with the people around you, you don’t give them the chance to understand you, support you or help fix the issue. I’ve learned all of this the hard way, and it’s something I’m still learning.

At the end of the episode, I share the meeting format I use to ensure I’m being fully transparent with my team. It’s not always pretty, but I’m proud of our level of transparency and the great work it has inspired.

Episode highlights

1:00 Transparency is the foundation of trust. Many of us have a natural instinct to protect people so we don't tell them the hard stuff.

2:08 If you are not being transparent with someone, you are doing them a disservice and you're doing yourself a disservice. 

3:21 My story of a time when I wasn’t transparent with my team about the company’s finances, and what I learned from it. 

6:59 My system for communicating regularly and openly with my team about the status of the company. 

More about the show: ​​www.jackiehermes.com/podcast

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