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Margaret Wheatley,
Leadership and the New Science:
Information is an organization's
primary source of nourishment; it is
so vital to survival that its absence
creates a strong vacuum. If
information is not available,
people make it up. . . it is the
critical vital sign of organizational
health.
I know of one organization that
thinks of information as salmon.
If its organizational streams are well-stocked, the belief goes,
information will finds its way to
where it needs to be. The
organization's job is to keep the
stream clear, so that the salmon
have an easy time of it. The result
is a harvest of new ideas and projects.
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Welcome to the monthly Fearless Conversations newsletter - inspiration and tools to help us create a world in which fearless conversations are common in our workplaces, communities and relationships.
Thank you for reading this newsletter and sharing it with others.
Enjoy!
Shyrl
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Transparency
A Bold Claim. A Courageous Process
"In the interest of transparency . . ." - an opening phrase in a long-anticipated department report, triggered anxiety and suspicion rather than reassurance and appreciation. Though a considerable amount of data had  been gathered throughout this particular organization, the report had glaring gaps in its summaries; its analyses were drawn on weak evidence. Within minutes, the recipients of the report were judging the department's process to be faulty -- certainly, not transparent. They criticized the report as confusing and distorted. Rather than serve an upcoming process of planning and decision-making, the report triggered a need to wade through complex expectations and assumptions about transparency.
Judgments about lack of transparency in the department's process morphed into judgments about lack of transparency in the members of the department. People suspected them of manipulating data to hide critical information and accused the department of bias and hidden agendas. Judgments about the  department's perceived lack of transparency set up typical barriers to communication. People were reluctant to talk to them about their concerns. Instead they got caught up in inner dialogues: Why are you claiming to be transparent? You asked for my opinion. I gave it to you. It never occurred to me you wouldn't reflect it back. What are you hiding? Why would you be hiding anything?
It seems to me that, depending on context, the claim of transparency can trigger defensiveness and skepticism every bit as much as it can stir trust and reassurance. I think that's because a universal need is at stake -- INFORMATION. In even the best of high-functioning organizations, communication is something everyone wants to be better. I ask people to be specific, i.e. what about communication do you want to be better? The answer usually has to do with information: timeliness, accuracy, clarity, adequacy, access. If these qualities are missing, transparency is missing. Information, transparently given and received, is the light we need to participate, contribute, succeed.
Transparency is a bold process that takes courage. Think of a clear sheet of acetate with a balance on each side.  On one side, we may weigh transparency in the balance with any number of needs such
as privacy, prudence, confidentiality, efficiency, order. On the other side, we may weigh transparency in the balance with needs such as to be understood, to matter, to be heard. If collaboration, cooperation and collective decision-making are the desired outcomes, transparency takes fearless conversations to weigh all of the needs together. Abandoning judgment and talking about what matters to everyone creates transparency.
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Explorations: Fun and Free
Come join others in exploring how we can talk to one another about political, religious and social issues that we typically avoid in conversation for one reason or another. In these explorations we have fun and enjoy mutual support. We also take away some practical tools for talking about sensitive and polarizing issues. I am offering these explorations at no cost -- they're free!
I set-up these explorations with co-hosts -- volunteers who invite people from their networks of friends and colleagues and arrange for an hospitable place to gather. Typically, an exploration gathering is 1.5 - 2 hours with 5 - 15 people.
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About Fearless Conversations
Fearless Conversations serves non-profit organizations, schools, faith communities and small/mid-size businesses. Typical requests are for design and facilitation of visioning or team-building retreats, strategic planning, meeting facilitation, transition planning, decision-making processes.
650-218-2861
513 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont, CA 94002
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