Ep49: "With Your Tray Tables Locked In an Upright Position"

Sometimes in your organization, there needs to be a bit of transparency. But, it needs to be just the right amount. How do you give your employees a peek behind the curtain without unleashing all of your company’s problems? It’s a fine balancing act.

Why is that important for business?

In this week’s episode, we talk about the business equivalent to turbulence on a plane. When notified of severe turbulence on a plane, and you’re the passenger, your mind immediately goes to a panic state. The natural reaction is to start asking the questions with hopes that it will answer the root of your anxiety.

This happens in businesses all the time. Employees will ask questions when they are noticing some turbulence in your organization. It’s the responsibility of the leader to address these concerns truthfully while still maintaining the element of compassion. It's important to answer their questions, but also address the anxiety that lurks their mind about the issue.

If you are having issues in your organization, but not being transparent about it, your employees can see the symptoms. Then this starts the mental fears of what is truly happening. This is when they will make up their own story, so it's important to explain what's really going on to prevent the panic.

In addition to this compassionate component, it’s also important to show some transparency when you are operating day-to-day. If you’re able to let your team members in on your decisions, then it can create a sense of empathy right back to you. By keeping all information on top-secret lockdown, you create friction between your employees and the flow. When people aren't part of the decision, they lose their empathy towards leaders.

Leaders need to address the things instead of pretending that everything is going to be perfect. You need address it truthfully yet empathetically, so your employees don't create a whole new set of problems.

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