Employees who are the backbone of every company need to feel fulfilled in their jobs and important to their teams. This is achieved through transparency. Unfortunately, studies reveal that transparency is not one of the thrusts of many companies and organizations. In fact, it has been found that only 42% of employees are actually aware of their company’s vision, mission, and goals. This could mean that many companies failed in making clear and setting straight what they are really about. Given this fact, how can employers expect their employees to be productive when they don’t even know what the targets are of the organization they currently work in?
Transparency is crucial because it just doesn’t make people feel better but it also makes people work better. It helps define roles and identify an organization’s values, structure, and objectives. In project management, transparency is about knowing the performance of a project or its processes. It further reveals the information used for making decisions, as well as the details of the actual earned value of a product in contrast to expectations.
Why do some employers choose not to be transparent?
Though it is true that transparency is important to an organization, especially to its employees, there are also times when employers and workers believe opaqueness should reign. Experts agree based on evidence that there are practical and justifiable reasons not to be completely open on certain things. Among these is when the information to be relayed is uncomfortable, may emphasize deficiencies, or may oppose an idea. Other instances where transparency is not encouraged include when there is fear that the information may be used against them or may be misconstrued. Not to be ignored also is the risk of revealing critical personal information about individuals such as their children and personal identification numbers. Unfortunately, certain people choose to not be transparent for reasons of job security, especially when they are aware that they are the only ones with that ‘specific’ knowledge of a thing.
Reasons why transparency is important in project management
Whatever the reasons for curtailing transparency, the benefits of transparency still outweigh its disadvantages. The following is a list of why transparency is important to project management.
- Transparency builds trust
Trust is crucial to every organization, especially in project management. Unfortunately, the shocking results of the 2014 American Psychological Association survey reveal that 25% of employees don’t trust their employers and 50% believe that their employers are not totally open with them. When employers openly share with their employees, the employees understand what is going on, what is expected of them, and what they can do. As a result, they are more engaged in their job and may even want to offer ideas for improvement. When they trust their employers, they are more inclined to help and give their best because they are aware of their work’s directions.
- Transparency keeps work on track
There are times when projects get derailed for different reasons which may include events. This can cause delays in the completion of projects and employees should be made aware of these. With transparency, it is easier for managers and members to identify bottlenecks in the project and report these to get the proper action. It makes every member of the team understand that their participation and cooperation can make or break the success of the project.
- Transparency enhances teamwork
Project management is rarely the work of just one person because it is not a one-man show but a team effort. When everyone in the team is aware of their individual roles and how their roles impact the overall success of the project, they tend to do their part more enthusiastically. Moreover, members strive harder to better communicate with one another and have accountability.
- Transparency boosts productivity
Studies show that 50% of employees feel that their employers are not providing them with all the information necessary for them to be successful in their jobs. When this is the case, they may also not give their best, knowing that they aren’t getting the right support they deserve. Since it’s been said that many employees don’t know about their company’s vision, mission, and goals, it would be a great idea to revisit them with the entire team.
- Transparency fosters relationships
Relationships are founded by trust which is fostered through transparency. When employees have a great professional relationship with their employers and with other employees, they become happier in their workplace and are more productive. This is what makes them eager to go to work and do their work more efficiently.
How Bridge24 helps in promoting transparency in project management
For organizations whose transparency needs work, Bridge24 is the answer. It is a reporting and exporting application that targets the enhancement of other software’s functionality such as Asana, Basecamp, AceProject, and Trello.
Bridge24 has various features that can also enhance transparency in the workplace. For one, it has Task History which is connected to the user’s account, allowing questions to be answered regarding events and actions that have taken place. The information is useful either for reporting or investigation purposes. A lot of information can be revealed, including the tasks that were completed in the past week and verification of what changes have been made and who made them. Through this feature, users can view task status, assignments, modification dates, and document actions.
Aside from the Task History, Bridge24 also has an intuitive interface and dynamic connectivity which allows users to access information without going through complex processes. And because there is real-time data synchronization which displays edits and updates made to files, managers are better able to oversee their projects and members.
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