Rebecca BraglioCommunity Engagement Specialist II| Project Management InstituteNewtown Square, Pa, United States
I always have such a hard time with this - which is probably part of the reason why I hated lawyering - how do you know when you are being too transparent?
I remember in school one of my professors saying that when it came to an ethical issue, if you felt your gut churn you should be transparent and divulge.
My gut constantly churns, so it's not the best benchmarker.
How do you know when to be completely transparent? Are there any situations where you wish you hadn't been as transparent as you were? Saving Changes...
David ThompsonHuman Resources Specialist (Information Systems)| US Bureau of ReclamationSalt Lake City, Ut, United States
Great Post! This post boils down to how to extend "smart trust". We all tailor our interactions depending on our internal compass of whether to trust, and how much analysis do I perform. If I have a low propensity to trust, and a low propensity to analyze the situation, I find myself not trusting anybody. High propensity to trust; Low Analysis, and I am Gullible. Low propensity to trust; High Analysis and I am Suspicious. High Trust; and High Analysis, this is my goal - where the watch word may be "trust, but verify".
Assuming I am in the "trust, but verify" category, I analyze the recipients of my message, gauging whether they will use that information for, or against me. So, my answer to the question is.. "it depends". On you, and on your audience. Saving Changes...
Navdeep JoshiSr. Consltant - CA PPM| TBDBangalore, Karnataka, India
I agree with what Dave mentioned - "We all tailor our interactions depending on our internal compass of whether to trust, and how much analysis do I perform.".... and - "....where the watch word may be "trust, but verify". "
Prepared the diagram as per what Dave mentioned :)
"How do you know when to be completely transparent?" - When in the green zone :)
It's easy to trust, but hard to re-trust :( - NJ
Saving Changes...
Michael AdamsSolutions Architect| LANLLos Alamos, Nm, United States
Hi Rebecca, good question, and one that is probably industry and situation specific. A lawyer ought to be transparent on occasion, and certainly must comply with rules of evidence. A public employee must be transparent with regards to discoverable information. I think in terms of when I'm talking with my boss...well that is where I need to be pretty much thoroughly transparent. If my boss uses that against me, then I need a new job, where I can be transparent. My goal is to be a high performing member of a high performing team, and if I can't trust my teammates or my boss, that is not possible.
Manas De AminDirector| Computer Technology Group KolkataKolkata, West Bengal, India
Good question raised by Rebecca. I believe it's not the trust factor which should be defining the level of transparency. But, it should be the information requirement one has from me. In professional capacity I should dispense all the information to one who should know it whether I trust him or her. Saving Changes...
PARAG KANDEKARVP Operations| SoftNice IncAllentown, Pa, United States
When TRUST Account is high, communication is easy, instant & effective - by Stephen Covey.
If we are not transparent in communication, relationship management, team management then we try to be more aggressive in making decisions or I will say pushing the decisions.
In Strategic Engagement Management - we have to take care of Sales as well where MYTH is if you are aggressive then you can do sale. But the reality is if you build TRUST then you don't have sell, what ever you propose is SOLUTION to the client, team, stakeholder which is seen positively with easy, smooth and instant decision.
Bruce Wilkinson MBA, PMPExpert Project Manager / Trustworthy Executive Assistant / Business Coach| goBRUCE Business ServicesCuenca, Azuay, Ecuador
I think many of us struggle with this. There are times when others are not as trustworthy as you might have thought; and you only find out when they use the information against you.
I think we need to make a distinction between personal and professional transparency. On a professional level there are often legal or fiduciary constraints which require or limit what we can, must, or can''t reveal. On a personal level, I think we need to be a bit cautious. I have known people who tended to reveal too much information on a regular basis--"loose lips sink ships!" Saving Changes...
fosco frongiaSenior project manager| ENTE PATRIMONIALE CHIESA GESU' CRISTO SUGFino Mornasco, Como, Italy
good question. I think first of all we must not confuse being transparent with being honest.
If we intend to transparency to reveal the fact all we know, the more or less be transparent depends on the circumstances in which we find ourselves, we have established a collaborative approach with the other party, or rather you are in a situation of confrontation ?, honesty instead must always be present.
in other words, be honest must be a behavioral characteristic, being transparent instead is an element linked to strategy related to circumstances Saving Changes...
Michael AdamsSolutions Architect| LANLLos Alamos, Nm, United States
Hi Rebecca, nice to finally meet you in person today at the Global Congress! I''ve been thinking about this question off and on. Something in the question really bothered me, and I finally figured out what it is. The reference to your gut feeling. I always tend to feel that if information is directly pertinent to someone''s job, and I am withholding important or even relevant information, I''m not acting ethically.
As I said earlier, I want to be a member of a high performing team, and in order to do that, I need to be on top of my ethics.
In every case, where I regret having been transparent, it is because I had done something prior to being transparent that I probably ought not have done. So to answer your question..."yes!" I have regretting being transparent, but not so much because I was open and honest, rather because I ended up exposing my own poor judgement or ethically questionable decision, and I was subsequently embarrassed. Saving Changes...
John NanneyRETIRED Program Manager, Aviation and IT Technical Project Management RETIRED| RETIRED (Just incase you missed that in the title :o)Amboy, Wa, United States
Transparency is strictly situational. Period. There are times when transparency is appropriate and there are times when it is deadly. Example: Publishing your credit card number on the internet is certainly transparent but I think we would all agree stupid. On the other not providing information in a business contract that is may be seen as a conflict of interest is unethical and could be career ending. As much as everyone has attempted to answer the question, here are my rules for transparency: Does the entity receiving the information have a real need to know? Who is affected by this information, and will it cause harm? Does the information need to be controlled, and if so how will it be controlled once released? How can or will the information be used by the receiver? Is it ethically required that I reveal the information? Is it unethical for me to not to reveal the information? Once this data is determined the question of whether to trust or not to trust is reduced to immaterial. Only my thoughts. :o) Saving Changes...
Manas De AminDirector| Computer Technology Group KolkataKolkata, West Bengal, India
John, you have raised the questions correctly. I believe the answers are available in the PMI Ethics booklet. Saving Changes...
