The Transparency Trap

Transparency has the potential to encourage us all to be better people and create better organizations. However, in a world where everything we do or say can be viewed or shared instantly, learning to be publicly vulnerable can be a smart move. However, when it comes to businesses, too much transparency can lead to the transparency trap. This is particularly true when your business is somebody else's business, and they are not as open as you are. Some common tactics for dealing with the transparency trap include asking for forgiveness instead of permission, obscuring details, or doing and saying nothing. Learning to transcend the transparency trap is a crucial stepping stone to creating a better future together. While transparency is not necessarily universally beneficial all the time, creating temporary safe spaces to learn, experiment, and grow can help us overcome this trap.