Radical transparency is a gift we give our teams.

“Did Peter just tell me that everything I wrote is crap??”

Well, not exactly, but this is often the feeling people get when they first experience radical transparency with me.

The general belief is that radical transparency is the concept that you will share what's on your mind whenever it's on your mind without a filter.

But if you don’t do it correctly, your team members will often hear how you’re saying something more than what you actually say. Many come from an environment where they’re used to things being sugar-coated or are used to always getting some good feedback mixed in with the negative.

If this is the case, it’s very likely they’ll take your radical transparency personally.

Here’s an example. Let’s say a member of my team came to me with a document they’ve written. I read the first two sentences and know immediately that it’s not good enough. Maybe the grammar is wrong, or they clearly missed the point I needed them to get across.

I’ll be very clear: “John, this is not what I was expecting and I need you to redo it.” And then I’ll explain exactly why I feel that way.

Now, John was perhaps expecting to spend 30 minutes with me and reading the whole document to find out what I did like and what needs to be improved. But radical transparency doesn’t have time for that. If the start isn’t up to snuff, then the rest likely isn’t either.

There’s a management philosophy that you always need to start off with the good and then ease into what needs to be fixed. I just don’t buy it.

Essentially you’re giving false hope to the person. For example, I used to bike voraciously. But was I ever going to get an entry into the Tour de France? Nope.

It’s better off for people to have realistic expectations about what they’re good at and where they need to improve.

BUT - and this is a big one - you can only do this if the people you’re talking to know that you care deeply about them and what they’re doing.

I can give someone very frank and candid feedback because they know I still like them, I still respect them and I still trust them. This is not a reflection on someone’s core qualities but merely about what they produced in this certain instance.

It’s all about the culture you build in an organization - one where feedback comes with a safety net that won’t shake your personal foundation.

No one’s going to hit it out of the park every time. But the flip side is that when you belt a grand slam, I’m going to be jumping through the roof with excitement!

Thanks for reading - and I also want to let you know that we still have a few spots available in The CEO Circle - grab one before they’re gone!

Have a great week,

Peter

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