Every Monday I offer up my thoughts on management; personal and professional
So what do I mean “Selective Transparency”? Well, in order to be an effective manager of people you need to be somewhat open with them, allow them to see that you are indeed a human and not some robot built and shipped off by cooperate to keep them in line; instead you must show that you are a real person who is there to help ensure that they, the employees, and ipso facto the company operate at a level of peak proficiency.
So how do you do this? By selectively allowing them to see a human side to you. This doesn’t mean you need to share every detail of your life, nay. Here is an example of what I mean; consider the following scenario: An employee is having trouble showing up for work due to transportation issues. Pulling this employee aside and saying “You know, a few years ago I was in a bad car accident and was without my car for almost a month. It was tough” Then proceeding to discuss alternative ways to get to work and how important it is show up for work on time will have a far more positive impact on the employee (and once again by default your company) than just telling him/her to show up on time.
By relating to the employee with a story of your own, you are showing your human side. You are letting the employee know that you can understand what it is like to be without transportation. So, give it a try, let people in just a little and show that you too are human.
