The Illusion of TRUE Transparency

"I think the currency of leadership is transparency. You've got to be truthful. I don't

NYC Skyline - view from Statue of Liberty
(picture from vacation in 2017)

think you should be vulnerable every day, but there are moments where you've got to share your soul and conscience with people and show them who you are, and not be afraid of it."    -Howard Schultz 

Over the last nine weeks I shared many stories with you and we have traveled through the world of leadership and communication together.  Although these topics may not have been what I would have thought to write about originally, they have actually given me a little inspiration to get started, or the push I needed to continue writing the personal blog I have been wanting to write for some time now.  I wanted to start a personal blog about my thoughts and share stories, even if no one reads it, so that I can begin to heal.  This leads me to my point this week.  Transparency.

We talked some in this class about transparency: what it is, the importance of it, transparency in social media and crisis communication, etc.  I brought transparency up because as important as it is in business and strategic communication, it is just as important when dealing with something personal and being honest with yourself.  It seems to be a word that gets thrown around a lot too, especially in the media and in politics.  So, what exactly does it mean?  

Transparency:

1.  Lack of hidden agendas and conditions, accompanied by the availability of full

     information required for collaboration, cooperation, and collective decision making

2.  Essential condition for a free and open exchange whereby the rules and reasons behind

     regulatory measures are fair and clear to all participants

3.  Without hidden motives or pretense; frank, open, honest, candid, clean-cut, sincere,

     simple, guileless, artless, ingenuous, genuine, direct, unsophisticated

Time Square - NYC (picture from vacation in 2017)

Many companies, the media and politicians these days tell us they are being completely transparent with us.  But in all reality, they only tell us what they want us to know/hear.  And although this is actually the way it has always been, it just seems like it is getting worse because it is constantly in our faces due to social media and the availability of 24 hour news cycles readily available on our cell phones, computers and televisions.  When we look at our family and friend's pictures and posts online, we would like to think we are seeing the true images of their lives, that they are being completely transparent with us.  But in all reality, we know people post pictures of their family photos and vacations that put them $5000 further in the hole because they want their "friends" to see them as cool and that they have a wonderful life.  Nobody is transparent anymore!  In the days of social media where we actually have the ability to be completely transparent, we are faker than we have ever been!

Lizzy Borden House in Fall River, MA

(picture from vacation in 2017)

My goal with this blog, although I may not post on a schedule like I do now, is to be transparent and truthful with myself.  Some weeks I may post a few times a week, some weeks I might post once and there might be times I won't post at all that week.  It all depends on what my thoughts are that week and I will write them as they come to me.  I plan to use this as sort of a journal.  So, stay tuned, if you would like to continue on my journey.  My leadership and communication blog is wrapping up...for now...but who knows where this will lead us to next.  Til next time...Becci out!  

"I've always believed that if you are precise in your thoughts, it's not the lines you say that are important - it's what exists between the lines. What I'm compelled by most is that transparency of thought, what is left unspoken."    -Vera Farmiga