There’s a saying - “A culture is nothing but the mirror of a society.”
It reflects what its people inhabit. Perhaps, this can also be considered true when we talk about workplace culture.
Transparency, a word looked with utmost skepticism by many, has slowly found its way into the corporate world. Workplace transparency is a phenomenon that promotes openness and collaboration between employees and employers. Although there are many blogs that talk about the benefits of a transparent workplace, let’s try to look at it on a deeper level, and understand exactly WHY this is the need of the hour.
A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
Often referred to as “interpersonal expectations,” a self-fulfilling prophecy is a phenomenon when an originally false expectation or a belief leads someone to act in a way that eventually turns the false belief into reality.
Complicated, right? Let’s simplify your understanding through an example.
Have you ever been in a place where you meet a new hire and have a preconceived notion that they might not be a good fit for the role? When you hold this belief, you might start treating them in that manner and unconsciously focus more on their errors, than their achievements. This, in turn, could make them nervous and are likely to eventually make a mistake that will prove the initial belief correct.
SO HOW ARE SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES & TRANSPARENCY AT WORK RELATED?
Here’s the truth, everything comes down to building blocks. A formation of a thought can lead a person, or an employee in this matter, to further plan their actions. A workplace that revolves around secrets will willingly or unwillingly form the base of distrust among employees. In this scenario, here is how a self-fulfilling prophecy will work.
The false belief that might revolve around a non-transparent work culture is, “my organization hides information from me because it does not trust me enough.” Now when this false belief is formed in the head of an employee, they may act on the lines of the following fact- “If my organization is not loyal to me, why should I stay loyal to it?”
This will eventually lead to them going against the morals and ethics of the organization, thus reducing credibility of the firm, increasing turnovers, and causing more harm than ever.
The belief we hold often ends up turning into reality. Therefore, think twice before creating layers of secrets within your organization. A workplace that is open to everyone and respects the hierarchy of each person gives out the message that the employees are trusted and looked upon with respect. Such firm beliefs can lead to better job performance, higher work motivation, less absenteeism, and greater results.
CONCLUSION
Secrets and undisclosed information can cause a crack in the foundation of an organization. Therefore, now that you are familiar with the self-fulfilling prophecy, make sure you use it in the right way to create a trusted and transparent work environment.
