This is a guest post by Trainual Success Coach Rach Richardson and is part of a Mental Health Month series on The Manual.

One night, I went to bed with a gut wrenching knot, unable to catch my breath and worried sick that I offended the CEO. 

Let me rewind a bit: during one of our company’s all-hands meetings (that’s where we get together as a company to connect, chat through metrics, and highlight weekly goals and initiatives), our CEO asked if we had any questions about the metrics in the presentation. 

I was less than six months into my first role in tech, so things like “CACPayback,” “MRR,” and “ARR” were still a bit misty. Nonetheless, I was genuinely curious about a metric and worked up the nerve to ask my question. 

‍Did I step on a landmine? 

Armed with nothing more than curiosity, I asked my question. 

We were just at the end of the all-hands meeting, so the answer was quick, sharp, and specific. And thanks to past work experiences, I automatically assumed that the curt response meant that I had stepped on a landmine. I ask something taboo. We don't talk about… (metrics, PTO policies, “Bruno” — you get the gist).

Every place has them. Landmines. The elephants in the room. Secret places that folks with tenure know to skip, hop, or jump over. 

I’ve been “new” a few times. I’ve been burned by landmines. It sucks. And nine times out of 10, it scars you. 

‍The Aftermath

I didn’t know what to think of the way my question had been answered. I wasn’t sure if the curt response meant I offended the CEO. I worried that the offense was being carved into my employee file with red ink. I played out tons of scenarios in my mind. Each one, worse than the last. 

Then I remembered the promise. 

I’ve heard this before. The promise of transparency and authenticity at work. My heart couldn’t stand yet another workplace that didn’t practice what it preached. I had to know, with certainty. So I took bold action.

The outcome

It was the BEST decision I ever made. 

I brought my fullest, most authentic self to that meeting. I even got a little emotional. 

You’re probably shouting, “No! Don’t cry at work!” But hey, I’m a high-empathy, sensitive personality. That is my authentic self. 

Chris, our CEO, couldn't have been more gracious. We hashed out my would-be offense straight away. He was happy I brought it to him and committed to re-watch the recording. I felt heard. I felt important. I felt safe. 

Folks: THIS is what transparency and authenticity at work looks like IRL!

I couldn’t agree more, Chris! I’m really proud that we have a culture where I feel comfortable voicing my worries and anxieties, and being my truest self at work. 

‍So, how did our company get to this transparent and authentic space? 

For starters, real transparency in the workplace is a verb, not a noun. It's an action, not a word. It’s behaviors that are practiced consistently, which leads to culture; not the other way around.

At Trainual, transparency and authenticity starts with three culture jump-off points: the hiring process, the feedback training, and the language we use. 

They’re jump-off points because we have processes in place that support our people-first culture. But they're just the start. The culture is shaped by putting these things into practice.

Your company needs some street cred

We know that you can come up with a cleverly designed job posting that shouts things like “we are transparent” and “come join the team.”  But, did you know that without positive street cred, you’re opening yourself up to the 69% of job seekers who will vehemently call out your bluff? 

In other words, it takes more than a solid job post these days to attract top talent aligned with your core values. Before even considering an application, job seekers are scouring your website, social handles, and employee reviews (like the ones on Glassdoor) for confirmation of shared values, balance, career progression, and benefits. 

People want to know that it’s real. 

Okay, but how?

Well, you can: 

1. Invest in your careers page. With photos and stories of what it's really like to work at your company. Let your people speak to the people.
2. Be super detailed about your interview process. Because the more candidates know, the better prepared they are to shine! 
3. Encourage employees to share their stories. Focus on social sites that candidates might be looking at. 
4. Reject with care. Because “how you deliver bad news to candidates reflects your core values and company culture.”

Turn these four actions into processes so that you repeat them consistently, with every potential employee. Consistent, repeatable action will build up and sustain positive street cred. 

‍Feedback training

When it comes to transparency in the workplace, finding a “peaceful solution'' doesn't mean the underlying issue was resolved (AKA toxic positivity). You can settle on a common ground (to keep the peace, and all) while still feeling the weight and discomfort of the offense. 

Transparency in practice goes well beyond common ground because it starts from an authentic place. No politics. No red tape. Just real talk. 

So, train your people to give feedback authentically and on a timely basis, so that the conflict discussions are rooted on solid ground. 

We follow the Behavior-Impact-Question (BIQ) method.  Here’s how: 

Establish a process for feedback, and then, ask for it (consistently, of course). 

Watch your words

Culture is built on intentionality. So, start with intentionality around the words you use. 

Just like you have a voice and style guide for your copy, write a voice and style guide for your people. 

• Invest in understanding what words are triggering to your people and define them.
• Don’t settle for phases or words you’ve always used by default; keep growing!
• Keep learning and implementing new guardrails for how your people can  interact with one another in an inclusive and safe way. 
• Create safe spaces, like affinity groups, where people can voice their hurts, worries, or offenses. 
• In team meetings, talk about the not-so-warm-and-fuzzy stuff too! Work ain't always pretty, and that's okay. We’re adults. We can handle it.
• Encourage new feedback and dialogue from your people around what this guide looks like. 

TL;DR: Don’t accept the silence. When it comes to a culture of transparency, silence isn’t golden. Sometimes what isn’t being said is what’s killing your culture. 

Create methods and paths of escalation that are clearly defined and understood by your people. Then, talk about it often so that they don’t forget. That's culture.